HWS News
9 November 2026 President’s Forum to Feature National Leader on Youth Mental Health
Carson Domey, the executive director of the Coalition for Student Wellbeing, will discuss advocacy, public policy and expanding mental health resources on Nov. 19.
Youth mental health advocate Carson Domey, executive director of the Coalition for Student Wellbeing, will speak at Hobart and William Smith on Thursday, Nov. 19, as part of the President’s Forum Series. Moderating the discussion will be President Mark D. Gearan and Ela Gardiner ’27, the president of the Hobart and William Smith Student Government. The event will be held at 7 p.m. in the Vandervort Room of the Scandling Campus Center. It is free and open to the public.
Gearan, who serves on the Coalition for Student Wellbeing’s advisory board, says Domey’s work reflects the importance of elevating student voices in conversations about mental health and public policy.
“Carson Domey’s leadership in advancing mental health access and policy is both meaningful and impactful. His advocacy at the state and federal levels demonstrates how committed individuals can help shape policy and strengthen support systems,” says Gearan. “His work offers an important example for our students of how they can use their voices and expertise to create positive change.”
Domey began advocating for improved access to health care at age 12, when he shared his experience living with a lifelong illness to help expand access to telehealth services in Massachusetts. Following the loss of a friend to suicide in 2018, he turned his attention to mental health awareness, working to reduce barriers to care and strengthen support systems within educational institutions.
As executive director of the Coalition for Student Wellbeing, Domey leads efforts to connect students with policymakers and other decisionmakers through advocacy, collaboration and education. The organization cultivates a grassroots network of student leaders who work to advance policies that support student wellbeing on college campuses nationwide.
Domey has advocated for legislation at the state and federal levels, including in Massachusetts, Texas and the U.S. Congress. In Massachusetts, he has championed efforts to expand the definition of physical education to include mental health. At the federal level, he is working to advance legislation that would add the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to student identification cards nationwide. In Texas, he contributed to the successful passage of legislation directing more than $25 million toward strengthening the state’s mental health workforce.
Domey currently serves as a clinician outreach coordinator for Throne Science in Austin, Texas, and is pursuing a Master of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs. He earned a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas. He also serves on the boards of several nonprofits in the Boston and Austin areas focused on suicide prevention and improving the lives of people with inflammatory bowel disease. Previously, he was a gubernatorial appointee in Massachusetts and an appointed commissioner on the City of Austin’s College Student Commission.
Established by Gearan in 2000, the President’s Forum Series brings influential thinkers and leaders to campus to engage students, faculty, staff and community members in conversations about issues shaping public life. Recent speakers have included political strategist and author Maya Rupert; former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman; President and CEO of the New England Aquarium Vikki Spruill P’12; internationally recognized epidemiologist and public health expert Dr. Chris Beyrer ’81, Sc.D. ’22; and CNN contributor, conservative columnist and former presidential adviser Scott Jennings.
