
Your Mental Health - Why Talking to Strangers Is So Important & How Dogs Set Us Up for Success
Monday, October 5, 2026 · 6:00 PM CDT · Fayetteville Public Library · Fayetteville, AR
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About this event
This talk will cover how important social interactions with strangers are for well-being and social integration, how these interactions were missing during the pandemic, how people are more hesitant than they need to be about such interactions, the virtuous cycle that an interaction with a stranger sets in motion, and how having or seeing others with a dog facilitates these processes. This event will be livestreamed. Watch it here → MEET YOUR PRESENTER Professor Denise Beike has been a faculty member at the University of Arkansas for over 30 years. Her research focuses on people's close relationships, including with their pets, and how remembering life events influences people's relationships, identity, and motivation. In addition to teaching thousands of undergraduate students in the classroom, she has mentored the research of 25 undergraduate honors students and 16 Master's and Ph.D. students. She is the co-author of the books The Self and Memory and Memory 101. For disability accommodations, call 479.856.7250 or email questions@faylib.org 2-3 weekdays before a program. Plan your visit by viewing our building map and details on accessibility services.