Westmoreland Reads invites the community to join in the discussion of the 2025 community read, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt. This New York Times Best Seller explores how the increased use of social media and digital screens is affecting the mental health of young people.
On Monday, Oct. 27, a group of mental health, healthcare, and education professionals, along with two Gen Z students, will sit down to discuss the real-life situations facing parents, teachers, and others who interact with young people whose lives are ruled by social media and digital screen usage. The program will begin at 7 p.m. in the Ferguson Theater at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg (150 Finoli Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601). This discussion is open to the public at no charge.
“Haidt’s book delves into the epidemic of mental illness that Gen Z, the generation born after 1995, is experiencing,” said Sheila Confer, EdD, assistant professor of interdisciplinary studies, director of the Academic Village, and the founder of Westmoreland Reads. “Haidt looks at the explanations for this epidemic and offers solutions to it. Our panel will offer an opportunity to expand the conversation on this topic and look at practical solutions to helping the youth who are experiencing mental health challenges.”
Confer and her committee invite the Westmoreland County community to join in the discussion. She notes that many on the panel are also parents who know what it’s like to be faced with the decisions about when to give your child a cell phone or allow them to have a social media presence.
Westmoreland Reads is offering readers The Anxious Generation as a hard-copy or audiobook at no cost to participants (while supplies last). Details about how to obtain a copy of the book are available here.
The panel:
Veronica Braman, BSN, RN: Braman, who is from Greensburg, is a critical care nurse and graduate student pursuing a master of science in nursing education at Cappella University, with the goal of one day returning to the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg as a professor. She graduated summa cum laude from Pitt-Greensburg’s nursing program in 2023, a member of its third cohort, where she discovered her passion for teaching through her roles as a teaching assistant and supplemental instructor. Braman is a proud member of Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society for nursing, and will complete her master’s capstone project at Pitt–Greensburg in 2026.
She has also represented Pitt–Greensburg as a presenter at UPMC’s Academic Partner Summit, sharing how academic-clinical partnerships foster student success. In her clinical practice, she works in a medical ICU caring for adults with diverse critical care needs and serves on her hospital’s Pathway to Excellence team and mentorship program.
Committed to leadership and professional growth, she is the founder and president of the School of Nursing Alumni Council (SONAC) at Pitt-Greensburg, continuing her dedication to fostering connection and support within the nursing community. As someone born in 2000, she is part of the “anxious generation” herself, and she looks forward to contributing both her clinical expertise and generational perspective to the panel discussion.
Jessica Ghilani, PhD: Ghilani is an associate professor of communication at Pitt-Greensburg and an Affiliate Scholar at the Pitt Cyber Institute for Law, Policy, and Security. She researches and teaches media history, technologies and society, information integrity, and digital culture. Her award-winning scholarship has been published in numerous academic journals and supported with grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History and National Air and Space Museum, and the American Association of University Women.
She is CBS KDKA Talk Pittsburgh's expert guest commentator on technology topics and the founder of its recurring Tech Talk segment, where she appears on television a few times a month to discuss emerging media and tech news.
In her spare time, Dr. Ghilani offers community outreach lectures that bolster media, data, and AI literacy for audiences of adults, as well as digital well-being workshops aimed at pre-teens and teens through nonprofit organizations and in regional public libraries. A lifelong resident of southwestern Pennsylvania, she resides in Pittsburgh with her husband and their two daughters.
Mark Holtzman, EdD: A passionate and authentic leader, Holtzman brings more than 20 years of educational leadership experience across Beaver Area, McKeesport Area, and West Mifflin Area School Districts. Known for his unwavering commitment to student-centered education, Dr. Holtzman consistently prioritizes what is best for children and their futures.
His leadership style is defined by loyalty, decisiveness, and a forward-thinking approach rooted in innovation and strong community partnerships. Whether navigating complex challenges or leading transformational initiatives, he leads with clarity, conviction, and a relentless focus on excellence.
Holtzman's perspective as a father deeply influences his work. He and his wife, Ashley, are proud parents of four children: Calden, Xavier, Charlee, and Everlee, along with the dog Creed. His decisions as a superintendent reflect the same high standards he would expect for his own children: safe schools, quality instruction, and opportunities that empower every student.
His commitment to equity and access is evident in his work with the Dick's Sporting Goods Foundation to secure critical resources for students, and his nationally recognized collaboration with Comcast and Dell Technologies, featured on the Today Show, which provided devices and internet access to eliminate digital barriers for families.
Holzman leads with purpose and integrity, guided by the belief that loyalty to students, staff, and the broader community must always come first.
Gayle F. Pamerleau, LSCW: Pamerleau has been director of counseling at Pitt Greensburg since 2002. She received her BS at Michigan State University and her MSW at Indiana University, and she has provided mental health treatment to youth and young adults in a variety of settings and states for more than 30 years.
At Pitt Greensburg, Gayle has trained graduate students through the Pitt School of Social work for more than 15 years and advises psychology-, mental health-, and LGBTQIA-related campus clubs. Gayle was instrumental in starting the Wellness and Resilience courses and programming offered on this campus.
In Greensburg, Gayle has served on community boards and committees and currently serves on the steering committee for Ray of Hope Westmoreland County Suicide Awareness and Prevention Task Force. She has also, with her husband, raised two Gen Z children who are navigating life and social media well.
Jaimie Sebastianelli: Sebastianelli has spent 20 years working with students in the Hempfield Area School District, first as a History teacher and then finding her passion as a School Counselor. Currently pursuing a master's in clinical mental health, she is also raising two teenagers in the district with her husband, a fellow Hempfield educator. Jaimie brings both professional experience and personal perspective to the conversation about how today’s kids are coping with anxiety and growing up in a fast-paced world.
Tonuia Smith: Smith is an adjunct associate professor at Westmoreland County Community College, where she teaches psychology courses and shares extensive knowledge with her students. Currently pursuing a PhD in counselor education and supervision from Waynesburg University, she is dedicated to advancing her expertise in the field of mental health and addiction.
Smith has more than 25 years’ experience in the criminal justice field. Her passion lies in working with female
offenders to make a meaningful impact by helping them navigate their challenges and build a brighter future. In addition to teaching, she is a mental health and career counselor who is focused on empowering women with skills that are needed to achieve self-sufficiency through personal and career goals.
Zakery Wiles: Wiles is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, where he studies political
science and public policy. He currently serves as Senate Vice President of the Student Government Association and has worked with elected officials, advocacy groups, and nonprofits on issues such as voting access, disability rights, and LGBTQ+ equality.
In 2022, his grassroots petition played a role in prompting Pennsylvania to ban conversion therapy, an
experience that continues to guide his commitment to public service. Zak currently works at a nonprofit organization in the Greensburg area, where he contributes to advancing community-based initiatives. He is also running for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 57th District.
About Westmoreland Reads:
Westmoreland Reads is Pitt-Greensburg’s common read program and seeks to bring the campus and Westmoreland County communities together to engage in learning by reading and discussing books that present a diversity of themes that cross disciplines. The intention is to help students to build reading comprehension skills, understand diverse opinions and experiences, think critically about current societal issues, and build oral and written communication skills through discussions and class assignments.
By sharing the common book with the greater Westmoreland County community, Westmoreland Reads hopes to build a sense of community while looking at the same book through an interdisciplinary lens to make connections and engage in conversations with others across disciplines, interests, and age groups.
About the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg:
Founded in 1963, the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg is a publicly assisted, four-year, liberal arts college in southwestern Pennsylvania. Pitt-Greensburg offers 31 baccalaureate degree programs, including new majors in data analytics, nursing, and healthcare management, as well as 31 minors and five certificate programs. With nearly 1,400 students, more than 10,000 alumni, and faculty and staff numbering 260, Pitt-Greensburg provides a vibrant, diverse community that is a dynamic model of a liberal arts education. As part of the University of Pittsburgh system, Pitt-Greensburg offers the resources of a world-renowned university combined with the individualized and immersive experiences of a small liberal arts college. Creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit permeate the campus and extend into its many collaborative projects with the Westmoreland County community. Nestled in Pennsylvania’s beautiful Laurel Highlands, the campus is surrounded by the region’s outdoor recreation venues and rich history. It is a five-minute drive from uptown Greensburg and less than an hour’s drive from Pittsburgh.