February 18, 2021 SHARE COVID-19 is the worst. Tim Bono, campus happiness expert, won’t pretend otherwise. But if we are to protect our mental, as well as our physical, health, it’s vital to celebrate small kindnesses, moments of beauty and pieces of good news. “The Gratitude Project,” a new video series, highlights Washington University in St. Louis faculty, staff and students rising up for the greater good. “Despite the challenges, we can still take some time to watch one of our colleagues running down the street in a gingerbread costume to bring cheer to his co-workers or a sloth at the Dallas Zoo wishing students well,” said Bono, assistant dean for assessment in Student Affairs and lecturer in psychological and brain sciences in Arts & Sciences. He produced the series with Jeff Allen, manager of the Harvey Media Center. “Practicing gratitude does not trivialize trauma or deny it, but it can help us cope.”