Ideas for wellness at work, the Ohio State way

Living well does not always come naturally. It helps to have an advocate in your circle—someone who educates peers, models wellness and provides opportunities to put healthy practices into action. At Ohio State, Buckeye Wellness Innovators fill this role.

Since the program’s launch in 2013, the number of BWIs across the university has expanded to more than 700. Any Ohio State employee passionate about creating a culture of health and wellness can apply to take part in one of three annual orientations.

BWIs promote universitywide initiatives and develop activities specific to their own facilities. “They know their departments, their colleagues, their microculture,” explains Megan Amaya ’07 MA, ’09 PhD, the university’s director of health promotion and wellness and associate clinical professor of nursing, who co-founded the program with Chief Wellness Officer Bernadette Melnyk. BWIs can also apply for Buckeye Wellness grants to fund their big ideas—which, as evidenced by the following examples, are in abundant supply.

Polaris Innovation Centre

Rachel Hess ’08, ’18 MACPR and Joyce Whitson ’19, James Molecular Laboratory employees at the Polaris Innovation Centre, have been working together as BWIs since 2018. In 2024, they were named Buckeye Wellness Innovators of the Year.

Upon learning about the program, Whitson was excited for the chance to promote preventive health care, one of her passions. As for Hess, “I was interested in being able to leverage the resources for the staff up here. We’re off campus, so our staff don’t get to participate in a lot of stuff they do on campus.”

The pair have organized scavenger hunts, craft days, hot chocolate parties, biometric screenings, Random Acts of Kindness Week and much more. One of their first big hits was a series of walking competitions that stoked their co-workers’ competitive spirit. But they’re best known for the container garden they started with Buckeye Wellness grant money. It’s a program that continues to bear fruit both figuratively and literally, Hess says: “We’ll pluck a few of the hot peppers that we know our vice chair loves and put them on his desk for him.”

Knowlton School of Architecture

KC Becker ’07, ’12 MA, one of three BWIs at Knowlton along with Jaimie Mollison and Maddy Craig, applied for a Buckeye Wellness grant to fund a pickleball program. It began in May with a two-hour tutorial led by a pro instructor at Pickle & Chill, an event that drew 15 faculty and staff members. From there, Knowlton employees gathered six times over the summer to play pickleball at Lincoln Park.

Becker says each session yielded friendly (and occasionally fierce) competition. “We also created a group chat for participants to stay connected,” she says, “and many have expressed interest in continuing informal meetups throughout the year.”

Fisher College of Business

In May, Kathryn Scheid and her co-workers at Fisher spent their Buckeye Wellness grant funds creatively, on a pour-your-own-candle experience at Penn & Beech Candle Co. “I thought it was important to do an activity that connected us, was novel for most on our team, and fostered relaxation and self-care,” Scheid says. Her colleagues agreed, including one skeptic who ended up loving it.

John Glenn College of Public Affairs

Preston Phillips ’09, ’19 MA and Matt Busser have pursued many wellness initiatives, from chair massages to a 9/11 stair climb at Ohio Stadium to a step challenge celebrating the achievements of their college’s namesake. But the biggest hit of all was their Bring a Child to Work Day. Faculty, staff and students brought their children to Page Hall for a building tour, craft stations, an astronaut launch, activity books, cornhole, custom cookies and a special visit from Brutus Buckeye, culminating in a “graduation ceremony” where each child received a certificate.