August 2023 Spotlight

The Office of the Chief Wellness Officer is proud to recognize Buckeye Wellness Innovators (BWIs) who actively create a workplace culture and environment of health and well-being. Congratulations to Morgan Hammonds from the Office of Student Life for being the August Buckeye Wellness Innovator spotlight!

Morgan and her colleagues not only work to do activities for their office but for others as well. They regularly give back with donations to the career closet and Buckeye Food Alliance and write letters to students in local public schools and those in assisted living facilities.

Q: Why did you join the Buckeye Wellness Innovator program?

I became a Buckeye Wellness Innovator to learn about the various resources available to staff at the university and to have the opportunity to foster partnerships between the various Buckeye Wellness Innovators in the Office of Student Life.

Q: Why is being a Buckeye Wellness Innovator important to you? 

It is important to be a BWI to learn about new and underutilized support and programs that exist for staff as well as learn the programs operated by other BWIs across the university.

Q: Share a few ways you are embracing the ten dimensions of wellness and providing opportunities for faculty/staff to engage in activities.

There are various opportunities for staff to engage in physical and emotional wellness across camps, so while promoting those, we try and create space for activities focusing on the other dimensions. For career wellness, there is a strong focus on showing appreciation and recognition to staff for the amazing work that they do. Many times, this is concurrent with creating social wellness opportunities where staff have more time to enjoy themselves with one another. We have created opportunities for staff to experience different types of creative wellness by planting succulents and decorating the pots, creating vision boards, and even coloring. Lastly, we regularly create opportunities to express spiritual wellness through giving back with donations to the career closet and Buckeye Food Alliance and writing letters to students in local public schools and those in assisted living facilities.

Q: With so many competing priorities while at work, finding time to plan wellness activities for faculty/staff can be difficult. How do you find time to prioritize wellness and develop new or innovative ideas for wellness activities?

I am lucky enough to have wellness be my main priority while at work. I find that the times that I encounter new or innovative ideas are when partnerships have been initiated with staff, BWIs and other units. This allows for an exchange of ideas that results in more innovative and successful activities.

Q: How have you overcome barriers to engaging colleagues in your wellness efforts during the workday? 

There are and always will be difficulties that we encounter when engaging employees during a workday. The best way I have found to overcome this barrier is to communicate with individuals and teams to understand when they have availability and then communicate with leadership to get buy-in so that staff have permission to participate. Also offering programming/activities at variable times to accommodate individuals on different shifts schedules.

Q: Has your leadership embraced wellness and/or your role as a BWI?

Yes, leadership has embraced wellness by sharing information and encouraging staff to become BWI’s.

Q: Why is it important for leaders to embrace and model wellness behavior and your role as a BWI?

It is important for leaders to support and model wellness behavior and BWIs because it shows true commitment to building a culture of well-being in the workplace and that there is support for staff as they experience their well-being journey.

Q: How do your leaders model wellness behavior?

There is always work that can be done in the world of Student Life/Student Affairs and I think the best way that leaders model wellness behavior is utilizing the benefits that we have as staff. Specifically, time off and remote/flexible work policies. Having a leader utilize their time is a clear indicator that it is available and encouraged for staff. Leaders also incorporate personal wellness goals into the professional development process.

Q: What benefits have you seen or experienced, personally or professionally, as a result of the program?

I have met and gotten to work with people from across the university who have a similar passion for wellness that I may not have had the opportunity otherwise. Being a BWI offers those experiences that may be more difficult to foster without the program.

Q: What would your dream be if you could accomplish anything as a Buckeye Wellness Innovator team?

I would love to expand the number of BWIs in the Office of Student Life. More BWIs will allow for a better knowledge and understanding of wellness activities across the unit.

Q: What advice would you pass on to other Buckeye Wellness Innovators to help them create a culture of wellness in their department?

Find ways to collect information about what your staff wants to see regarding wellness and provide a diverse set of programming that aligns with what they say. Also, partner with others, as there is so much knowledge and experience both within and outside of your unit.