The Hokie Wellness team received the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources 2025 Workplace Excellence Award for exemplary employee wellness programming.

The award, supported by EyeMed, includes a $5,000 contribution that will be used to support Hokie Wellness programs for employees.

The association supports HR professionals in higher education. Among many of its functions, it conducts research, monitors trends, and provides leadership on higher education workplace issues in the U.S. and abroad. 

The Workplace Excellence Award recognizes initiatives that make significant impacts within their institutions' culture by improving employee access, opportunity, and engagement. This year’s honor champions the work of the Hokie Wellness team, under the direction of Bryan Garey, vice president for human resources.

“This award is a great honor and highlights our commitment to faculty and staff health and well-being at Virginia Tech. Congratulations to the Hokie Wellness team, our four great colleagues who make an impact on many thousands of faculty and staff every year,” said Garey. 

Hokie Wellness for Employees offers a variety of educational services, programs, and resources to enhance health and well-being for faculty and staff. 

Among efforts to better develop a university mental health initiative, the employee wellness programs follow a comprehensive, four-level approach to support employee well-being: individualized support and connection, workshops and training, partnerships and outreach, and resource promotion. 

In 2024, Hokie Wellness’ employee mental health programming reached approximately 2,000 people through workshops or training sessions, 1,200 people through campus outreach events, and 100 people through direct consultations, totaling approximately one-third of the university’s full-time employees. 

In late 2022, Hokie Wellness partnered with TimelyCare, a virtual health and well-being provider specializing in higher education, to launch its virtual mental health platform for employees. Among the benefits, employees receive on-demand support, an online library of mental health content, and up to 12 free counseling appointments per academic year. 

The Employee Wellness team consists of Dave Andrews, associate director of employee wellness; Ana Agud, program manager for work/life balance; Julie Carlson, employee health educator; and Hans Carlo Rivera, mental health specialist Together, the team brings years of expertise in public health domains intersecting mental health, health education/promotion, and workplace wellness.

“We are honored to be the recipient of this award and recognize that there is still much more work to be done. We are truly committed to supporting the mental health needs of employees across all of Virginia Tech’s locations,” said Andrews.

If you are struggling to access mental health support, reach out to Hokie Wellness for assistance in navigating the resources available. Employees can also see a listing of many campus and community resources, become trained in mental health first aid, download the newly redesigned distress guide, and more on the Hokie Wellness mental health page.  

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