Fostering a culture of well-being among faculty, staff, and team members
About Us
Welcome to Hoos Well, the University of Virginia's award-winning employee well-being program! We improve the lives of the UVA employee community with a simple philosophy: enable the well to remain well and help those with health risks or chronic conditions to improve their health. When you’re healthy, you have the energy and focus to do your best work and live your best life. We encourage you to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle to meet your personal well-being goals.
Research shows that participating in employee well-being programs can improve health, happiness, productivity, morale, and quality of work life. We invite you to participate in the wide range of evidence-backed programs and resources that Hoos Well offers, to boost your well-being, flourish, and thrive!
Our Mission
To foster a culture of well-being among University of Virginia faculty, staff, and team members by promoting and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, engendering a happier, healthier, and more positive work environment.
Our Vision
To be recognized as the national leader of university health and well-being programs, enhancing the quality of life of our university employees.
Strategic Goals
Align administration, programming and operational strategies with& the latest research and industry best practices.
Influence organizational culture to encourage positive health behavior and self-care through social, environmental and operational supports.
Provide an expansive portfolio of resources and programs that enables employees and their spouses to choose meaningful and relevant activities.
Strategically partner with organizational stakeholders to strengthen impact and collaboratively influence a culture of well-being.
Continuously improve programs, operational practices and strategies through ongoing evaluation and research activities.
The Hoos Well Team
The Hoos Well team consists of three full-time employees, student workers, and a contracted support staff. Get to know us, and reach out with any questions.
Victor Tringali, EdD, CSCS, provides leadership for the development and delivery of organization-wide well-being initiatives for the University of Virginia’s employees and their families. Prior to arriving at UVA, he served as the Executive Director of University Wellness at Drexel University, where he led a nationally acclaimed well-being initiative for faculty, staff, and students
In addition to his administrative duties, Dr. Tringali holds a faculty appointment at the University of Virginia School of Medicine within the Department of Public Health Sciences, where he founded and co-chairs the Education Collaborative for Health Promotion and Well-being – an experiential learning and research program for graduate students in the Master of Public Health program. As a scholar and practitioner, Dr. Tringali has a special research interest in the relationship of physical activity and measures of health and work performance.
He is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American College of Sports Medicine. He serves on the Editorial board of the American Journal of Health Research and is the current Vice-President of the National Consortium for Building Healthy Academic Communities.
Sarah Patterson majored in exercise science and holds a Master’s degree in human services-health and wellness counseling. She is currently a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, and is a certified Exercise Physiologist. Sarah enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and daughter Caroline.
Matt has 20+ years of professional experience implementing and evaluating large-scale programs for wellness promotion, health education, disease prevention, and public health. He has 15+ years of experience conducting and leading clinical research projects on contemplative practices and integrative medicine modalities, resulting in 12 peer-reviewed publications. He completed a two-year Presidential Management Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®).
In 2018 Matt returned to his alma mater and joined the Hoos Well team to apply these skills and experience toward supporting the mental and emotional well-being of UVA faculty, staff, and team members. He is working toward an EdD degree, as a student in UVA's Doctor of Education program.
An experienced yoga teacher (E-RYT 500), Matt has been practicing and teaching yoga, meditation, and other contemplative practices for 25 years. He serves on the Board of Directors for two non-profit organizations dedicated to bringing contemplative practices into the contemporary world in accessible and relevant ways, to increase individual and societal flourishing.
Mr. Giandonato holds masters degrees in exercise science and business administration and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He possesses over a decade of experience in higher education, where he's assisted with the conceptualization, deployment, and evaluation of employee and student wellness initiatives in tandem with responsibilities of overseeing recreational programming, fitness and athletics facilities, and varsity strength and conditioning. Giandonato also serves as an adjunct faculty member at a number of colleges where he teaches exercise science and health promotion electives.
Hoos Well Champion Network
It takes a village to continue to improve the culture of well-being at UVA. That’s why we have Hoos Well Champions, who meet quarterly and are located throughout the University. A Hoos Well Champion:
Brings well-being to work and leads a healthy lifestyle by example
Serves as a point of contact and liaison for Hoos Well within their department
Acts as a resource and distributes communication to peers
Encourages coworkers to participate in their free Hoos Well benefits
Hoos Well Champion Spotlight: Kellie Gildersleeve, Advocate for Whole-Person Wellness
Hoos Well Champions bring their well-being practices to work, inspiring colleagues and serving as key communicators for program offerings. They act as a bridge between Hoos Well and their departments—often the first to hear about new initiatives and a go-to resource for wellness information.
Kellie Gildersleeve, Insurance and Billing Manager at Student Health & Wellness, is one of the founding members of the Hoos Well Champion network. For nearly a decade, she has been a dedicated advocate for well-being across all dimensions—physical, emotional, social, spiritual, occupational, intellectual, environmental, and financial.
Kellie is one of our most active Champions, not only participating in programs herself but enthusiastically encouraging others to join. Her favorite offerings include UVA Recreation classes (especially yoga—on-demand and in-person with instructor Matt) and Journeys through the Hoos Well portal, which help build sustainable, healthy habits.
“I naturally gravitate toward advocating for others, and my role as a Hoos Well Champion fits perfectly,” says Kellie. “I enjoy sharing the many ways Hoos Well helps us improve our lives.”
How does Kellie bring wellness to work?
“By showing up,” she says. “I don’t get it right all the time, but I try to do better and live authentically.”
A few fun facts about Kellie:
She shares her home with a lovable Great Pyrenees mix rescue who insists on a daily walk. She loves spending time in the woods, traveling, camping, and creating.
Kellie’s story shows how bringing wellness into your work life can be both meaningful and manageable. Whether you're passionate about fitness, mindfulness, or simply supporting your colleagues, there's space for you in the Champion network. Join us in building a culture of well-being at UVA—one small step at a time.
A Hoos Well Champion is someone who is a role model for living a healthy lifestyle and takes their well-being practice to work. A champion is a Hoos Well point of contact for the department.
Absolutely not. Hoos Well Champions come in all shapes and sizes. A Hoos Well Champion makes health a priority and might be in the middle of a health journey. Enthusiasm for great health is the only requirement.
Hoos Well has received national-level awards on behalf of the University of Virginia, reflecting the team’s hard work building and leveraging relationships throughout the University and broader well-being community to develop and expand programs that improve employee well-being. While we are honored by this recent recognition, we remain committed to improving our programs and resources by fostering collaboration and innovation and engaging in research activities that will influence health promotion practices. Hoos Well is proud to share these achievements with all community members who support our mission to foster a culture of well-being among faculty, staff, and team members.
Gold Recognition by the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association has defined best practices for employers to use to build a culture of health and well-being for their workforce. The American Heart Association’s Workforce Well-being Scorecard measures the extent to which the company has implemented those best practices. Companies recognized at the Gold level have achieved a score of 183 - 216 out of a maximum 230 points.
Best Employers: Excellence in Health and Well-Being Award
Hoos Well, on behalf of UVA, was honored in April 2024 to receive the prestigious Business Group on Health Best Employers: Excellence in Health & Well-being Award, for UVA's outstanding commitment to advancing employee well-being through comprehensive and innovative benefits and initiatives. UVA was among 10 winners that received additional recognition for Excellence in Mental Health, based on having a mental health strategy with goals and measurable outcomes and providing programs to support resilience, stress management and mindfulness.
In Fall 2024 on behalf of UVA, Hoos Well was honored to receive recognition as one of the 2024 Nation’s Best and Brightest in employee wellness, for our innovation and commitment to excellence in well-being and human resource practices. Applicants were evaluated by an assessment that was scored on a point system based upon criteria to benchmark and improve wellness program effectiveness.
In fall 2023, UVA was recognized as one of the top three Healthiest Employers in Virginia for organizations with 10,000+ employees, by Springbuk Health Intelligence. Organizations are chosen who encompass essential domains of culture and leadership commitment, foundational components, strategic planning, communications and marketing, programming and interventions, and reporting and analytics which comprise comprehensive wellness programming.
In October 2022, UVA was honored as the inaugural recipient of the National Consortium for Building Healthy Academic Communities (BHAC)'s Healthy Academics Designation program, which recognizes universities and colleges that demonstrate best practices in sustaining wellness cultures and promoting population health and well-being in students, faculty and staff. UVA earned gold-level status through the designation measurement process, which is based on the valid HealthLead assessment tool.
Mattingly Award for Mental Health in the Workplace
Hoos Well, in partnership with FEAP and HR Benefits, was honored to be named on behalf of UVA as one of the winners of the inaugural 2022 Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health in the Workplace, for promoting the positive mental health of employees through policies and programs including flexible work schedules and the Healthy Minds @Work program.
This recognition and distinction from BHAC substantiates our progress toward achieving our vision to be recognized as a national leader of university employee well-being programs and guides us in our pursuit to attain the benchmarks of a healthy academic community. We are honored to be a recipient and remain steadfast in our efforts to deliver resources and opportunities that enable our community members to thrive.
Victor Tringali, EdD, CSCS, Manager of Employee Well-Being
The UVA Collaborative for Promoting Health and Well-Being
In 2018, Hoos Well initiated a partnership with UVA's Department of Public Health Sciences to create an Education Collaborative for Health Promotion and Well-Being. Master of Public Health (MPH) students are able to complete their Applied Practice Experience by working with Hoos Well on a project proposal, which can be novel or in response to a stated programmatic need.
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