KINGSTON, R.I. – June 3, 2025 – Students at the University of Rhode Island looking for relevant health and wellness information – everything from tips on proper posture to the importance of getting a good night’s sleep – can now do so on their time at their convenience.

Launched in September by Health Services’ Health Promotion, the Rhody Wellness Podcast is changing the way students tackle sensitive issues and absorb much-needed advice to help them navigate their journey in and out of the classroom. New episodes come out weekly and are delivered in quick, digestible segments – anywhere between three to 25 minutes per podcast – with host Olivia Rathbun, a junior from Smithfield, R.I., and a Marketing and Psychology dual major.

Topics include gym anxiety, the dangers of vaping, making fitness fun, and an inside look at the wellness vending machine in the Robert L. Carothers Library and Learning Commons’ 24-hour room. Many episodes focus on the concept of balancing real-world expectations with what’s portrayed on social media and include interviews with students and subject-matter experts (namely URI faculty and staff) who share their personal experiences to help others improve their physical and mental well-being.

Rhody Wellness is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube, among other podcast platforms.

“It’s a way for us to get information out to students who may not be comfortable seeking it out,” Rathbun said. “That’s why we offer two sides of the podcast – one talking to professionals with solid information and proven statistics and the other with students where we try to destigmatize certain topics and show our listeners who are struggling that there is someone else out there struggling with the same topic.”

Jessica Greene, M.P.H., C.H.E.S., Assistant Director of Health Promotion and Wellness and a URI alumna, introduced the concept of a student-led podcast after launching a similar endeavor during her 15 years as a health and wellness educator at Stonehill College.

“I knew it was a really effective way to get the students to hear about the different topics and have them engage with us at their own time at their own pace and still receive that information,” Greene said.

With the concept in tow, Greene put out a campus-wide casting call last summer for a host. Rathbun was one of a handful of applicants and immediately stood out as “the person for the job.” Rhody Wellness debuted on September 10 and launched 11 episodes in the fall before winter break and returned January 28 with its first episode of the spring titled, “How to Tackle Sleep in College,” featuring URI Psychologist Dr. Warren Schwartz.

Greene credits much of Rhody Wellness’ success to Rathbun, who taught herself to create a podcast from scratch – everything from coming up with topics to recording and editing – and worked with the Library’s Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Keith Ranaldi to carve out the recording schedule at the University’s Innovation Labs, which includes a state-of-the-art soundproof Audio Media Lab.

While Rhody Wellness covers a variety of topics, Rathbun and Greene aim to delivery timely information based on what’s happening around campus; the debut episode, for example, tackled freshman year expectations with current URI sophomore Katie Sweeney discussing roommate issues, loneliness, and academic challenges. In October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Rathbun hosted three consecutive episodes with URI’s Violence Prevention and Advocacy Services Coordinator Kelley Ryan to discuss how to define sexual assault, understanding consent, and practical strategies for violence prevention.

“Whether it’s hearing stuff from my friends or seeing stuff on social media, I see a lot of like popular topics that are emerging based on what’s currently going on in the world or currently going on around campus,” Rathbun said. “That is where Jessica and I get a lot of the ideas from. We’ve also invited other student organizations like the Peer Health Educators and the Student Health Advisory Committee to give feedback on topics they’d like to hear us talk about.”

As colleges and universities continue to focus more on students’ mental well-being, Rathbun said, Rhody Wellness will continue to discuss mental health issues that have become common among the student population.

“Mental health is becoming a lot less stigmatized and a lot of people are talking about it more freely, so it’s becoming a lot more prevalent among college students, which is why that’s something that we’re trying to focus on heavily in the podcast,” Rathbun said, “Sometimes people might not want to talk about these topics in person or they might not want to go to a lecture, so the podcast is a way that they can still get that information.”

“I love that Olivia finds students to interview that have either struggled with that topic and overcame it or have thoughts on that topic because I think that’s what makes it relevant to our student population,” Greene added. “It’s not just talking about mental health, but it’s talking about what that looks like for our URI students and Olivia’s done a really great job of connecting with our students on that.”