Rebecca Young receives Rachel Hutzel Prevention Partner Award, honored by Ohio Senate
Rebecca Young has spent years helping students feel supported at Miami. Her dedication to mental health and prevention work was recently recognized with the 2025 Rachel Hutzel Prevention Partner Award from PreventionFIRST! She also received a special commendation from the Ohio Senate for her efforts to create a culture of wellness that truly supports student success.
Rebecca Young receives Rachel Hutzel Prevention Partner Award, honored by Ohio Senate
Creating a thriving campus culture for students takes vision and teamwork. At Miami University, Rebecca Young, director of the office of student wellness, has dedicated years to ensuring student well-being is part of everyday life on campus, in classrooms, and throughout the Oxford community. Her work in prevention-focused wellness earned her the 2025 Rachel Hutzel Prevention Partner Award from PreventionFIRST!
PreventionFIRST! is a nonprofit that uses evidence-based strategies to reduce behavioral health risks and strengthen communities. It partners with local coalitions and individuals to empower prevention efforts and create lasting impact.
The Rachel Hutzel Prevention Partner Award is one of PreventionFIRST!'s highest honors. Presented annually, it recognizes individuals who strengthen community-based prevention and increase engagement through collaboration and advocacy. The award honors the memory of the Honorable Rachel Hutzel, a former PreventionFIRST! board member.
Young is passionate about fostering environments that support student success both on and off campus. She believes wellness should be integrated into every space students use, from residence halls to local businesses and shared public areas.
"Our students live, work and build community in Oxford," Young said. "It's important that the environments they engage with, both on and off campus, are supportive of their health and success. The city of Oxford shares that commitment to creating a healthy community for all who call it home."
In addition to the PreventionFIRST! award, Young received a "Tremendous Attainment" recognition from the Ohio Senate. A proclamation from the 136th General Assembly on April 4 commended her contributions to prevention and wellness initiatives at Miami and in the broader community.
With more than 25 years of experience, Young has worked to create safe and supportive learning environments. For the past 15 years, she has led Miami's office of student wellness, addressing rising rates of loneliness, stress, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation among students.
Many students aren't aware of mental health or wellness resources until they are at the point of needing one-on-one intervention. Young has prioritized expanding early intervention strategies. Under her leadership, the university has focused on prevention through campus-wide programs that build emotional resilience, teach healthy coping skills and foster peer support.
"I'm grateful for the recognition," Young said. "This work is shared by many dedicated individuals and teams at Miami and in the Oxford community. I'm proud to be part of that collective effort."
Beyond campus, Young represents Miami University on the Prevention Advocacy and Policy Coalition for Butler County. She holds leadership roles with the Coalition for a Healthy Community-Oxford Area, serves as a grant mentor for the Ohio Wellness Campus Collaborative and is a member of the Hope Cooperative.
