Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services at the University of Arkansas has made a commitment to support a health and well-being program at the McMillon Innovation Studio at the Sam M. Walton College of Business. The McMillon Studio's mission is to catalyze innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Arkansas.

"As an organization, Chartwells/Compass Group is passionate about helping reduce food insecurity in the campuses and communities we live and work in," said Andrew Lipson, resident district manager for Chartwells at the University of Arkansas. "I hope this initiative will educate people about making smarter food choices and provide them with better access to those food choices."

The health and well-being program at the McMillon Innovation Studio will research various challenges, with a specific focus on food insecurity and access to healthy foods. 

"The partnership uses design thinking principles and puts innovation in action to discover solutions that achieve better health and well-being outcomes on campus and the larger community," said Jessica Taylor, health and well-being program director at McMillon Innovation Studio and graduate student in the School of Social Work. "We put the customer at the heart of what we do."

The projects are student-led and receive advice from advisory boards and local experts. The McMillon Innovation Studio also has design teams in the areas of supply chain and seamless commerce.

"I'm excited about what's on the horizon for our teams," said Rachel Sullivant, director of student engagement at McMillon Innovation Studio. "Our health and well-being program is a natural partnership for Chartwells. Together, we can make positive change for our students, the broader campus and the community."

About Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services
Chartwells, a division of Compass Group North America, provides dining services for 280 colleges and universities nationwide. For more information about Chartwells, visit ChartwellsHigherEd.com or DineOnCampus.com.

About McMillon Innovation Studio
The McMillon Innovation Studio is a physical hub of innovation supporting creativity, entrepreneurship, and collaboration between all disciplines on the University of Arkansas campus. We exist to shape the future of commerce by developing and enabling students to be catalysts of innovation. Learn more about McMillon Innovation Studio at mcmillonstudio.uark.edu.