$650,000 gift to help CMU students gain life balance

Bob Oros, retired chairman and CEO of one of the nation’s top independent wealth management firms, is acquainted with the hard-charging life. He’s also a champion of well-being. 

A 1990 alumnus of Central Michigan University, Oros and his wife, Lisa, have given $650,000 to fund the first four years of a unique program that creates a framework for lifelong wellness for CMU students.

The concept is powerful: Build a cohort of 20 students with diverse majors each year. Guide them to explore topics such as mental health, nutrition, exercise and navigating adversity. Teach them to advise and inspire their peers to do the same.

Creating a culture of wellness

As Oros Well-th Scholars, students will bond with each other and weather challenges together. And by connecting with other students across campus, they and the program will create a ripple effect.

“Our goal is to develop students as whole people,” said Melissa Hutchinson, CMU executive director of counseling services. “Bob knows this matters, for all students. With his support and encouragement to dream big, the Oros Well-th Scholars will expand CMU’s culture of care.

“With peer-to-peer support, CMU students will build healthy habits, confidence, and ultimately, their ability to navigate life in college and beyond,” she said.

The Oros’ gift provides scholarships of up to $4,000 a year for each Well-th Scholar, encouraging their growth and leadership across campus. It also funds a full-time employee and programming support.

“I’ve seen mental health issues affect kids and executives alike,” Oros said. “I worry about today’s generation. They’ve lived through a global health crisis. They exist amid constant social media and digital connection. Too many are silently suffering. We — CMU alumni — can help.”

Expanding a peer-to-peer pilot program

The Oros’ gift builds on a “Go Grant” awarded by CMU President Neil MacKinnon to the CMU Counseling Center in 2025. That $25,000 funded a pilot project creating peer-led mental health support programs to improve students’ resiliency and ability to manage stress and anxiety. The Well-th Scholars will expand that program, called COMPASS — Community Outreach by students to support Mental Health, Persistence and Student Success.

MacKinnon created Go Grants in 2025, distributing more than $800,000 in two years to students, faculty and staff with ideas for advancing the university and its students.

“Bob and Lisa saw COMPASS as truly impactful and became committed to taking it to a deeper level,” MacKinnon said. “Their vision and generosity lay the foundation for a model program that will benefit CMU students for life.”

Building on Well-th founded in business

Oros is the retired head of Hightower Advisors, headquartered in Chicago. The firm manages more than $350 billion in assets and has been on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies for 11 consecutive years.

Hightower has trademarked “WELL-TH. REBALANCED.” to convey that wealth management is about more than managing money — it’s about helping clients create their own stories and realize their dreams. Oros, who remains on the firm’s board of directors, also encouraged Hightower employees to prioritize their own wellness and life balance.

Oros is as comfortable in a T-shirt and ball cap as he is in a suit and prefers quiet time in the woods by an inland lake in west Michigan. He loves to mentor CMU students and enjoys coaching executives on balance, leadership and the creation of CEO legacies.

“Being available to students has the greatest impact,” Oros said. “I get way more satisfaction out of being with students and creating the Well-th Scholars than I do making the next dollar. Legacy is not an activity. It’s what you say, what you embrace, what you do and how you live.”

Living a commitment to impact

Jennifer Cotter, CMU vice president for Advancement said, “Bob and Lisa’s gift is so meaningful because it reflects genuine care for students. Their vision for the Oros Well-th Scholars reflects the very best of what CMU stands for, supporting students not just academically, but as whole people.

“Their generosity creates lasting impact by equipping students with the resilience, confidence and sense of community they need to thrive during college and beyond,” she said.

Previous gifts to CMU from Bob and Lisa Oros total $1.4 million and include starting a student-run investment fund in the College of Business Administration and supporting CMU Athletics.