|
|
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
News for the staff and faculty of The University of Texas at Dallas
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HR Forum Scheduled for April 5
The Office of Human Resources will host its next HR Forum from 10 to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 5, as a Microsoft Teams live event. Please install Microsoft Teams prior to joining. If you need assistance, contact the OIT Help Desk. Please refer to the agenda:
- Welcome
- Guest presentations
- Staff Council sponsored training
- Healthy Comets Scavenger Hunt
- How to read your paystub
- Benefits Flash: Catapult Health
- HR updates
- Drug Free Schools and Communities Act
- Annual appraisals due date
- Employment reminders
- Wellness events
- Time sheet navigation changes
- Texas’ “One Pill Kills” campaign
- FY24 holiday schedule
- Bright Leaders program
- Staffing update
- Forum feedback survey responses
- Q&A and closing comments
Join the HR Forum and share this link with your colleagues. If you have questions for the HR Forum, send them to hrforum@utdallas.edu.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Staff Council General Meeting Set for April 12
The UT Dallas Staff Council will discuss council and University initiatives at its next general meeting at 9 a.m., Wednesday, April 12, on Microsoft Teams. For meeting agendas, minutes and more information, visit the Staff Council meetings page.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brent Tourangeau Named UTD Police Chief
Brent Tourangeau, who has served as a police officer for 38 years, has been named the new police chief for The University of Texas at Dallas.
Tourangeau — previously the assistant police chief in the UTD Police Department — was chosen after a nationwide search to succeed Larry Zacharias, who recently retired after more than 13 years as the campus chief of police.
Tourangeau was hired as assistant chief at UT Dallas in 2014 after a 28-year career with the Richardson Police Department. Read New Police Chief
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
UT Dallas Adds Print-Friendly Option to Campus Map
University Web Services (UWS) recently added a print-friendly map to UT Dallas’ online campus map. This version is stored on Box, which allows UWS to easily upload revisions of the printable map. To access it, visit the online campus map and click the “Download Map (pdf)” button.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Volunteers Needed for University Commencement
Volunteers are needed for the 2nd Annual University Commencement on Friday, May 12. Volunteer roles include but are not limited to greeters, ushers and student line management.
Sign up to volunteer and help UT Dallas produce another successful event for our graduates and their families. The deadline to sign up is 5 p.m., Friday, April 21. Additional information will be provided to volunteers closer to the event date.
For more information, email Stacy Sauls.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Human Resources Posts 2023 Drug-Free Workplace Notice
Human Resources has posted the 2023 notice for a drug-free workplace (pdf) in accordance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act. The notice is an annual reminder to employees that the unauthorized purchase, manufacture, distribution, possession, sale, storage or use of an illegal drug or controlled substance while on duty, while in or on premises or property owned or controlled by the University, or while in vehicles used for University business, is prohibited.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jonsson School Distinguished Lecture Set for April 14
The Transition from Genomics to Phenomics in Precision Population Health, 11 a.m., Friday, April 14, Clark Auditorium (ECSW 1.315) — Modern health care faces several serious challenges, including an aging population, rising costs, stagnant quality metrics and an increasing burden of chronic diseases. Dr. Leroy (Lee) Hood, CEO and founder of Phenome Health, will share how we can address each of these challenges by optimizing health using a data-driven, personalized approach. For more information, email Melissa Maxey.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Business Services Training: Introduction to eProcurement
Join the Central Business Office and Purchasing on the second Wednesday of each month for a look into eProcurement.
The virtual training covers the basics of setting up account default settings, creating and submitting orders, creating receipts, new eProcurement updates and various other tips and tricks. This training is open to new University employees or those who want to brush up on their skills.
The next sessions will be from 2 to 4 p.m., April 12 and May 10. Register to attend Monthly Introduction to eProcurement Training.
For more information, email CBOTraining@utdallas.edu.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Swing by the Golf Ranch for UT Dallas Day
Bring your golf clubs and join the Office of Facilities and Economic Development for free fun, 4 to 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 6, at the Golf Ranch.
All UT Dallas students, faculty and staff are invited to practice their golf game while enjoying pizza and soda. The Golf Ranch is north of the UTD Eco Hub and Northside at UT Dallas at 3570 Waterview Parkway.
For more information, email Brett Roby.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DFW Labor Market Update
January’s labor market conditions pointed toward a slight decrease in activity following the end of the 2022 holiday season. While job postings were still well below their peak from the previous year, other metrics like actual job counts showed considerable growth relative to where they were after the start of the pandemic. To learn more about these trends. read the latest DFW Labor Market Update (pdf).
For more information on how UT Dallas and our local economy affect each other, please contact the F&ED Economic Development team. You also can subscribe to biweekly updates with the latest analysis and news from the Economic Development team.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Paws for Finals, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday, April 25 — There will be therapy dogs, snacks, raffles, crafts, self-care activities and more in the VCB Atrium.
Join Spring Forward Fitness Challenge
The UT Living Well Spring Forward Team Challenge offers you the opportunity to track your physical activity by manually logging steps, syncing your fitness device or using the step conversion table to count other activities. Participants can form a new team or join an existing one with five to seven members for a collective goal of 1 million steps. Participate now through Sunday, April 30. The last day to track activity is Wednesday, May 3. Learn more and register at UT Living Well.
Stress Management Event
Create a self-care kit (pdf) with items and resources to help you manage stress at this come-and-go event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday, April 6, AD 3.418Q. Also, Deer Oaks EAP and the UT Employee Benefits & Living Well Initiatives will provide support and programs that can help you care for yourself — physically, mentally and emotionally.
2023 Mental Health Summit: Embracing Neurodiversity
Join the Student Counseling Center and the Center for Students in Recovery for presentations and panel discussions focused on affirming and celebrating neurodiversity on campus. The 2023 Mental Health Summit will be from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Thursday, April 6, in the Galaxy Rooms (SU 2.602).
April EAP Newsletter
The top headlines in this month’s EAP Newsletter (pdf) are:
- On-Demand Seminar: Guiding Your Family to Greener Living. Available on-demand starting Tuesday, April 18.
- Quick Ideas to Reuse and Recycle
- How to Choose a Tax Return Preparer
- Getting the Respect You Deserve
Visit Deer Oaks EAP and enter utdallas for the username and password to access the online seminar.
Better Hearing Health Wellness Screening
Register for a free hearing screening from the Callier Center for Communication Disorders. There will be two opportunities: 1 to 4 p.m., Tuesday, May 2, at the Callier Richardson Annex, and 9 a.m. to noon, Thursday, May 4, at Callier Dallas. Screenings take 10 minutes. For more information, download the hearing screenings flyer (pdf).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Center for Teaching and Learning Events
Thriving in Academia: Building a Teaching-Focused Career, 4 to 5 p.m., Thursday, April 6 — Join Dr. Karen Huxtable-Jester, CTL director, for a discussion on Thriving in Academia: Building a Career at a Teaching-Focused Institution. The e-book is available from the McDermott Library. Participants are welcome, but not required, to read some or all the book before the event. The discussion will include building a career at an R-1 institution and the challenges and advantages faced by nontenure-system faculty. Participation in this workshop fulfills part of the requirements of the Graduate Teaching Certificates.
Short-term Working Group Planning Session, 9 to 10:30 a.m., Friday, April 7, MC 2.404 — In an effort to provide students with skill-building opportunities, generate more faculty touchpoints with students and give students a preview of graduate training, CTL is launching the Short-term Working Group (SWG) model. Faculty are invited to learn about it, map out a project idea and develop potential goals. Register for the SWG session. For more information, visit the SWG calendar event or email Dr. Salena Brody.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CCF Spring Lecture Series Starts April 7
The Center for Children and Families will host its 15th annual spring lecture series this month. Talks include information on promoting children’s learning in community spaces, advancing children’s social-emotional development, and supporting newly resettled refugee children and adolescents.
- Playful STEM Learning in the School Yard and Community Spaces, 11 a.m., April 7 — Dr. Andres Bustamante (above left), assistant professor of human development in context at the University of California, Irvine, will share findings and future directions from a series of projects that use developmental science to infuse everyday spaces with playful STEM learning opportunities.
- Temperamental Differences in Social-Emotional Development and Mental Health Across the Life Course, 9:30 a.m., Friday, April 21 — Dr. Alva Tang (above center), assistant professor of psychology at UT Dallas, will delve into her research investigating how a shy temperament in childhood shapes development, as well as anxiety and depression across the life course.
- Navigating a New Normal: How Newly Resettled Refugee Children and Adolescents Adjust to Life in the United States, 9:30 a.m., Friday, April 28 — Dr. Diane Mitschke (above right), associate professor of social work at UT Arlington, will provide a snapshot of the refugee resettlement trajectory with an emphasis on the strengths and needs of refugee youth and their families.
The free talks are available online via MS Teams and at UT Dallas. For more information visit the CCF lecture series site or email ccf@utdallas.edu.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Center for Translation Studies Event
Freeway: La Movie — A Reading and Conversation with UTD Alum Lourdes Molina, 5:30 p.m., Thursday, April 20, JO 4.122 — Join this conversation with UTD alum and translator Lourdes Molina PhD’15 about Freeway: La Movie, her recently published translation of Jorge Luis Lage’s novel originally written in Spanish. This novel follows the adventures of two misfits wandering around a dystopian Havana landscape through which a monstrous new freeway is being constructed that will ultimately connect the U.S. to South America.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reminders
Register To Serve as a Commencement Volunteer
Staff members are invited to sign up as volunteers for the Spring 2023 Commencement Ceremonies. Volunteers assist with guest management and customer service during the ceremonies. The shifts are:
Monday, May 15
- 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
- 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- noon to 3 p.m.
- 1 to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, May 16
- 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
- noon to 3 p.m.
- 3 to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, May 17
The deadline to sign up to volunteer is Monday, May 1.
Office of Research and Innovation Event
Responsible Conduct of Research Development Series, noon to 1 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 4 through 27 — Do you work on federally funded research? Join the Office of Research and Innovation for its Responsible Conduct of Research Development Series. For certification, you must attend all required classes in the series and complete the online training modules and assessments. For more information, visit the RCR webpage or email Tiffany Willoughby.
Center for BrainHealth Events
BrainHealth Presents: New Science of Women’s Brains, 7 to 8 p.m., Thursday, April 13 — How do changing hormonal conditions shape the human brain? And what does healthy aging look like for women’s brain health? Dr. Emily Jacobs, associate professor in psychological and brain sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara, will discuss new research on the structural and functional changes that occur as the brain ages and what it means for women’s health. The event is sponsored by the Gratitude Fund at the Dallas Foundation. Register to attend New Science virtually or New Science in person.
Whose Body Does It Serve? A Spotlight on Women’s Brain Health, noon to 1 p.m., April 14, Center for BrainHealth (CBH) — Since its inception, the biomedical sciences have centered the male body as the paragon of biology, often casting aside the female body as “unknowable.” Dr. Emily Jacob’s lecture will consider the intersection between gender equity in STEM and the status of women’s health — not as concurrent phenomena but connected ones. Lunch will be served. Register for Whose Body Does It Serve?
Center for Vital Longevity Event
Spring Lecture: The Role of Emerging Technologies in Supporting the Health, Well-Being, Independence and Quality of Life of Older People, 4 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 19, Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center (DGA) — Dr. Walter Boot will discuss new studies that examine the impact of technology-based interventions on cognitive, behavioral and psychosocial outcomes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
About this Newsletter
Intercom is the official University-wide newsletter for UT Dallas faculty and staff members. This periodic publication is designed to provide University employees with valuable information necessary for the workplace, as well as community news that supports the University’s mission. Visit the Intercom website for guidelines about content and submissions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
