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Wednesday, June 14, 2023
News for the staff and faculty of The University of Texas at Dallas
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Staff Council Meeting Set for June 14
Staff Council welcomes staff, faculty and students to attend its next general meeting on Microsoft Teams from 9 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, June 14. Staff Council meets the second Wednesday of each month to discuss council and University initiatives.
For meeting agendas, minutes, and more information, visit the Staff Council website.
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Save the Date: Staff Appreciation Day on July 21
You are invited to roll with Staff Council for a fun afternoon of games, great prizes and delicious desserts. Staff Appreciation Day will be Friday, July 21, from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Student Union Galaxy Rooms (SU 2.602). This is a come-and-go event. Stay as long as you like.
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HR Forum Set for July 5
The Office of Human Resources will host its next HR Forum on Wednesday, July 5, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 5, as a Microsoft Teams live event. Contact the OIT Help Desk for assistance. Closed captioning is available, and there will be a moderated Q&A forum. If you have questions for the HR Forum, send them to hrforum@utdallas.edu.
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June Benefits Flash: Progyny Fertility Benefits and Services
The Benefits Flash highlights benefits information for UT Dallas employees. It was started in response to employee feedback from the Climate and HR Forum surveys.
Learn about the latest topic — Progyny Fertility Benefits and Services — on the Benefits Flash site.
A new Benefits Flash topic will be featured each month during the HR Forum, in the HR Campus Connection Teams Channel and in Intercom. Recommend a topic by emailing benefits@utdallas.edu.
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Volunteers Needed for Annual Benefits & Wellness Fair
HR needs volunteers during the on-site Benefits & Wellness Fair on July 17 for the following:
- Red Carpet Parade, 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. — Join the parade in glamourous gown, tuxedo, suit or dressed as your favorite celebrity.
- Celebrate Your Talent, 2 to 3 p.m. — Showcase your talent (singing, dancing, juggling or more).
- Celebration Wall Recognition, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — You are invited to recognize your colleagues with an appreciation message.
To volunteer, email Marita Yancey.
UT Dallas Annual Benefits Enrollment will be July 15-31. During enrollment, be sure you have access to the internet and your UT Dallas email so you can participate.
An email announcing the opening of Annual Benefits Enrollment will be sent to all benefits-eligible employees by July 15. After you receive the email, log in to My UT Benefits and follow the on-screen instructions to make your selections or changes. Make sure to print your confirmation statement afterwards. Enrollment must be completed before midnight on July 31.
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Jonsson School Alum Named Department Head
Dinesh Bhatia MS’87, PhD’90, a longtime faculty member of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, began a term as head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) on June 1.
Bhatia was the inaugural head of computer engineering in the early 2000s. He also oversaw the ECE graduate program for 6 years, and most recently served as interim co-head of the department.
Bhatia has interdisciplinary interests related to computer engineering, focusing on high-performance computing, electronic design automation and medical devices.
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The 2023 McLemore Award winners are (from left) Megan Del Mar, Marcos Ortega and Marna Morland.
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Library Honors Recipients of Ethel Ward-McLemore Award
The Eugene McDermott Library recently celebrated library staff who received the Ethel Ward-McLemore Awards for Library Excellence.
The 2023 recipients are:
- Megan Del Mar, manager of circulation services
- Marna Morland, senior librarian
- Marcos Ortega, software systems specialist II
The awards are presented annually to library staff members in recognition of their outstanding contributions. Each award winner receives a commemorative gold pin and a check for $1,500.
The awards were established by the late Ethel Ward-McLemore, who chose to do research in the Eugene McDermott Library because of the excellent service she received from the library staff.
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Get To Know BRIGHT Leaders; Level Up Your Skills
The BRIGHT Leaders program offers opportunities to learn from UT Dallas executives and improve your skills.
At the next Getting to Know You presentations, learn about the leadership experiences of:
- Dr. Juan González, dean of graduate education and vice provost for global engagement, 2 to 3 p.m., Thursday, June 29
- Dr. Jennifer Holmes, dean of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, 2 to 3 p.m., Tuesday, July 11
BRIGHT Leaders Pathways is a curated collection of courses designed to target development of specific leadership skills at various levels. Courses are virtual and on-demand, so participants can complete the pathway at their own pace. Complete all courses in the pathway and receive a digital certificate and badge.
For more information on trainings and resources, visit the BRIGHT Leaders website.
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Employee Wellness Events & News
BCBSTX Fitness Program: New Member June Special
Are you ready to get fit this summer? The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Fitness Program is offering a free month for UT SELECT and UT CONNECT members who enroll in June. Sign up by June 30 and enter or mention the code “JUNEPROMO23″ during enrollment. Maintain membership for two months and get the third month free.
The fitness program offers four flexible gym options from $19 to $99 and access to a convenient nationwide network of participating facilities, so you can work out whether traveling, at home or at work. Other features of the program include:
- Online enrollment and tracking.
- Automatic monthly payment withdrawal.
- A choice of gym networks and studio classes to fit your budget and preferences.
- Access to thousands of digital fitness videos, live classes and fitness programs.
- Alternative medicine discounts through the WholeHealth Living Choices Program.
To enroll, log in at Blue Access for UT SELECT or Blue Access for UT CONNECT and search for the Fitness Program under Wellness. You also can enroll by calling 888-762-BLUE (2583), 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For more information, download the fitness program flyer (pdf).
Register for Retirement Programs & Planning Webinar
Register to attend the Retirement Programs & Planning at UTD Webinar on Tuesday, June 20 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Tina Sharpling, HRIS manager, will share information about eligibility and options for when you retire from UT Dallas.
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Richardson History Panel Includes Dr. Dennis Kratz
UT Dallas employees are invited to attend the Richardson History Panel, a community event that honors the city of Richardson’s 150th celebration.
The free event will be at 7 p.m., Tuesday, June 20 in the Bank of America Theatre at the Chares W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts and Corporate Presentations.
The following panelists will trace the last 60 years of civic, economic, cultural and academic progress in Richardson:
- Ray Noah, mayor, 1968 to 1983
- Dr. Dennis Kratz, Rockover Professor of Humanities at UT Dallas
- Chuck Eisemann, community leader
- Bill Keffler, city manager, 1995 to 2012
- Dan Johnson, city manager, 2012 to 2022
- Don Magner BA’96, city manager, 2022 to present
The panelists will discuss the 1960s to 2000 for 50 minutes. After an intermission, the panelists will cover 2000 to the future for 50 minutes. The Richardson Rotary Club is hosting the event.
For more information about Richardson’s 150th anniversary, visit the 150th website.
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Registration Open for SMART Edge Camp
Do you have a child entering grades 6-11? SMART Edge summer camp offers an engaging, activity-based and age-appropriate environment. The camp is eight days of SMART training — Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Tactics — tailored to adolescents. More than a decade of research has demonstrated SMART’s ability to improve student potential.
The camp will be offered during two sessions — July 24-27 and July 31-Aug. 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day at the Center for BrainHealth, 2200 W. Mockingbird Lane in Dallas.
To register, email Denice Myers or call 972-883-3247.
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Reminders
Information Security Office Helping Protect Computers Across Campus
UT Dallas continues to be targeted by criminals who would harm us to achieve personal gain. Therefore, it is important to reduce vulnerabilities and manage IT systems in a consistent and reasonable manner.
Throughout the summer, the Information Security Office (ISO) will deploy field analysts to randomly inspect computers from all schools and departments. This will help determine whether all beneficial settings and resources have been applied to make computers and the overall network safe. If misconfigurations are detected, this information will be used to increase security and further reduce risk across UT Dallas. ISO employees will check only general settings and will not review proprietary or personal information on the computers.
For additional information on this initiative, review the memo from Nate Howe, chief information security officer.
UTD Wants Your Feedback About Sustainability Efforts
The University Sustainability Committee at UT Dallas invites members of the campus community to fill out a one-minute survey to help gather perceptions of sustainability-related initiatives on campus. For more information, email Dorothee Honhon, University Sustainability Committee chair.
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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.
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