Staff Council Recognizes Employees with Fall CARE Awards

2016 CARE Awards

The Staff Council honored six staff members with Fall 2016 CARE Awards during a ceremony Jan. 3 in the Eugene McDermott Library.

The recipients (pictured from left) were: Sharon Pianka, senior academic support coordinator in the Naveen Jindal School of Management Executive Education program; Kristi Shewmaker, Callier Center for Communication Disorders marketing communications manager in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations; Daname Lucas, administrative assistant II in the Office of Undergraduate Education; Beth Keithly, program manager in Office of Graduate Studies; Tonya Griffin, assistant director in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering; and Ed Bennett, IT support specialist III in the Office of Information Technology.

The council bestows the award each fall and spring to exemplary staff members who have been nominated by their supervisors. The nomination deadline for the spring awards is March 31.

President Benson: University to Become Tobacco-Free

UT Dallas will be taking action during the spring semester to address a major issue of personal and community health, namely the use of tobacco and electronic nicotine delivery products. The University will assist faculty, staff and students in preparing for the impact of the total campus ban on tobacco products and nicotine dispensing mechanisms such as e-cigarettes. This will take effect on June 1. Read More

Public Safety Officer Helps Student Celebrate Graduation

Esposito and Davuluri Carmine Esposito and Naga “Jyothi” Davuluri

A UT Dallas senior public safety officer went above and beyond his official duties when an international student he’d befriended found out her parents were unable to come from India to see her graduate in December. Carmine Esposito stepped up his game, telling his wife, Betty, “We can’t have this. We need to do something for her.”

The Espositos arranged to take Naga “Jyothi” Davuluri out to dinner to celebrate her degree in computer science. Betty also baked a cake, and the couple presented Davuluri with a gift card.

Esposito, who came to UT Dallas Police from UT Arlington in November 2013, considers his primary job to be “customer service,” so he takes time to chat with students as he covers various events on campus. Over winter break, the Espositos invited a student from China to share their Christmas dinner.

“It was a wonderful experience. The international students especially love to talk to you,” said Esposito, who just turned 67. “I’m older. They feel they can talk to me, and I’m going to listen.”

Can Opener Drive to Last Through Jan. 31

The Office of Student Volunteerism is collecting can openers this month to support the Comet Cupboard. Non-electric can openers can be dropped off at the OSV Office (Student Services Addition, 14.431T), on the second floor of the Administration Building near the elevator and at the Student Union first-floor lobby through Jan. 31. Learn More.

Teaching and Learning Center to Host Lecture, Workshop

The Center for Teaching and Learning will present the third annual Excellence in Teaching Lecture and Workshop next month in the Faculty/Staff Dining Hall. The event will be Thursday, Feb. 2, for postdoctoral associates and graduate teaching assistants, and Friday, Feb. 3, for faculty and staff. Dr. Stephen Chew, chair and professor of psychology at Samford University, will be the featured speaker. RSVP by Monday, Jan. 30. Email [email protected] for more information.

Jonsson School Assistant Dean to Receive Business Leader Award

W2 Form

Chris Bhatti, assistant dean for development and alumni relations in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, has been named a recipient of a 2017 Dallas Business Journal Minority Business Leader Award. The Minority Business Leader program highlights executives at local companies across all sectors that are also making a difference in their communities. Bhatti and other recipients will be honored at a luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 23.

Keep, Save All Passwords with LastPass

The LastPass password vault is available for faculty, staff and students. LastPass allows users to securely store passwords, auto-fill them within browsers and manage them with a cloud-based password vault. For more information, go to https://www.utdallas.edu/lastpass/ or email [email protected].

Track All of Your Training in Learning and Education Organizer

The Learning and Education Organizer (LEO) on the Galaxy self-service portal now allows employees to enter training not found in LEO. Employees can enter conferences, financial or certification classes and any other training. Go to Galaxy > Record Professional Training. Follow the online instructions. For more information, contact Terry Cartwright at ext. 5328 or Patricia Roffe at ext. 5227.

Reminders

Discounted DART Passes
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and UT Dallas are accepting orders for discount 2017 transportation passes. The passes are available for $300 until Friday, Feb. 10. To order an annual pass, download and complete a pass application and email it to [email protected]. You will be contacted when your pass is ready for pickup at the Transportation Office in Parking Structure 3. Passes are effective through Dec. 31. For more information, visit UT Dallas Parking and Transportation’s DART pass page, or call ext. 7777.

W-2 Forms
The Payroll Office is asking employees to make sure their address information and W-2 form preferences are updated. Log in to Galaxy and navigate to Self Service / Staff Tools / Personal Information to verify that your address is current. If you have not already, consider electing to receive your W-2 electronically. Benefits of the electronic W-2 include receiving your form earlier, the capability to print multiple copies and the ability to retrieve previous years' W-2s. Sign up now at Galaxy Self Service / Staff Tools / Payroll and Compensation / W-2 Consent. If you have consented previously to receive your W-2 electronically, you don't need to do so again. Contact the Payroll Office at ext. 2611 or [email protected] if you have questions.

Wellness Lunch and Learn: New Year, New Healthier You
Faculty and staff are invited to attend a free lunch and learn from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 20, in Galaxy Rooms B and C. Dr. Daniel Scott, general and laparoscopic surgeon at UT Southwestern Medical Center, will present “Obesity Disease Risks and Treatment Options.” The event has limited space. RSVP to [email protected] by Friday, Jan. 13.

New 10K-A-Day Campaign
The University of Texas System’s Living Well initiative is offering 10K-A-Day, a physical activity campaign and tracking tool that challenges you to accumulate 10,000 steps each day, while virtually traversing a variety of global trails. It is the same tracking platform used during Walktober, but will now be available year-round. If you didn’t participate in Walktober, you must register first at utlivingwell.com. Once you are logged in, you can opt to join the 10K-A-Day challenge. For more information, go to the University’s Employee Wellness website.

Office of Research Seminars and Events

Organizational Development and Training

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 important information necessary for the workplace, as well as community news that supports the University's mission. Guidelines about content and submissions can be found here or contact Marc Johnson at [email protected] or ext. 4996.