CU Engineering Employee News & Resources - Oct. 4, 2022

Friday, Oct. 7. Noon-1 p.m., KOBL 352 | Register to attend
Leeds Staff Council (LSC) invites our engineering community to attend a Lunch and Learn event with Shaun William Davies, Associate Professor of Finance and Research Director of the Burridge Center for Finance at the Leeds School of Business. Learn about financial topics related to savings, investing, and CU retirement plans. LSC will provide lunch for those who RSVP for in-person attendance.

Thursday, Oct. 13. 4:30-5:30 p.m., hybrid | Clark Conference Room or Join the Zoom | Add to your calendar
The Engineering Management Program launched its first degree on the Coursera platform, the ME-EM, on Monday, August 23, with an initial set of three courses and two hundred, fourteen students. Professors Christy Bozic, Ron Duren, Jessica Leeker, and Michael Readey will discuss their work in creating these early courses, as well as their goals for the degree program overall.

Thursday, Oct. 27. 9-10 a.m., Engineering Lobby
Join Engineering staff from across the college for this month’s Engineering Staff Council social event to catch up with fellow community members! This is a special way to foster community and connection with colleagues within the college. The event will be held in-person in the Engineering Lobby and will feature fall-themed treats and refreshments. We will be taking a photo at 10 a.m. in front of the Dean’s office suite, Engineering Center. Wear a costume on this day and take a group photo! A prize will be awarded for best costume. If your teams or families would like to share a photo in your costumes, email CEASHR@colorado.edu to be featured in a spooky photo collage.

Thursday, Oct. 27. 9 a.m.-2 p.m., hybrid | Engineering Lobby
Fall is a great time of the year in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. We want to celebrate it the best way we know how – with a Pumpkin Carving Contest! Pumpkins will be judged in 6 different categories: scariest, engineering themed, classic, funniest, CU themed, and best overall. This is the perfect event to start or join a team and reconnect with your amazing colleagues. Reach out to Ashley West by Monday, Oct. 17 to sign your team up.

Thursday, Nov. 3. 4:30-5:30 p.m., hybrid | Clark Conference Room or Join the Zoom | Add to your calendar
Faculty Director Jane Wall will discuss the University of Colorado Boulder’s pathbreaking Masters of Science in Data Science on Coursera. This program is the first to fully achieve a massive scale with over 1000 course enrollments each session and over 600 students admitted to the degree. Jane Wall will discuss the challenges of designing a program at scale and bringing it back to campus.

Our campus and the CU system are taking a number of actions to address compensations. Campus will implement these compensation initiatives in the coming weeks and months. Read more

The university is committed to nurturing a diverse, inclusive and accessible work culture across its campuses. To help us understand our own workforce and measure our progress, please consider checking and updating your demographic information — including ethnicity, disability and veteran status — in the employee portal.

Colorado Senate Bill 22-139 declared Juneteenth an official state holiday, following the lead of the federal government which officially recognized the holiday last year. The university offers Juneteenth as a floating personal observance day for all leave-eligible faculty and staff. Leave-eligible employees will need to request the eight hours of leave (prorated for part-time staff) from their supervisors for use before Dec. 31, 2022. Staff who use My Leave can enter the earnings code “Personal Observance Day” in their My Leave request.

• Amy Hill, Executive Director for Communications and External Relations, ADMIN. - Sept. 12

• Tammy O’Brien, Advancement Assistant, Advancement - Sept.12

• Stephen Jones, Discovery Officer, Advancement - Sept. 12

• Keiley Banks, Discovery Officer, Advancement - Sept. 12

• Colby Juarez, BOLD Leadership and Scholarship Program Manager, BOLD Center - Sept. 28

• Jeremy Peña, Area Director, Student Support and Advising Services, ADMIN - Oct. 1

Celebrating 5 years

• Sarah Goodroad, Program Assistant, Mortenson Center in Global Engineering
• Brett Wingfield, Director of Development for CS and AERO, Advancement

• Chantel Lehl, Faculty HR Support Coordinator, Computer Science
• Lindsey Morford, Undergraduate Academic Advisor, Computer Science

• Jade Kelly, Aspirations Senior Regional Affiliate Manager (RAM), NCWIT

• Emily Flanagan, Manager of Budget and Finance, ADMIN
• Min Ning, Accounting Technician II, ADMIN
• Madison Lane, Human Resources & Operations Manager, CEAE
• Erin Irwin, Accounting Technician II, CEAE/Contracts and Grants Manager, Center for National Security Initiatives, RIO
• Katie Morgan, Research Accountant, ECEE
• Heather Chanchan, General and Grant Accountant, ECEE
• Andraa Von Boeselager, Administrative Assistant and Curriculum Coordinator, CEAE
• Kathy Loudermilk, Research Support Office
• Linda Rose, Manager for Research Facilitation, ADMIN

"Thank you all for your outstanding work to help CEAE with its financial needs! We are so grateful to all of you for your involvement and support."

“Robin Elliott is awesome. She is a financial wizard able to cut through the fog of numerical confusion like a katana through a watermelon. In all seriousness, she is an amazing person in the college.”

Make a co-worker’s day. Think of a co-worker who has been doing a fabulous job lately or someone who has helped you out. Send your shout out to CEASHR@colorado.edu to have it included in our next newsletter!

From Kazoo to WorkTango, the rebranded company and platform has new capabilities to reflect a holistic employee experience for the modern workplace.

Earn points in WorkTango by completing tasks, participating in our CU community, or recognizing your amazing colleague. You can earn nifty rewards like an adorably plush CEAS buffalo or a CEAS vest! Log in to myCU portal today to check it out.

As of Friday, Sept. 30, you are able to access WorkTango to send recognition to your amazing staff members. Guidance on how to log in and use WorkTango was sent via email. If you are a faculty member who supervises staff but are unable to successfully login to WorkTango, please reach out to us at CEASHR@colorado.edu for assistance. Check out the CU HR website for more helpful tips!

Tuesday, Oct. 11. 1-2:30 p.m., In-person, DLC 1B70 | Add to calendar
In honor of National Coming Out Day, Robyn Sandekian, Ph.D., Director of Faculty Advancement, will be hosting Safe Zone training. Diversity and inclusion efforts most frequently focus on improving the environment for gender equity and racial diversity. What is often overlooked, however, are discussions and opportunities to expand those efforts to include identities that are less visible or that are intentionally hidden. Session attendees will walk away with increased awareness about the LGBTQ+ community in general and the resources available within our college and campus community. Plus, the session will provide a safe venue to ask those burning questions.

Tuesday, Oct. 11. 1-2 p.m., Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE Building), Room E390
This session is being offered twice this semester, and focuses on how to integrate effective classroom norms to foster a respectful and inclusive environment and minimize challenging student behavior. Participants will discuss scenarios and practice responding effectively to problems in the classroom.

Monday, Oct. 17. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., virtual
Are you interested in becoming an ally? You can start by learning the three basic steps to defining your allyship journey. As our society continues to be faced with a number of social crises, many people desire to take the necessary steps to be an ally for different groups, such as the AAPI community, the BIPOC community, or the LGBTQ+ community. You can learn how to define and leverage your allyship, and walk away with a template to help guide your learning and steps for action.

Thursday, Oct. 27. Noon-1 p.m., virtual
Faculty and staff from all four CU campuses are invited to join an overview of the NIH-ARPA-H (Advanced Research Project Agency for Health). ARPA-H is a new entity within NIH seeding “high-risk, high-reward” research to improve health and medical treatments “that cannot readily be accomplished through traditional research or commercial activity.” Lewis-Burke Associates will share insights into the new agency and how to best position your work for funding.

Thursday, Oct. 27. 1-2 p.m., virtual | Join us on Zoom
The rise of political and racial tensions along with the anxieties created by the pandemic have too often resulted in opinionated conversations or no conversations at all. During this Inclusive Instructors Monthly Teach-In session, we will begin with a brief meditation, practice active listening and learn how mindfulness helps us engage in authentic dialogue with others to help us reset ourselves towards building a better community. Sign up for the Inclusivity Network email list!

• Nikko Sandekian Taylor is keeping Robyn Sandekian, director of faculty advancement, busy as he settles into his new forever home.

Send a photo of your furry/scaly/feathered loved ones to CEASHR@colorado.edu to have it included in our next newsletter!

Wednesday, Oct. 5. Noon-1 p.m., virtual
If you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep and have tried the usual techniques without success, it’s time to try something different. In this session, participants will learn about tools to help clear obstacles and find sleep solutions that work for you.

Every Friday, starting Oct. 7. Noon-1 p.m., virtual | Join the Zoom
Are you a new dad or expecting to be? Join us for a 4-week group over Zoom as we discuss and navigate topics like being a working parent, how to maintain connection with partners, engaging with your baby, coming to terms with the impact on personal independence, and other ideas generated from the group. These free, virtual sessions will happen weekly on Fridays through Oct. 28.

Take this opportunity to set aside some time to take care of yourself, check-in with your close ones, and help raise awareness of the importance of mental health in your community. Check out some of the other items in this section for helpful resources and upcoming events!

Wednesday, Nov. 2. 2:30-3:30 p.m., Idea Forge Commons, FLEM 130
As we approach the end of the semester, we may find ourselves feeling overwhelmed, worried, anxious, angry, and even excited. Participants will be guided through a 15–20-minute mindfulness exercise that will lead to 20 minutes of guided art and journaling with Esther Horowitz, LPC. Participants are invited to share their experience and are also welcomed to listen and observe. Paper and writing materials will be needed and may be provided by Leeds Staff Council upon request.

Through CU’s Flu Shot Clinics, CU Health Plan members and covered spouses can receive a free flu shot at a campus clinic. If you aren't a plan member, you can receive a shot for just $39. Registration is required. Please bring your CU Health Plan ID card (Anthem or Kaiser) and wear clothing that allows access to your right or left shoulder so the nurse can administer the shot.

SilverCloud Can Help!SilverCloud offers secure, immediate access to online CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) programs, tailored to your specific needs.

Mental Wellness Matters: This hotline helps all CU employees find support, resources for mental health issues. The University of Colorado is offering all employees a new option for quick access to mental health services – The Real Help Hotline at (833) 533-CHAT (2428).