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Communication for the staff and faculty of
The University of Texas at Dallas |
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COVID-19 Information, Resources
During the disruption of regular services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Communications is maintaining a collection of information and resources for staff, faculty and students. For the latest information, visit the COVID-19 website, which will be updated frequently with FAQs and the latest information.
Vaccine Recipients Encouraged To Fill Out Online Form
UT Dallas encourages anyone who has received the COVID-19 vaccine to register using our voluntary registration form. Please fill out the form for each dose of the vaccine you receive.
For more information, email the Office of Emergency Management and Continuity Planning.
Weekly Proactive COVID-19 Testing Available
Weekly proactive COVID-19 testing is now available to employees who are onsite one or more days a week. Participation is encouraged to help reduce any potential asymptomatic spread within our campus community. For more information on how to enroll in the program, please email [email protected].
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HR Forum Scheduled for April 7
The Office of Human Resources will host its next HR Forum from 10-11:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 7, as a Microsoft Teams live event. Please install Microsoft Teams prior to joining. If you need assistance, contact the Help Desk.
Each participant will have the option to turn on closed captioning. Participation will be through a moderated Q-and-A forum. Email your forum questions in advance to [email protected].
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Human Resources Posts 2021 Drug-Free Workplace Notice
Human Resources has posted the 2021 notice for a drug-free workplace in accordance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act. The notice is an annual reminder to all 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.
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Complete Annual Compliance Education by May 17
All employees are required to complete Annual Compliance Education to ensure awareness with pertinent University policies and relevant state and federal laws. The deadline to complete assigned education modules is Monday, May 17.
Instructions:
- To access the assigned modules, please visit Annual Compliance Education link, or;
- On the Galaxy homepage, you will find a link to Compliance & Security Education, which will allow you to log into the KnowBe4 platform.
- Complete all training modules assigned to you.
- For best experience, please use the Firefox internet browser.
For more information or assistance, contact the Office of Institutional Compliance, Equity, and Title IX Initiatives at [email protected] or 972-883-2233. |
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Educational Modules: Diversity and Inclusion & Managing Bias
UT Dallas is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and equity. To support these efforts, the Living Our Values Task Force recommended to President Richard Benson that the University require all employees to complete two educational modules, Diversity and Inclusion & Managing Bias, and he accepted this recommendation.
To access the assigned modules please log into the KnowBe4 platform with your NetID and password.
For more information, view the message from Dr. Rafael Martín and Dr. George Fair.
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Get Involved with Comets Giving Days
Mark May 26-27 on your calendars for UT Dallas’ fifth annual Comets Giving Days celebration. Here are two ways you can get involved today:
- Sign up as a participating group: After signing up, you will be added to the Comets Giving Days team, and you will stay up-to-date with planning, details and trainings to help maximize the dollars raised for your area.
- Become a digital ambassador: By supporting the area they are most passionate about, digital ambassadors play a vital role in the success of the Comets Giving Days. Prizes will be given to ambassadors who sign up and share their link.
Let’s have more fun in ’21! For all Comets Giving Days questions, please email [email protected].
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Sign Up for Spring Wellness Challenge
What if you could go coast to coast without boarding a plane, hopping on a bus or gassing up the car? Well, now you can (sort of) in Well Traveled. With this virtual trip, you’ll travel from state to state, stopping at hot spots across the country.
Each day in this four-week wellness adventure, you’ll visit a new attraction, earning points and pins as you record physical activity, sleep and gratitude. And you’ll answer a fun trivia question, learn about each attraction and collect badges. For teams, there will be the option of earning an extra point on Thrive Thursdays. In addition, the traveling trophies are back. Help UT Dallas win for the medium-sized institution!
The deadline to register for Well Traveled is Friday, April 16. The challenge dates are Monday, April 12-Sunday, May 9.
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University To Host Virtual Diversity Awards
Join an online celebration to honor the contributions of extraordinary students, faculty, staff and community partners who have helped advance The University of Texas at Dallas’ commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The virtual Diversity Awards Ceremony and Soiree will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 15 via Microsoft Teams Live. The event’s theme is “Becoming a true citizen of the world: Embracing cultural diversity in all aspects of life.”
Awards will be presented to a student, student organization, community champion, corporate partner, staff member and faculty member. The winners of the Diversity Poetry Competition also will be recognized. The event will feature performances by the UT Dallas Choir and the Dallas Black Dance Theater.
For more information and to register, visit the Diversity Awards page on Eventbrite.
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Register To Attend Diversity Events
Juneteenth Celebration Planning Committee — The Multicultural Center is seeking volunteers from University departments, employee resource groups and student organizations to serve on the 2021 Juneteenth Planning Committee. To serve, complete this interest form by April 7. For more information, contact Adrienne Watson.
Women in Social Engagement: A Women of Color Discussion Group, noon-1:30 p.m., Thursday, April 8 — Engage in fruitful and authentic discussions about topics relevant to women of color on the UT Dallas campus, from media influences on social media to career development. RSVP for A Women of Color Discussion Group. For more information, contact Destiney Tolbert.
The Royal Pursuit: Pursuing Black Excellence, 7 p.m., Thursday, April 8 — Calling all kings and queens who are in the pursuit of Black excellence! Take your seats! Learn about Black excellence and leadership from those who have “been there and done that” from UTD Black alumni, faculty and staff. This event will include networking opportunities, career exploration and learning about where your dreams can take you. Registration is required. RSVP for The Royal Pursuit. For more information, contact Adrienne Watson.
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Peruse OIT’s Upcoming Tech Tips Sessions
The past year has brought challenges for how we work, teach and learn. In an effort to help alleviate some of the challenges with technology, the Office of Information Technology is hosting training on the most-requested topics. These custom online trainings led by certified instructors provide you with the latest knowledge and relevant content to the UT Dallas community. Transform the ways you use Microsoft products by attending a Tech Tips session. Upcoming sessions include training on Teams Calling, Outlook, and Cloud storage. View the training catalog for full details.
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RSVP for Public and Nonprofit Management Annual Conference
Join the Public and Nonprofit Management program for its fifth annual alumni conference Rising from the Pandemic - Expanding Social and Economic Equity on Friday, May 7.
The keynote panel from noon-1 p.m. will address what government, nonprofit and business organizations can do to help the United States achieve the goals of diversity, equity and inclusiveness. The conference also will include panels focused on what nonprofit and government organizations can do specifically to create a more just and inclusive society.
For more information on the keynote panelists, nonprofit and government panels, and additional speakers, see the event website.
Registration is required. For questions, email Erin Dougherty or call 972-883-3938. The Public and Nonprofit Management program thanks Cathy and Chris Packard for their sponsorship of this conference. |
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CCF Lecture Explores Developmental Science Research
Join the UT Dallas Center for Children and Families for the latest research in developmental science at this year's 2021 Spring Lecture Series. The lectures are free and open to the public.
Tuesday, April 27, noon — “Relational Health: From Research to Practice with Families of Children with Autism or Hearing Differences” is the fourth webinar in the UT System Early Childhood Scholars Series, focusing on relational health. UT Dallas faculty members Drs. Pamela Rollins and Andrea Warner-Czyz will describe their research on early social and communication development in children with autism (Rollins) and on effects of childhood hearing differences on family relationships (Warner-Czyz). Both specific intervention applications and broader implications for practice will be discussed in each presentation. Registration for “Relational Health” is required.
For more information, email [email protected].
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Sign Up To Attend Virtual BrainHealth Lectures
The Center for BrainHealth’s Frontiers of BrainHealth Spring Series continues at noon, Friday, April 16. Dr. Michael Merzenich will present New Strategies for Managing Organic Brain Health.
Merzenich is the brain behind BrainHQ and the co-founder and chief scientific officer of Posit Science. For nearly five decades, he has been a leading pioneer in brain plasticity research.
The next Sips & Science presentation, Creativity Is Your New Super Power, will be at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 15. The talk will feature Dr. Andy Walshe, a globally recognized leader and expert in the field of elite human performance; Ben Potvin, a former Canadian national gymnastics champion and Cirque du Soleil artist; and Angel Collinson, a champion professional free skier and environmental advocate.
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Join The BrainHealth Project
The Center for BrainHealth is kicking off The BrainHealth Project, a long-term study to track how healthy brains of all ages can get stronger. We are recruiting people of all ages, including UT Dallas students, staff and faculty.
You’ll start by getting your personal BrainHealth Index, a snapshot of your brain fitness. Next, you’ll meet virtually with your own BrainHealth coach to walk through your results and set personal goals. Then you’ll start training with online modules to help you activate brain-healthy strategies in your daily life. You’ll check in quarterly with your coach and track progress by getting your BHI every six months. Participation is self-paced and free.
Visit the BrainHealth Project website to check it out and sign up.
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Mark Your Calendars for Virtual Earth Week
The Office of Student Volunteerism and the Office of Sustainability are partnering to host UT Dallas' 10th annual Earth Week, April 19-23. This year's virtual festivities will explore environmental, economic and social challenges "through the lens of sustainability." Check out last year's video submissions.
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Series Explores Future of Art, Humanities in Times of Crisis
The Center for Translation Studies, in collaboration with the School of Arts and Humanities, is hosting The Future of the Arts and Humanities in Times of Crisis speakers series.
Mark Polizzotti, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, will present Whom Shocks Who: Humanity and Humanities in an Age of Fear: The Future of the Arts and Humanities in Times of Crisis at 2 p.m., Friday, April 16 on Zoom. The aim of this talk is to interrogate the line between acceptable and unacceptable challenge in the arts.
Polizzotti has translated works by Gustave Flaubert, Marguerite Duras, André Breton, Raymond Roussel, Maurice Roche, Jean Echenoz, and Nobel Prize-winning French author Patrick Modiano.
For more information, visit the Whom Shocks Who Comet Calendar listing or email Shelby Vincent MA'05, PhD'15.
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Office of Research Events
The Family Office Association (TOFA) Symposium featuring Randi Zuckerberg, 9-11 a.m., Wednesday and Thursday, April 7-8 — TFOA’s Annual Single Family Office Symposium is a highly anticipated, private event for the global family office community to benefit from leading industry research and networking with like-minded peers. For this event, TFOA curates a world-class lineup of policy experts and investment practitioners to share valuable insights on the latest research and ideas in the fields of public and private market investing and family office management. Students, staff, faculty and community guests are invited to register through the open track. Keynote speakers include Randi and Arielle Zuckerberg and Mitch Kapor. See the full schedule. Register for the TFOA open track. For more information, email Dresden Goldberg.
Broader Impacts Series: How Can You Cultivate Research Proposal Growth? 3-4 p.m., Wednesday, April 7 — During this seminar, Michelle Rogers, NSF program officer and directorate for computer and information science and engineering, will discuss new developments such as broadening participation plans, how to formulate them as an integral part of a successful proposal, and share ways principal investigators address broader impacts. For more information, visit the Broader Impacts Series listing or email Tiffany Willoughby.
IRB Book Study: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman, 4-5 p.m., Thursdays through April 22 —Join the Office of Research as it presents a fascinating book study on The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The discussion will cover consent, ethical considerations, linguistic communication, cultural values and medicine. For more information, visit the IRB Book Study listing or email Tiffany Willoughby.
Research Breakdown Series: Human Subjects vs. Participant Payment, noon-12:45 p.m., Friday, April 9 — Offices of Sponsored Projects and Post Award Management will walk through the differences between human subject payments and participant support, including what category to budget these costs, how to pay the individuals and the paperwork to submit, indirect cost implications and rebudgeting allowability. For more information, visit the Research Breakdown Series listing or contact or email Tiffany Willoughby.
Center Stage Seminar Series: Intrapreneurship, noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, April 13 — Dr. Larry Hornbeck is the Academy Award-winning inventor of the Digital Micromirror Device (DMD), commercially known as Texas Instruments DLP chip. He will tell the story of the early days of the invention and the tough decisions he made as he navigated in ambiguous waters. The talk is sprinkled with anecdotes and curiosities that you're sure to enjoy. For example: See a request for more corporate funding, printed on Polaroid film and sent to "Father George;” hear about the "two-line," HDTV demo that changed the world of projection displays and hastened the end of film in theaters around the world; and learn the events that led up to the "Summer of Irrational Exuberance." For more information, visit the Intrapreneurship listing or email Tiffany Willoughby.
Broader Impacts Series: The Smallest Things Can Make the Greatest Impact, 3-4 p.m., Wednesday, April 14 — Dr. Bryan DeBusk, senior grants consultant at Hanover Research, will discuss tips and tricks for ensuring your proposal addresses Broader Impacts in ways your reviewers will appreciate. He also will introduce a wizard to help you design and organize activities to meet NSF's expectations. For more information, visit the Broader Impacts Series listing or email Tiffany Willoughby.
Spring 2021 Research Showcase Poster Competition, featuring the School of Arts & Humanities, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Friday, April 16 — Three finalists will present their research in this live virtual poster competition, which features worldwide real-time polling by audience members. Additionally, the new UT Dallas Community Choice Award provides an exclusive platform for members of the UTD community to view ongoing research and to voice their support of this educational endeavor by our exceptional School of Arts and Humanities graduate students. For more information, visit the Research Showcase listing or email Tiffany Willoughby.
NSF CAREER Previous Awardee Panel Discussion, 1-2:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 20 — Featuring NSF CAREER award recipients Dr. Qing Gu, Dr. Giacomo Valerio Iungo and Dr. Michael Kolodrubetz, this panel discussion will provide practical tips and guidance on program development and writing, and also what happens during the review process. For more information, visit the Panel Discussion listing or email Tiffany Willoughby.
Inclusive Innovation Summit: Keynote Punkie Johnson, “Saturday Night Live,” noon-3 p.m., Wednesday, April 21 — The virtual 2021 Inclusive Innovation Summit, in partnership with the UT Dallas Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, The DEC Network, QuTD, the Galerstein Gender Center, and Blackstone Launchpad & TechStars, will highlight individuals in underrepresented communities who have forged innovative careers, teach attendees how to create safe spaces in entrepreneurial culture, highlight companies who foster intersectionality between inclusion and innovation, and inspire future entrepreneurs and innovators. For more information, visit the Inclusive Innovation Summit listing or email Dresden Goldberg.
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Attend Center for Teaching and Learning Workshops
Better Searching Through Better Resources, noon-1 p.m., Wednesday, April 14 — Matt Makowka, research services librarian and subject specialist for ECS and ATEC, will discuss library resources to share with students such as the Discover search and online databases, places guaranteed to have quality information. He also will cover search tips that students need along the way. RSVP for the April 14 workshop.
Globalizing the UTD Campus, noon-1 p.m., Wednesday, April 21 — Sara Spiegel and Dr. Monica Powell will present the recommendations of the Task Force on Globalizing UTD Education. RSVP for the April 21 workshop.
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Reminders
Register To Attend Virtual Bioengineering 10th Anniversary Symposium
Join the Department of Bioengineering in commemorating its 10th anniversary at a free virtual symposium on April 8-9.
Hear from industry leaders, build your virtual network of colleagues and learn about the latest biomedical engineering research advancements at UT Dallas.
The symposium culminates the year-long celebration of the Department of Bioengineering’s 10th anniversary. Since the inception of the department a decade ago, UT Dallas has made remarkable progress in educating future bioengineers and performing groundbreaking research to improve human health.
The virtual symposium is free. For more information and to register, visit the symposium site.
For more information, email Melanie Depoian.
Join Campus Connection for HR Info
To stay up-to-date on the latest news and information related to employment, immigration, wellness, benefits, talent development, as well as other Human Resources activities, join the HR Campus Connection in Teams. Use the code 4nstab6 to join.
Connect with Colleagues at Watercooler Wednesday.
It's important to take breaks and stay in touch with colleagues as many staff and faculty work remotely. You are invited to virtually connect with colleagues on Watercooler Wednesday through a Microsoft Teams live event at 10-10:15 a.m. and 3-3:15 p.m. Each session will include a wellness activity. Join early or hang around after and visit with colleagues and meet new folks.
Visit the Campus Wellness Committee site for more information about Watercooler Wednesday and other virtual resources related to wellness.
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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 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 Robert Tracy at [email protected] or ext. 3521. |
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