NEWS AND EVENTS
Upcoming Events
Nebraska Lectures, Oct. 4 and Oct. 12
On Oct. 4, Husker alumna and former Yell Squad member Deb Kleve White will present “History of School Spirit and Louise Pound” at 12:15 p.m. at Morrill Hall.
The next lecture, on Oct. 12 at 1:30 p.m., is “Navigating Change Forward — Creativity in Community: Reviewing UNL’s Centennial Education Program.” In the Love Library Auditorium, Centennial College alumni Paul Olson, Barbara Smith, Ned Hedges and Ali Moeller will discuss the program’s history.
OPEN Forum, Oct. 10
Join your colleagues at the October OPEN Forum on Thursday, Oct. 10, 8:30-10 a.m. in the Nebraska Union Heritage Room. Registration is open through Oct. 4.
A conversation with ORED’s Vice Chancellor Bob Wilhelm will include topics such as a vision for research at Nebraska and the upcoming strategic plan, the university’s new budget model, status of the Service Delivery Initiative, building a climate that supports diversity and inclusion, and some time for an open Q&A.
A bus will be available to shuttle those who work in the Paul Research Center to the Nebraska Union. Please indicate on the registration page if you wish to reserve a seat on the bus.
If you want to recognize your co-worker(s), you can add kudos on your registration, or email them to Laurie Sampson.
Contact Laurie if you have questions about this event.
October Smart Start, Oct. 8 and 11
“We cannot solve our problems with the
same level of thinking we used when we created them.” This
quote is attributed to Albert Einstein, who clearly solved a number of problems
in his day, but how do we change our thinking to solve problems?
You are invited to participate in the October Smart Start session, What’s the Problem? Tips for Problem Solving.
Sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 8 OR Friday, Oct. 11 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the training room at Paul Research Center (Room 152). To ensure there are enough materials (and donuts), please register for one of the sessions.
Objectives: Upon completion, participants will be able to
- Identify the four stages of problem-solving.
- Consider tips to improve problem-solving skills
If you have questions, contact Laurie Sampson.
Nebraska Research Days, Nov. 4-8
Mark your calendars now for Nebraska Research Days, previously known as the Research Fair. The week will feature one event per day aimed at highlighting the impact of the university’s research community. The schedule will be posted soon on the Research Days website.
News
IACP to launch software aimed at streamlining laboratory animal research
The Institutional Animal Care Program, along with Bolero Information Systems, is developing an online software system to aid in the management of laboratory animal research. The system, called Laboratory Animal Management, or LAM, will integrate with the current NUgrant Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee module. Exciting features to look forward to include:
- Equipment reservations
- Procedure scheduling
- Task notifications
- Real-time financials
- Visualization of animal colonies, including cage card information and rack locations
- Protocol integration
Stay tuned as IACP prepares to roll out this exciting new software system.
Welcomes
Brande Dicks joined the Office of Sponsored Programs as a project specialist in the post-award group. Brande started with the university in the Nebraska Center for Virology under Charlie Wood, then moved to the Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Business Center in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, where she’s been for the past two years.
Dan Moser joined Research Communications on Sept. 31. He began his career as a newspaper reporter and worked most recently as an ecommerce copywriter. He returns to UNL, where he worked from 1998-2014 as a communications specialist at the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
KUDOS TO OUR COLLEAGUES
A big thanks for all those who “popped up” to help at the Scoopin’ Up Success celebrations across campus earlier this month. Team ORED handed out 1,000 Nifty 150 ice creams to help spread the word about all of the great research that is happening at Nebraska.
WELLNESS WATCH
Even people who love their jobs can find work to be exhausting. Demands are high, and the speed of change can make our professional lives unsettling or challenging. There are some things, however, that you can do every day that will help you avoid burnout and amp up the joy at work. These five tips are adapted from an article by William Arruda that appeared on Forbes.com Sept. 8. Thanks to Laurie Sampson for submitting this!
- Focus on the work you love. We all have parts of our jobs that we don’t like. Accept it. But don’t dwell on the frustrating or boring elements; spend time thinking about the parts of your job that bring you joy. Then find ways to do more of that.
- Express gratitude. One thing that will surely make you (and those around you) happier at work is to express appreciation. Acknowledge others for their contributions, support, advice and unique gifts. When you praise someone else, you make two people feel good.
- Assume positive intent. People can frustrate us. It’s easy to become upset or angered by others’ words or actions, and this often comes without understanding their actual intent. When you assume positive intent, you stay on the positive side of an issue and take steps to move forward.
- Smile. Smiling reduces stress, builds trust and even increases productivity. Make a conscious effort to smile throughout the day. Greet those you meet with a smile and continue throughout the entire day. When you make a smile part of every interaction, you start a chemical reaction in yourself and in those who receive your grin.
- Punctuate each day. We rarely have any punctuation or pause, and as a consequence, we miss an opportunity to feel good about our contributions. At the end of each day, take time to document these three important experiences: something you learned, something you accomplished and something you’re grateful for.
Add these five actions to your daily DO list and watch your energy and attitude rise. Along the way, others will have more positive experiences with you!
WATER COOLER CHAT
Monica Norby, assistant vice chancellor for research, on Gracie (Golden Retriever): “This is Gracie spotting a squirrel in a pine tree. She’s my 7-year-old golden retriever.”
Emily Hanus, Research Compliance, on Jackson (Spaniel mix) and Louie (Min-Pin mix): “Jackson is our old man (he’s 11) and Louie is the young (and kind of dumb) one. I adopted Jackson in Ohio nine years ago and my husband and I adopted Louie in 2016 from Big Red Rescue. I highly recommend them if you’re in the market for a rescue pup!”
Kristen Ohnoutka, Research Finance and Information Systems, on Reggie (Shih Tzu/Maltese mix): “My husband and I say about him that he is too cute, it’s a problem!”
Christine Scheuring, on Teddy (Miniature Schnauzer/Poodle mix; lion at heart): “Teddy is four months old. I was regularly visiting the rescue and fell in love with his calm demeanor so brought him home as a surprise to the family! Only the kids were happy about this surprise! Ha!”
Jenn Klein, Research Compliance Services, on Hank (Black Lab): “I swear he grows opposable thumbs when we’re away because even at 11 years old, he can cause quite a ‘disturbance.’ ;o)”
Kathy Pinkerton, Institutional Animal Care Program, on Maddy, Finn, Macc and Rory (Three American Cocker Spaniels and an opinionated Westie): “Thank goodness I work with vets!”
Abby Lien, Sponsored Programs, on Tibby (Tabby): “I recognized Belinda Gillam when I started working in OSP because I got my cat from her at the Cat House. :)”
Terri Murray, Sponsored Programs, on Miss Angel and Sir Ace (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel): “Actually my daughter was the first to get a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She was planning ahead for when she would move out of state and she wanted a dog for companionship. According to her research, Cavaliers are good apartment pets; they are small dogs that don’t bark much and, if walked, they don’t need a yard to play in. She was still living at home when she got Herm at 8 weeks and 2.5 pounds. We were helpers in his training. He was the runt of the litter; however, he was full of spunk and we fell in love with him! Then they moved to Ohio. Thus, I asked my husband (well, actually begged and whined until I wore him down) if we could get a Cavalier. Thus we got our first Blenheim Cavalier, Miss Angel in December of 2018; followed by our second Black and Tan Cavalier, Sir Ace in December of 2019. Now we just need to get a Ruby Cavalier and our family will be complete with one of each of the four colors that Cavaliers come in. They are a challenge some days; but I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world!”
Trudy Nienaber, Sponsored Programs, on Josie (Brittany): “Josie loves to play ball and would play for hours if we let her!”
Dan Moser, Research Communications, on Samson (Shih Tzu): “He bows down before eating his dinner as if he’s praying.”
Lissette Gilster, Research Compliance Services, on Roxy (Corgi, with a little mix of Australian Shepard): “My oldest daughter loves dogs. We decided on the Corgi because of the size and friendly nature. She is super sweet; just turned 6 months and loves to play and nap under the couch with her stubby legs sticking out!”
Tiffany Lee, Research Communications, on Mocha (Yorkshire Terrier): “After almost three years, she is finally starting to get along with my older daughter!”
Thanks to all who participated in this month’s survey! Check back next month for the next topic of conversation. If you have an idea you’d like to submit, please do so here.
THE MONTH IN PICTURES
Elijah Luebbe, Sponsored Programs, and his family welcomed Nora Rose Luebbe on Sept. 19 at 3:57 a.m. She was 7 pounds, 15 ounces and 19 inches long. He reported that everyone was healthy, happy and hungry!
VCRED Bob Wilhelm and Chris Yeaw, ORED’s Research Director for Nuclear Programs who is also part of the National Strategic Research Institute at the University of Nebraska, attended the Husker game against Northern Illinois on Sept. 14.
Thanks to all who attended the ORED Picnic on Sept. 9. It was a great event with good food and great company! Thanks to all who helped make the evening a success.
Thanks to all who contributed to this month’s OPEN Book. If you have an item you’d like us to include in the next issue, submit it here or send it to Tiffany Lee.
