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#UVUHeroes

UVU faculty and staff went above and beyond the job during COVID-19.

By UVU Photo

August 26^th, 2020

Working Through the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have significant effects on higher education and has presented unprecedented challenges for Utah Valley University. But what is not unprecedented is UVU’s priority in response — the safety of students, faculty, and staff.

Over the last few months, the UVU community has noted the service of specific individuals who met the challenge of change that was presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant alterations to work activities. Many individuals were nominated as #UVUHeroes — some of those who received multiple nominations or had a particular impact are noted here.

Sue Jackson, professor and department chair, Department of Public and Community Health.

Glenn Pepe, technical director, School of the Arts.

Robin Ebmeyer, director of Emergency Management and Safety.

Sue Jackson, professor and department chair, Department of Public and Community Health

Sue Jackson has taught the epidemiology course for a decade, and prior to COVID-19, had the normal faculty role to teach, research, and do service.

She says her workload has changed “pretty dramatically in the last several months.” Since the beginning of the pandemic, Jackson has been tracking COVID cases and the rate of infection change for the country, state, and county.

“I found people were desperate for reliable information, so I started doing social media posts and Facebook Live events. I have been a repeat guest on a couple of different radio shows, and I am frequently called from newspapers wanting quotes about various aspects of COVID,” she says. “At the university level, I have helped on several committees that are geared toward safely reopening campus. Having spent years studying public health and transmission of infection, I have looked for opportunities to use my knowledge to be helpful during this crisis.”

Jackson says she has spent the majority of her summer working on various committees to ensure the safe return of students, faculty, and staff to campus. She says she doesn’t consider herself a hero, but that she just happens to “know information that is useful right now. For years, I have had to explain what ‘epidemiology’ is when people ask what I teach. It's been surreal to see the topic be known by so many people.”

Jackson, who has been at UVU for 12 years, says one recent unforgettable moment was being in the room while UVU leadership scrambled with messaging for shutting down the university at the request of the governor last March. “To watch an entire university shift because of an infectious disease was fascinating, and something I had only theoretically read about but never experienced.”

Those who nominated Jackson said she was “an amazing resource and has a trustworthy opinion about the trajectory of this disease.” Jackson admits that sometimes she is asked to be a crystal ball and predict the future of this pandemic, which even she is unable to do.

Glenn Pepe, technical director, School of the Arts’ scenery shop

As technical director, Glenn Pepe oversees purchasing materials and building of scenery, as well as transporting set pieces from the shop to the theatres, mounting the scenery onstage, overseeing the work of the scenic crews during rehearsals and performances, and maintaining the shop’s equipment and supplies.

“With less theater being created,” Pepe says, “we've turned our focus to cleaning and improving our scene shop and storage locations, and in helping other departments in the School of the Arts, including the costume shop move. I have also assisted the national organization — the United States Institute of Technical Theatre — to create best-practice guidelines for reopening theatres during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. I have been also working on strategies to increase the safety of our students and employees as they return to the scene shop.”

He says he also helped the music department deliver electric pianos to students’ homes during spring semester so they could continue their studies from home.

“A part of my job is problem-solving and adapting to changing situations, so I feel like I've just been doing my job,” Pepe says.

Robin Ebmeyer, director, Emergency Management and Safety

Robin Ebmeyer is responsible for preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies and disasters. She also directs general safety procedures, provides training, and oversees adherence to regulations and laws that involve higher education.

As the emergency manager for the university, Ebmeyer’s normal responsibilities would be to prepare for disasters and emergencies, which includes written plans, full-scale exercises, and interacting with community partners regarding hazards, risks, or threats with which the university could be involved.

“With COVID-19 in place, instead of being in the planning and preparing phase of emergency management,” Ebmeyer says, “I moved to the response and recovery phase, which generally could be shorter, but not for a pandemic. This has completely changed my job. I eat, sleep, and drink COVID-19. The days are long. It feels like a week’s worth of work each day.”

Ebmeyer, who has been with UVU for eight years, admits her recent past feels like a “strange time warp every week — time has become suspended.” The days are long and the months flash by, she says, but she tries to keep up with all requests, concerns, and complaints.

“I report to the president and the cabinet several times a week, and their expectations are high and I try to meet that expectation. I have interacted with several groups of people I would not have normally worked with, and that has been one of the great outcomes of this situation — relationships. I know there are people who are supportive and want nothing more than to assist and get work completed, and what a difference that has made. It has taken an army of people, time, and effort to pull off what we have so far, and we are far from finished, but neither is this army of people.”

Barb Smith, director of communications, University Marketing and Communications

Barb Smith says her day used to be spent creating and disseminating good news about Utah Valley University. She worked directly with the local and national media to generate story placements, wrote stories about UVU happenings, and mentored other writers.

“On March 12, my job, and life, shifted dramatically, along with the rest of our UVU community,” Smith says. “I had been up late the night before assisting with the email and FAQs that sent Wolverines home to work, to study, and to stay safe. Utah and the nation were in the early phases of the pandemic, but it already appeared that this would be a prolonged battle.”

Smith says because of COVID-19, her world has become consumed by internal communication at UVU. She began assisting in sending messages regarding “the sweeping changes that were rapidly taking place, to assist students, faculty, and staff in understanding the new policies that were being implemented, and to clearly and consistently communicate health and safety guidance.”

She admits her hours of work are now longer, and her weekends are not always her own. “But I feel that what I am doing is meaningful,” she says. “I am fortunate to work with the administration of UVU. They are thoughtful, caring, and authentic leaders who also work long hours for the benefit of those they serve. They carefully consider the impact of their words, and so do I.”

Smith says she believes internal communications at UVU will continue to be vital as the university navigates whatever comes next. “I hope that through communication we will become a stronger, more cohesive, and resilient community.”

Smith has been at UVU in her current position for two years but clearly remembers her time here as a student, when a professor called her up to inquire about her well-being after she missed several classes due to a double shift at her job.

“She told me I was one of her most promising students. She let me know that she and the other professors would help me get caught up. I’ll never forget that. I heard two things at that moment. She knew me by name and found me promising. I believe that culture still exists on this campus today. There is a place for you at UVU. There is still a place for me. I owe this institution a huge debt of gratitude.”

She said she would like to encourage all staff and students to read emails sent to them from the university. “We believe the information contained in them is important or we wouldn’t be sending them,” she says, adding, “Be kind, be empathetic, patient and respectful, and be resilient. We will get through this together.”

Travis Tasker, director, Audio Visual Services and Engineering

Travis Tasker says he and his team are responsible for overseeing the support and integration of campus technologies, including classroom technology resources. Since the pandemic shutdown, that team has taken on the unique and almost overwhelming task to upgrade nearly every UVU classroom to have a camera, microphones, and other peripherals to enable lecture capture and livestreaming. This will allow, he says, for both social distancing and accommodating those who are sick with the virus.

“I have an amazing team that has been pulling off miracles,” Tasker says. “We have been on campus throughout the outbreak doing installs while others worked from the safety of their homes. I give the credit to my entire team. This has been hard for everyone, but some teams have had to do much more than others. I appreciate everyone’s efforts to enable continued learning through this pandemic. I believe my team’s efforts will help faculty be more successful and enable students to thrive.”

Tasker, who has been at UVU for 22 years, said he loves being a part of “the education process.” He is a first-generation college graduate and says he enjoys seeing how opportunities open up for students through their education.

“I feel like being involved in education is the place that you can make the most impact for good in this world. I enjoy seeing and being a part of the growth of UVU and making an impact on the individual students’ lives and opening doors for them to do and become more. UVU is an amazing melting pot where the trades and university collide to make amazing things happen.

“Amazing individuals are enabled through opportunities that they would not have had otherwise. I came to UVU on a trades scholarship for an AAS degree and now have a graduate degree. My experience, as well as many of our students’ similar experiences, give unique abilities and insight.”

Ryan Clinton, assistant cinematographer, Studios and Broadcast Services.

Kaelee Nielsen, Athletics business and travel manager.

John James, chief of maintenance and FAA accountable manager, College of Health and Public Service.

Ryan Christopher Clinton, assistant cinematographer, Studios and Broadcasting Services

Ryan Clinton says his responsibilities include technical directing of concerts and sports broadcasts, flying camera drones around campus, serving as a camera operator on UVU commercials, and traveling to film UVU student success stories. “I could be videotaping a dance video in Moab one day, then the next I’m in the control room switching a show,” Clinton says. “Every day is completely different, and I never know what I’m going to be doing next.”

With the transition to a more closed campus, Clinton found himself filming classrooms to help faculty and students transition to online teaching.

“We film a lot of labs and lecture series so students can still learn without having to come in and risk their health. We also have been helping out with the 'Talk with Tuminez' broadcast streams a lot, so people know what’s going on,” Clinton says.

It was the filming of labs that sparked someone to nominate Clinton: “He is fulfilling a very crucial role in filming anatomy labs so that students can finish their courses for the year. He was a bit squeamish, but he answered the call when the faculty needed to film anatomy courses in the cadaver lab. He has had to endure long days of filming unpleasant circumstances in the name of student success. He is my hero.”

Clinton, who describes himself as “just a dude behind a camera,” has been at UVU for about four years, more if time spent in the studio as a student is applied. He says he loves to meet amazing people at UVU who make things work.

“It’s like we’re a big community, and I’m very happy to be a part of it. It makes UVU feel more like a second home,” he says. “I enjoy being able to interact with all the other departments and see how they work.”

Kaelee Nielsen, Athletics business and travel manager

Kaelee Nielsen makes travel arrangements for all competitions off campus, which includes flights, hotels, ground transportation, and more. She also helps with purchasing and reconciling all travel and purchases.

Since COVID-19 restrictions and parameters have hit campus, she says she is doing a lot of waiting and seeing. “On the bright side,” she says, “it was a good time to get caught up on everything.”

“We had men’s and women’s basketball playing in Las Vegas for the WAC tournament, and we had track and field flying to go compete in the NCAA first round of competitions when COVID restrictions hit. As we all remember, everything changed in an instant, and sports were over. This had to have caused panic for the teams. I worked with everyone out on the road to make sure to find a way to get them back home ASAP.”

In the following days, she says, she worked closely with airlines and hotel chains to cancel the rest of spring travel. “It was a time of frustration and uncertainty for all, but I did my best to work my hardest to get as many refunds as possible.”

Those who nominated Nielsen, who has worked at UVU for four years, said, “Kaelee Nielsen is a hero… Kaelee has worked with every team and every upcoming trip arranging for refunds and credits. This was a huge project — after taking the entire year to make the reservations, she has managed to work through all the outstanding trips in less than six weeks. For this reason and many more, Kaelee Nielsen is my UVU Hero.”

John James, chief of maintenance and FAA accountable manager, College of Health and Public Service

John James manages and oversees all the aircraft maintenance operations and the flight line operations on the Airport campus, managing the aircraft maintenance flow of inspections in and out of the hangar, while making sure that our flight department has 75-80% aircraft availability. James said he also oversees the flight line operations, making sure that our aircraft are ready to fly. “We take care of the student and instructor needs with the aircraft before and after their flights,” he says.

With COVID considerations, James says his workweek is now making sure everyone is safe and healthy, and aircraft are sanitized before and after every flight. He says new policies have helped to ensure the safety of all individuals at the airport so it can remain open. He says he makes certain hangars are “ready to go, according to the policies set.”

“I have tried to keep the flow of everything I do as normal as I can while adhering to COVID-19 policies. I spend a lot of time reviewing, researching, and discussing what is new with the COVID-19 policies. I help with coordinating and implementing policy changes here at the airport. Our greatest fear is to have an outbreak that could shut us down.”

He says the most recent purchase of aircraft were shipped via semitrailer: “They were all ready to be flown, but this pandemic made it so they couldn’t fly them over the border. When we received them, we had to reassemble four of the nine new aircraft.”

“I worked with the FAA to make sure all our new Diamond DA40 aircraft were put on a progressive inspection program. I had to develop the inspection, as Diamond Aircraft does not have this program. This program will meet the maintenance and inspection requirements and maximize aircraft safety and maintainability while minimizing aircraft downtime. I have already seen a difference from when flying started June 1 to now. I initiated getting more color added to our aircraft. It was a hidden secret in the maintenance manuals. We were the first in the nation to have color added.”

James, who has been at UVU for 12 years, says he is honored and surprised by the nomination to be a UVU Hero. “My favorite memories and moments here at UVU are seeing students finish their pilot certificates that they are working on and congratulating them on their accomplishments with a high-five or fist bump. I know the dedication and hard work they put into this program.”

Sue A. Womack, early childhood specialist and quality improvement specialist, Care About Child Care, Student Affairs Division

Sue Womack says that pre-COVID-19, she spent most of her days conducting observations in child care centers “using validated observations measures of quality and best practice for infants and children.” She also conducted bimonthly reliability observations, after which she gave feedback with the director of the childcare center. Another part of her position was to give technical assistance to programs and teachers, to help teachers improve their practice with young children or for programs to improve the classroom arrangements, materials, schedules, and professional development.

The major change under coronavirus restrictions, she says, is that only caregivers and employees of the child care centers are allowed into the center. “Therefore, beginning March 13, we were no longer doing observations. I gave email feedback, I’ve created professional development workshops that will be deployed later this year by the Office of Child Care. I prepared for and taught a five-hour, two-session class for providers over Zoom. I’ve made weekly telephone calls and periodic visits to care providers (both center and family) with mask and physical distancing to deliver needed supplies, treats, and encouragement.”

She says she has attempted to keep the spirits of her colleagues at a high level. “Several were working from home and also doing school with their children. I am an empty nester, and so it was easy for me to volunteer for tasks that would take some of the burdens off of them. If there was someone who couldn’t complete their list for visits or for calls, I would complete those. I tried to send texts of encouragement or what I thought was great about them. I would also select a theme for Zoom backgrounds and during our weekly online staff meetings change them — not to distract, but to make people smile or think of happy places and things. And there was my chicken hat. And bubbles.”

Those who nominated Womack admit that the Zoom meetings helped. “This is one of the things Sue is willing to do to brighten our resource nights and provider appreciation,” one person wrote. “She also brightens our days with fun hats to entertain during team meetings!”

Womack says she doesn’t feel she did anything exceptional, “but it’s nice that someone else did. I try to lift others as a way of living my life, because I think everyone has outstanding qualities that they don’t always recognize and need to hear about.”

Sue A. Womack, early childhood specialist and quality improvement specialist, Student Affairs.

Marilyn Meyer, associate vice president, Human Resources

Marilyn Meyer says her position is responsible for the strategic leadership and operational management of all functions for UVU Human Resources, including, in part, employee recruitment and talent acquisition, training and career development, compensation, and benefits. She says she reports to and works closely with the vice president of Planning, Budget, and Human Resources, and she serves on the President’s Council and other leadership bodies.

“With COVID-19, HR has pivoted to handling assisting departments and employees to begin working from home in March if their positions allowed it,” Meyer says. “We provided guidance to all employees working both on and off campus regarding how to navigate the COVID-19 situation and provided both mental and physical wellness assistance to all employees. We are now assisting as some employees begin returning to work on campus. We have and continue to be anxiously engaged in communicating and providing exceptional care to all staff, faculty, and student-employees in every aspect of work life, regardless of work location.”

Meyer says working mainly from home has shown her that that situation has both pros and cons: “Shorter commutes, more physical time with family and pets, wearing casual clothes are some pros. But not being in the office to visit with work friends, harder to leave the office behind and focus on family, and not being able to communicate face-to-face are some cons that I’ve run into.”

She says Human Resources often gets noted for negative impacts around campus, so it is pleasing to note that others see HR making a positive impact on campus during this unusual time.

“I appreciate that while COVID has been mentally and physically draining for everyone, I have also seen the very best in our employees. It makes me proud to be a Wolverine!”

Marilyn Meyer, associate vice president, Human Resources.

Baldomero Lago, chief international officer, Office for International Engagement

Baldomero Lago organizes and manages UVU’s global and intercultural academic initiatives, working mainly with external communities including the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, the United Nations, World Trade Center, and many other organizations, chambers, and global companies. In his work at UVU, Lago enjoys working with his colleagues by developing global academic partnerships and hosting diplomats. In 2016, King Phillip VI of Spain awarded Lago the title of Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Civil Merit.

Those who nominated Lago as a UVU Hero made note of his extraordinary efforts to retrieve UVU students from international locations when COVID-related lockdowns began occurring. One colleague said, “(He) organized the payment of the airfare of UVU internship students’ flights to get them home when Nepal went into lockdown at the beginning of the outbreak. He also worked with faculty, administrators, and third-party companies to make sure all students were able to come home as soon as the U.S. Department of State announced the level 4 for international travel.”

Another nomination letter stated that Lago worked with Senators Lee and Romney’s office, as well as reassuring UVU administrators that he could work with Qatar Airlines to assist students returning from their internships. The nomination information stated, in part: “His office did a superb job of monitoring the unusual world events prior to the interns leaving, working with the CDC and State Department’s travel advisory, as well as UVU’s travel restrictions. The purchase of the return tickets was a long and tedious process. Dr. Lago stayed on the line all morning with me, helping us during this desperate time, and using all resources he had at his disposal. This was a tense time not knowing if something would be approved, the phone call would drop, or the transaction would time out.”

These efforts, it was noted, put Lago in the UVU Hero category.

Jermey Mecram, technician III, Information Technology.

Mckelle Hamson Cox, lecturer, Department of Public and Community Health.

Jermey Mecham, area technician, Desktop Support, Information Technology

Jermey Mecham supports the UVU employees in the Extended Education and Alumni building and all of Facilities, where he receives calls or emails from those who need IT support. He then either helps them remotely or goes to their office to assist them.

As the pandemic shutdown began, Mecham worked from home. “I was able to help most of the people in my areas by helping them over the phone using FaceTime or Microsoft Teams, and I was also able to remote into their computers and fix their computer issues,” he says. “Now that we are back on campus most of the week, I am able to help most people in person, but I also have many that are still at home.”

Others said of Mecham, “From setting up laptops with the needed programs to work from home, to solving connectivity issues and operator-caused problems, Mecham has been a superhero. Our productivity as a department in the current situation stands and falls with our computers and their connectivity, and we had some serious panic moments and could not work around them. But Mecham, in his ‘cape,’ solved it all from long distance. Having a computer is great, but if you can’t use it you are done, and we would have been on several occasions. Thank you to all our IT staff on campus, who certainly kept us up and running and surely had an extra heavy load to deal with.”

Mecham says he feels honored others think about him in such a positive light. “I don’t feel like a hero,” he says. “The people in my areas are my friends, and I understand they are in a stressful situation with COVID, and I’m there to help make their IT transition easier for them.”

Mecham recalls when he was an after-hours IT technician for campus and was asked to go over to the president’s house and help the Holland family install printers on the computers in his house.

“I was working on an iMac in his kitchen when he started making breakfast for his kids,” Mecham says. “He looked over at me and asked me if I wanted to have breakfast with them. I was like, ‘Really? Serious?’ So I had breakfast with President Holland and his kids. How amazing is that? I will always remember that.”

“I know the COVID pandemic has caused a lot of stress on everyone here at UVU. We all need to work together and get through this. We just need to go the extra mile to help the people in need so they can do their jobs and help the students complete their education. This pandemic will not last forever — life will go on.”

Mckelle Hamson Cox, lecturer, Department of Public and Community Health

Mckelle Hamson Cox teaches about six classes each semester on various health topics, normally riding FrontRunner to get to campus and arriving about 7 a.m. She says she likes arriving at campus early and getting some extra time in before classes to prep, normally teaching anywhere from two to three classes throughout the day, with office hours where students can come in and ask questions. She then works on grading or other prep work.

Cox says COVID-19 has “shortened my commute to about 30 seconds, which I really can't complain about.” She now works and teaches from home on a MacBook Air. She rotates between an office and the living room because her husband is a student, and their schedules often overlap.

“Once I started working from home, I felt the need to always be available to my students, so I try to check my email a little more frequently because I realized my students were working various hours due to the pandemic,” she says. “I still wake up early and work on my classes and prep work and hold virtual office hours and virtual meetings with students. I conduct classes from home and make sure to record the lectures so students can go back in case they missed anything.” She says she started communicating even more via Canvas and emails to make certain students were on track at home.

“It is hard not to be in a classroom and see students' reactions and have face-to-face student involvement. I miss it, but I understand the need to be virtual to protect everyone. I love my students, and I genuinely want them to succeed and thrive. During the pandemic, I would often spend the first 5-10 minutes of class checking in on my students to make sure they were OK or adjusting assignments to make sure that students could balance all the chaos going on in their lives. I am willing to help my department and my students in any way I can.”

Cox says she had “amazing professors” when she was a student in health studies. She said UVU’s Mary Brown was one of the reasons she chose to get a Master of Public Health and a doctorate, and she hopes she can inspire students in a similar manner.

Those who nominated her said, “She worked really hard to help everyone feel safe and understand what was going on and what sources were reliable for up-to-date COVID-19 information. She answered all our questions as best she could, and she helped everyone learn how to practice mindfulness to help with the anxiety surrounding the transition to online. After we transitioned online, she would spend time checking in on everyone and seeing if we needed anything. She was always understanding when students had technical difficulties, and she didn't penalize them or give anyone a hard time. She did all this while still teaching the material in ways everyone could understand and expecting our best effort. She truly went above and beyond for her students.”

She says her first day of teaching was memorable — “I was so nervous to be the one behind the podium instead of in the audience. However, as soon as the class was over, it was the best feeling and reaffirmed that I had found my perfect career in life.”

Andy Byrnes, professor, Emergency Services, and program manager, Firefighter Recruit Candidate Academy.

Jamie Shawn Hardman, interpreting and internship coordinator and lecturer, Deaf Studies.

Lesli Baker, director, Fulton Library

Lesli Baker typically works with the assistant directors for the overall planning and vision of the Fulton Library and implements the strategies to achieve the various goals. She also works closely with the Roots of Knowledge team to develop programming and other work to support UVU’s mission.

“Operations in the library have changed in how we offer them, but our central focus has remained on helping UVU students succeed in a safe environment,” she says. “This experience has been an opportunity for creative thinking, and the library staff has been willing to meet each challenge we’ve faced. As most of the campus shut down, the Fulton Library remained a central point for students to access the resources they needed, including using computers for their online classes, checking out computers to work from home, studying in a quiet space, and accessing resources for their assignments.”

She says the slowdown on campus from the pandemic has showcased how much the library staff values helping UVU students, as well as how much UVU students think of the library as a valuable part of their education.

“I see the entire library staff as the heroes who helped the Fulton Library remain open while other areas on campus closed,” Baker says. “I think this shows that the library really is the heart of campus and an essential service for student success.”

Baker, who has been at UVU for 22 years, says she likes to remember two important days at UVU, the first being the day of the library ribbon-cutting, “when we were able to open our beautiful new library and become UVU.” She also enjoys looking back on the day when Roots of Knowledge was unveiled and the library was named the Ira A. and Mary Lou Fulton Library. “Both were momentous occasions for the library,” she says.

Andy Byrnes, professor, Emergency Services and program manager, Firefighter Recruit Candidate Academy

Andy Byrnes says he normally spends most of his time teaching online and face-to-face courses in health and safety and emergency responder survival, in addition to managing the Firefighter Training Program, which provides students with the four basic certification levels they will need to serve their communities as firefighters.

Byrnes has a background as a firefighter, paramedic, and fire officer, which helps him have a vision of what communities need — “The cadre of instructors that help me with that vision are some of the most amazing and competent people I know as responders and teachers,” he says.

“The College of Health and Public Service has instituted a rigorous screening, sanitation, distancing, and monitoring program to deal with the virus. Obviously wearing masks isn’t very conducive to human interaction and comes with some limitations for all of us — however, we all know it is necessary when face-to-face classes are not negotiable, as in firefighter training. Some courses just can’t be conducted fully online.”

Byrnes says his entire department is trained to serve, and they’re all “in the business of public service and are driven by a servant’s heart. When we see a need, it’s easy to make whatever arrangements are necessary to help.”

Those who nominated Byrnes noted that during May, he was part of a Utah Department of Health mobile testing team that administered more than 1,000 tests to the Navajo Nation in San Juan County.

“I’m not seeking any special recognition by my service,” he says. “When I was told that the Navajo Nation was experiencing the third-greatest infection rate per capita in the nation at that time, I wanted to go there and support them and be a part of the solution. They are a proud and dignified people that I was honored to serve.”

Byrnes, who has been at UVU for 12 years, says coming to UVU “in order to train and influence the next generation of young firefighters was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.” He says he particularly enjoys graduation ceremonies for firefighter classes that complete the academy: “I’m reminded of the influence that UVU will have on them professionally and all the relationships the students form that will last a lifetime.”

Jamie Shawn Hardman, interpreting and internship coordinator and lecturer, Deaf Studies

Jamie Hardman teaches ASL/spoken English interpreting in the Deaf Studies program, as well as helps students find internships and work toward state certification as an interpreter.

“I now develop everything online for a virtual class meeting,” Hardman says. “This means I have had to get creative and work fast. Helping students in this pandemic has been challenging and very rewarding. I’m on the computer more than ever before, and creativity for class content and engagement has been both exhausting and fun.”

She said she was monitoring more than 20 interns in the field when the pandemic hit, and that they experienced displacement from their internship sites.

“I worked with every one of them on a case-by-case basis to help them graduate on time while still developing their skills,” she says. “I was happy with how successful it was. I sent a lot of emails, communicated with them, tried to stay ahead of the curve, and I believe it helped them stress less in such an unprecedented time.”

Those who pointed out Hardman’s pandemic activities said she took “heroic steps” for students in the program: “Jamie worked tirelessly to find alternate means for every one of the interns to complete their internships. My guess is that about half of them were due to graduate this spring, and without her efforts, they would have had to postpone graduation. I know that in one day, Jamie sent over 200 emails trying to coordinate this effort. And she did this while working to convert four of her own classes to an online format.”

Additionally, nominations said Hardman created a PDF handbook illustrating step-by-step procedures for using Kaltura Live Room at a time when some adjuncts were feeling completely overwhelmed: “Jamie’s careful instruction to help the adjuncts manage the foreign territory of yet a third online tool saved the day for our adjuncts and their hundreds of students.”

Hardman said her favorite part of UVU activities is commencement, when students “finally see all their hard work pay off and can’t stop smiling.”

Rich Paustenbaugh, outreach librarian, Fulton Library

Rich Paustenbaugh says he normally works face-to-face with students, faculty, and colleagues to help provide members of the UVU community the resources that they need to enable them to successfully complete assignments, projects, or research. Most of his interactions used to be face-to-face at the Fulton Library or in the classroom, “so the shutdown had a huge impact on what I do,” he says.

As the shutdown was announced, Paustenbaugh says he volunteered to “be a part of the skeleton crew and continue to work on-site and assist in whatever way that I could to help.”

“I felt that there still would be people coming to the library physically during that time that would likely need some help, and I believed that it would be important for someone to be on-site to support them as much as possible,” he says. “As the library continued to operate and adjust some of what had been occurring, my role shifted as I found myself stepping in to help in other areas within the library as needed, especially as others’ schedules or health concerns gave me opportunities to assist that otherwise probably would not have been asked of me.”

As an example, Paustenbaugh for a period of time volunteered to be responsible for opening the library, which is outside his normal role. “I love working here at UVU,” he says. “The students are fun and interesting, and my colleagues are wonderful people.”

Footnotes

Photos by Gabriel Mayberry & Jay Drowns - Text by Jay Wamsley

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FootNotes

Photos by Gabriel Mayberry & Jay Drowns - Text by Jay Wamsley