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Currently, I'm a Human Resources Coordinator here at the university. My academic background is in sociology and criminology. I'm the chair of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders ECRG on campus and an active member in the Parents and Caregivers Employee and Colleagues Resource Group. I'm also the parent to one amazing kiddo. In my free time I volunteer with a nonprofit aimed at community care and mutual aid, and am on the board for a local organization focused on workers' rights and fair labor practices. When I'm not advocating for people, I rescue cats. I can also be found knitting and crocheting and, on long weekends with weather permitting, you can find me at the river.

I'm excited to potentially serve on Staff Senate because I think that the university is in a period of growth and with that comes some growing pains. I would love to be able to help contribute to the 150 Forward Strategic Plan by ensuring that staff are not left behind in the push for greater academic achievement. Research cannot be done without proper grant managers; department chairs would fall apart without office managers; and without our custodial and maintenance staff we would all be far worse off. I see value in every single position at this university, and I want to make sure that no one is left behind and that all employees are taken care of by the place they choose to work. I believe that if we support our staff, it enables them to better support our faculty and students and that will strengthen our University, both academically and as a pillar of the community.

 

I have been a member of the University of Arkansas community since 2006, when I arrived as a graduate student from the UK. I completed my Ph.D. in Space and Planetary Sciences in 2013 and have been part of the Division of Research and Innovation in various capacities ever since. Along the way I have experienced campus life from several very different vantage points: as an international student, as a long-term intern embedded with Chemical Engineering during my doctoral work and now as a full-time employee. I currently serve as Associate Director of Data Strategy and Insights, a role that has exposed me to the complete spectrum of university operations: finance, space management, student enrollment, sponsored research, diversity and inclusion, and everything in between. Earlier in my tenure I also had the opportunity to help analyze two large-scale staff climate surveys, which gave me firsthand insight into the concerns, priorities, and experiences of staff across the institution.

When you have been here as long as I have, and have been fortunate enough to work alongside people at every level of the institution, you develop a genuine appreciation for the complexities of how things actually get done. Decisions move slowly, sometimes far more slowly than they need to. We are a top-tier research institution with exceptional people, and being in a position to help remove friction, accelerate good ideas, and give staff a stronger voice in that process is what excites me most about this opportunity.