Staff Council president Kell urges staff to stay informed on budget process, ask good questions

If 15 years as an administrator in two Carver College of Medicine departments won’t help Glenn Kell prepare for his new role as Staff Council president, then perhaps his pastime as a softball umpire will.

As the administrator in the Department of Urology, Kell is responsible for all business-related aspects of the department, from human resources to purchasing and budgeting to patient scheduling. Prior to joining urology, he spent five years in the Department of Psychiatry as an assistant to the administrator while he worked on his doctorate in higher education.

On April 1, Kell took over as Staff Council president for departing president Martha Greer. fyi talked with Kell about the big issues Staff Council will address in the coming year, how staff can stay informed during a time of uncertainty, and his side job on the softball sidelines.

Sustainability director provides unifying voice

Liz Christiansen is on a mission. As the University of Iowa’s first director of the Office of Sustainability, she’s working to make campus—and the larger community—a greener, more environmentally friendly place.

Of course, she’s not starting from scratch. The University signed onto the Chicago Climate Exchange in 2004, and has been working diligently to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Research that ties in with sustainability issues is happening all across campus; and the University has a long history of encouraging mass transportation and bicycling.

Christiansen says she’s excited to build on those initiatives as she develops new programs, coordinates efforts to formulate institutional goals and policies, and reaches out to the community as an advocate for sustainable practices.

Forecast for Iowa River looks promising in 2009

As spring 2009 made its slow approach to Iowa City and The University of Iowa, people traveling along Dubuque Street were greeted with flooding in parts of lower City Park. After the devastating flooding of June 2008, it's only natural to ask questions at the first sign of high water...

fyi decided to get some answers. We asked Ken Lloyd, UI associate utilities director, to assess the current situation and talk about the forecast for flooding in summer 2009.

Photo feature: ¡Bailamos! Having a ball at Gusto Latino

The University of Iowa International Crossroads Community held its annual Latin dance festival, Gusto Latino, April 10 in the Iowa Memorial Union. Live music was provided by Orquesta de Jazz y Salsa Alto Maiz, an 11-piece Latin jazz dance band featuring local musicians. Proceeds from the event will help fund an Engineers Without Borders project to work with a health clinic in Las Mangas, Honduras.

See the photos...

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