Category: Employee News

Nan Cuba, MFA, associate professor of English and OLLU’s Writer-in-Residence, won the Steven Turner Award for best first published fiction for her debut novel, “Body and Bread,” during this year’s Texas Institute of Letters Awards for writing published in 2013.

 Hamid Khan, EdD, PE professor of management, presented two peer-reviewed papers at the International Academy of Business Disciplines (IABD) conference held April 10-12. The papers were titled, “Predicting the Learning Effectiveness in Business Ethics Class by Experimental Measures,” and “Pedagogical Effectiveness Using Design, Teach, And Evaluate, With Case Based Reaction, Learning, Behavior and Results.”

OLLU President Sister Jane Ann Slater delivered the invocation at the Accion Texas Luncheon, “Growing Small Business, Changing Lives,” last Friday. She also had her picture taken with Howard Graham Buffett (son of Warren Buffett), Eva Longoria, Janie Barrera (CEO of Accion Texas) and Dr. Adena Williams Loston (President of St. Phillip’s College).

The Human Resources Department is sponsoring the sixth annual Health and Wellness Fair Wednesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in Chapel Auditorium. During the fair, participants will be able to receive screenings for stroke, heart disease, blood pressure, hearing and other health conditions. Attendees can also get information on fitness, wellness, nutrition, financial health and work/life balance. The fair is open to the OLLU community.

In addition, the digital mammography bus will be outside of the UWAC from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Appointments are recommended. Register online at www.healthyUexpress.com. View flyer for more information.

The Lions Club will also be doing eye screenings outside of the UWAC.

For more information, contact Diana Ramos, employee benefits manager, at diana.ramos@ollusa.edu or 210-434-6711, ext. 3920.

During the spring semester, faculty members have been busy presenting at conferences and winning awards. The following are a few of the most recent accomplishments by OLLU faculty:

• Michaela Cole, PhD, associate professor of Education, is being named the Norma L. Ziegler Education Professional of the Year. She was nominated for the service that she does with the early childhood education students in the community.
• Hamid Khan, EdD, PE, professor of Management, presented a paper titled, “Teaching Effectiveness with Student Engagement, using Predictive Value of Case Based Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and Result,” at the Academy of Business Research (ABR) Conference. The peer-reviewed paper has been accepted for publication in the May Volume of the Academy of Business Research Journal (ABRJ).
• Wanda Sparks, RN, PhD, assistant professor of Nursing and Anthony Miles, PhD, visiting professor of Management, won the award for “Best Research/Topic in Marketing at the Academy of Business Research (ABR) Conference. Their topic was, “Social Media and Consumer Behavior: A Marketing Study on RateMyProfessors.com and its Influence on Consumer Behavior.”

The Human Resources Department is sponsoring the sixth annual Health and Wellness Fair Wednesday, April 2, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in Chapel Auditorium. During the fair, participants will be able to receive screenings for stroke, heart disease, blood pressure and other health conditions. Attendees can also get information on fitness, wellness, nutrition, financial health and work/life balance. The fair is open to the OLLU community.

The digital mammography bus will also be outside of the UWAC from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Appointments are recommended. Register online at www.healthyUexpress.com. View flyer for more information.

The Lions Club will also be doing eye screenings outside of the UWAC.

For more information, contact Diana Ramos, employee benefits manager, at diana.ramos@ollusa.edu or 210-434-6711, ext. 3920.

The Adviser’s Workshop for early summer and fall registration will be held Tuesday from 12:20-1:30 p.m. in Providence Hall, West Social Room. For more information, contact Betty Galvan at 210-434-6711, ext. 2533.

Nominations are now being accepted for the Rosemary Saenz staff awards, which will be presented during the staff/faculty dinner in May

The four Rosemary Saenz awards are:

• Providence Award – recognizing involvement in the spiritual life and Providence charism of the University
• Rising Star Award – recognizing a staff member who has made a significant difference in a relatively short time at the University (five years or less)
• Staff Excellence Award – recognizing a staff member who lives out the Core Values of the University and goes above and beyond to promote the Mission of OLLU
• Customer Service Award – recognizing excellence in customer service.

Nominations can be submitted online, via email, or hand written. Forms can be found in the Staff Organization section of the myOLLU Portal, in the Staff Lounge or in the President’s Office. Nominations will be accepted until March 28 at 5 p.m. View complete criteria on the myOLLU Portal.

For more information, contact Mario J. Oliveira at mjoliveira@ollusa.edu.

Maribel Larraga, PhD, OLLU professor of Spanish, has been named as the Associate Dean for Accreditation, Assessment, and Planning for the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). In her new role, Larraga will provide leadership involving accreditation, assessment, strategic planning and evaluation of all undergraduate and graduate programs in CAS. She will maintain her position as the head of the Spanish program.

New criteria and new categories have been established for the Rosemary Saenz Staff Awards. These will be explained tomorrow during the Staff Organization meeting at 8:30 a.m. in Library Community Room. All staff members are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn about the awards and the nomination process.

The new categories include the Customer Service Award, Providence Award, Rising Star Award and Excellence Award. Staff award winners will be announced during the May 14 Faculty and Staff Appreciation Dinner.