Faculty and Staff News

Since 2007, Katherine Humphries, senior supervisor in FM’s Building Environmental Services and Recycling unit, has become well-known throughout campus for her warm spirit and approach to customer satisfaction. Learn more about why Humphries, a recent Devotion to Duty employee of the year nominee, cannot list only one favorite place on campus. 

How many years have you been at UNC Charlotte? 15 years 

Can you tell us more about your role in Building Environmental Services and Recycling?  

Charlena Ferguson, Student Health Center, has been approved to participate in the Voluntary Shared Leave Program. The Benefits Office will accept donations through Oct. 16.

To contribute leave, faculty and staff should refer to the requirements in Personnel Information Memorandum (PIM) 29 or complete the online Voluntary Shared Leave Donation Form from the HR Benefits Forms website.

Meet Larry Blomberg, first shift building environmental services manager, in recognition of National Custodian Day, which is observed annually Oct. 2. Blomberg, who recently completed the APPA Leadership Academy, has an interesting perspective for seeing things differently. Plus, learn why he loves the Popp Martin Student Union. 

How many years have you been at UNC Charlotte?

I have been with the university since 2010. I started in the Student Union and transitioned to Facilities Management in 2015.

Dear Colleagues, 

We are pleased that the North Carolina General Assembly has funded a Labor Market Adjustment Reserve with the recently passed state budget. The LMAR is a pool of funding to address compression and market-related salary issues for SHRA and non-faculty EHRA staff positions. 

Each institution received funding equal to one percent (1%) of the institution’s state-appropriated salaries and associated benefits. Charlotte received $2.3 million (exclusive of benefits) to use for employee salary and related fringe benefit costs.

Some employees reported receiving an email from Alexa Brown at Retirement Expert with the subject line “Retirement and Pension Meetings for UNC Charlotte Employees” indicating eligibility to receive a free consultation for retirement benefits. This is not an approved communication from a legitimate vendor associated with the UNC Charlotte Benefits Office.  

Employees are advised to not reach out or provide information to them.  

Mike Turner, associate professor of kinesiology in the Department of Applied Physiology, Health, and Clinical Sciences, has been appointed as the University’s NCAA faculty athletics representative, effective Oct. 1.

During this two-year appointment, Turner will provide academic leadership, oversight and advice in the administration of UNC Charlotte’s intercollegiate athletics program. The official job responsibilities include the following:

Meet Derik Screen, IT business intelligence analyst. He likes solving problems, on and off the clock. Learn about Screen’s role, some surprising facts and what he and his family do together.

Can you describe your role at UNC Charlotte?

I am an IT business intelligence analyst. I work with the financial systems support organization, and I support the financial services administration’s reporting and data analytics efforts through creating and managing reporting for users of Banner Finance data.

Holly Durham has been named UNC Charlotte’s new associate provost for academic budget, effective Oct. 1. In this role, she will lead the academic budget team in the Office of Academic Affairs. 

Durham comes to the University from N.C. State, where she has served as assistant vice chancellor for finance in the Division of Academic and Student Affairs since 2016. Previously, she served as director of finance, business and planning in the Division of Academic and Student Affairs.

The Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program can help eligible State of North Carolina employees, including UNC Charlotte employees, clear their student loan balances. 

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program forgives the remaining balance on federal direct student loans for certain public service employees after a total of 120 months of qualifying payments. 

State government is a qualifying employer. Other types of qualifying public service include work for other types of government, 501(c)(3) organizations and some nonprofits.

Brad Caudle, a certified arborist through the International Society of Arboriculture, oversees tree care and maintenance throughout the developed portion of campus. Learn more about his role and how and why trees alter in the fall.

What is the most practical way to describe what you do?