Professor Perry Leo, head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, will never play in the PGA, but he has a good excuse. Over the past 28 years, in addition to teaching, research, and departmental administrative duties, he has advised graduate students, reviewed for various journals, published numerous articles, and visited other universities and research centers. Add in a busy family life with two young children, and it’s no wonder his golf game has suffered.

Leo, who grew up in upstate New York, worked himself through the ranks of the faculty at the University starting as an assistant professor in the fall of 1988. His research focused on advanced materials, or more precisely (in layman’s terms), “how different materials blend together to form new materials.” Though offered a position in a government research lab, Leo chose the diversity of academia over a pure research career. He always wanted to work at a Big Ten university, or something comparable to a Big Ten university, because he “like(s) the fact that we are really trying to educate the people in the state and surrounding states. And being at a big school allows us to do different things.” One of those different things for Leo has been participating in shared governance.

Leo served as a representative in the Faculty Senate from 1995-1998. He first began committee work – which he finds more fruitful - in 2002 on the Faculty Academic Oversight Committee for Intercollegiate Athletics (FAOCIA). “Art Erdman from Mechanical Engineering knew I golfed. That was athletic enough [for me] to be appointed,” he quipped. Leo currently serves as Faculty Athletics Representative to the Big Ten and NCAA. In this role he also serves on the Advisory Committee on Athletics and (again) on the FAOCIA. Additionally, he serves on the ROTC subcommittee and has served on the Committee on Committees (with one term as chair).

The moment that Leo felt the most satisfied with his contribution to Senate work was in his initial years on the FAOCIA, soon after the basketball program scandal in 1999. Through the actions of committees, the Senate was able to move the pendulum back to assure the “relationship between the athletic departments and academic departments was a good one” while maintaining necessary firewalls between the two. He added that Senate action assured a level of academic integrity that has maintained to this day.

Leo is one of the small handful of seasoned faculty whose continued participation contributes to the institutional memory that serves committee work so well. As he said, he’s not looking to build his resume at this point. He, and other long-serving faculty, truly have the good of the institution at heart. But Leo also believes that more faculty should participate, so that we don’t hear from the same voices year after year. Leo considers it “integral that new faculty are included and recognized in governance, so that it continues to work as well as it has for so many years.”

In other words, Leo has fully embraced the traditional idea of a university: a place where all participants are engaged not only in learning, but also in active discussion and decision-making regarding the direction the institution should take. Sacrificing a serviceable handicap is worth it for him. But his involvement in shared governance is not solely altruistic. He also said that “it’s fun to get to know faculty from outside my department and college. This is and has been the best part of governance.”

Peh H. Ng was “just a grad student” at Purdue when the University of Minnesota­Morris urgently needed to replace a faculty member in the math department. Wanting a full­ time teaching experience, Ng took the temporary faculty position and completed her PhD while at Morris. When there was no tenure­track position available, she was off to a university in Georgia for a position. Two years later, there was an opening at UM­Morris and former colleagues emailed Ng urging her to apply. She did. And it was back to west central Minnesota where Ng has been since 1995.

In Ng’s view, she was a part of University governance from day one. Every faculty at UMM is a part of the campus assembly, the campus­wide governance body. And, Ng adds, “UM­-Morris is a very egalitarian campus, and so technically, I became involved in shared governance when I started as a regular faculty.”

Ng says she was surprised ­and at first, annoyed­ at how long it can take for the University to implement a policy. She’s been on three committees, has served on the Faculty Senate since 2003, and is currently on the Senate Committee for Faculty Affairs. She now understands the complexities behind the process. “I grew up, and learned about being patient, governance­style!”

Ng admits that when she was a brand new faculty, she was very naive. “I had some weird notion that college administrators made lousy professors,” she says. A few years years later, a chief administrator retired and there was some shuffling of campus leadership. Several faculty, including Ng, were asked to take on administrative duties as part of their appointments. Ng asked her then boss, “Why do you take all these award­ winning and excellent teachers from the classroom and make them administrators?”

The response was, “Would you rather I choose lousy teachers to lead academic affairs?” That, Ng says, changed her perspective ­ and stereotype ­ of administrators. In turn, Ng says she has learned much by being on system­wide committees and considers herself lucky to be able to serve. “I am a better faculty and a more mindful academic administrator for having served on system­wide shared governance,” she says. Ng says when a solution presents itself or is arrived at, she asks if that solution solves more problems than it creates.

Ng’s academic background in applied mathematics has served her well in governance. She loves problem­solving and coming up with creative ways to address issues that arise. “Facilitating students’ learning is one of my passions,” she says. Having the opportunity to teach mathematics to undergraduates, and mentor and collaborate with students to conduct research over the past twenty years at UMM are among what she considers her most notable achievements.

An essential skill, Ng notes, and one that she continues to hone, is learning how to balance the “Big Picture” and the detailed ramifications of policies. She said, “Finding a healthy balance between being consultative and moving forward is also another key to how I usually approach governance.” 

Meet J.D. Walker , Research Associate in the Center for Educational Innovation, which "supports faculty, instructors, and academic leaders as they design innovative curricula, explore research-based pedagogies, and create high quality learning environments online and in person." Walker, as he is known, expands on his role:

What is your role at the University of Minnesota?  What do you do in a typical day/week?

I partner with faculty and staff at the U to conduct systematic assessments of the impact of educational innovations.

How does your work impact the University community?

I try to contribute to the growing body of knowledge about what works in post-secondary education and encourage faculty members to think of their teaching as a scholarly endeavor.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

Probably the best thing is having the chance to discover new things about teaching and learning. Sometimes the conclusions that my colleagues and I reach are relatively small, in the sense that they are bound to a particular time and place, a certain group of students, etc. But they are often things that no one knew before, and I think that sharing these findings with colleagues, and adding them to the larger tapestry of what is known about education, are valuable contributions to the academic enterprise. 

What would people never guess you do in your job?

I do a surprising amount of consultation with faculty and staff from universities around the world, who want to undertake projects similar to those we've done at the University of Minnesota. With respect to two of our projects - the long-running student and faculty technology surveys, and our multi-year research on new learning spaces - I have consulted with faculty and staff from universities in China, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Sweden, The Netherlands, England, South Africa, Lebanon, Pakistan, and the Cape Verde Islands.

What do you like best about working at UMN?

One of the very best things is having the opportunity to collaborate with faculty and staff from such a diversity of disciplines across the University. Before working here, I was a professor of philosophy, and I never associated with anyone who works in engineering, or chemistry, or educational psychology, or agricultural economics, or veterinary medicine. And so I never knew how many interesting topics are studied by such a wide array of intelligent, interesting people in such a wide range of academic disciplines!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

My larger agenda is to promote a scholarly culture of pedagogy at the University, which means elevating teaching and learning to the status of an academic pursuit that can be undertaken by instructors whose disciplinary expertise lies elsewhere. So in 5 years, hopefully I will be working in much the same capacity that I am in now, but with a larger group of researchers who collaborate with faculty members from many disciplines at different organizational levels in the University - departmental, program, college, etc. - helping to advance the scholarship of teaching and learning. 

What is one thing you couldn't live without?

Badminton, biking, beer, and hot sauce! And my two little dogs. OK, that was six things. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Brew beer, play badminton, ride my bike, and spend time with my two little dogs.

What was your best vacation?

Probably a recent trip to Turkey with my partner and two close friends. It was my first trip to a majority-Muslim country, and it was wonderful to see how kind and welcoming the vast majority of Turkish people were, along with the way in which very religious and very secular Turks lived side by side in Istanbul. We also traveled to parts of the country without many tourists. I think it's a very useful, and very educational, experience for the members of a majority ethnic group - like white Americans - to visit a place in which they are very much in the minority. 

Meet Julie Showers, Director of the Office for Conflict Resolution. This office serves all employees at the University. Director Showers, who has been at the University of Minnesota for just 18 months, expands on her role:

What is your role at the University of Minnesota? What do you do in a typical day/week?

The Office for Conflict Resolution serves faculty, staff and student employees who are experiencing conflict in the workplace. We offer both formal and informal conflict resolution services, and provide programming around effective ways to prepare for and respond to conflict when it occurs. Most of work involves informal, confidential consultations with employees - except in limited situations involving health and safety, we do not take any action unless requested to do so by the visitor to our office.

How does your work impact the University community?

Most people find conflict uncomfortable and difficult to manage. We encourage people to see conflict as an inevitable byproduct of being human, and to realize that, while challenging, conflict presents an opportunity for growth and learning. We hope that by helping members of the University community resolve conflict more quickly, effectively and constructively we can help support a workplace that is inclusive and allows all to do their best work. As an independent office that is not part of OHR or OGC, we find that visitors to our office can feel comfortable sharing their concerns in a safe and confidential environment.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I get to connect with interesting people every day. For most of them, conflict resolution is not something that they have studied or practiced. I love the fact that with very little coaching, I can help people feel better supported and equipped to manage the conflict they face.

What do you like best about working at UMN?

I have only been at UMN since August 2014.  I'm still learning about the University and the way it operates.  In general, my favorite part is that no two days are the same.  I have learned an incredible amount by working on diverse issues in all kinds of different settings.  I am proud of all the work that gets done here, and the ways in which we contribute to the production of knowledge every day. 

What is one thing you couldn't live without?

Toss up: Pizza and dogs. 

People would be surprised if they knew:

I spend a week every summer hiking in the Desolation Wilderness. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love to read, cook and travel. I'm not picky about genres, types of cuisine or destinations.

What was your best vacation?

This year I spent a lovely few days with friends in a beach house in Tunquen, Chile. The setting was beautiful, the food was fantastic and the company excellent. My husband and I were celebrating our 25th anniversary. That will be a hard one to beat!

This month's spotlight features Matt Rosendahl, Library Director at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library.

How do you contribute to the mission of UMD? How do you make a difference at UMD?

The library is core to the academic mission of our university, and I strive to direct our collections, services, and spaces in ways that fuel creativity, innovation, and discovery by our students, faculty, and staff. I also try to make a difference in our campus community by supporting the good work that happens here. I do this in direct ways, like volunteering to assist with the Intercultural Leadership Development efforts, and indirectly by attending and encouraging others to attend the lectures, performances, and other events sponsored by UMD departments and student groups (in addition to hockey and volleyball games - my favorite Bulldog sports!).

What excites you most about working at UMD?

I feel very fortunate to support the work of the undergraduate and graduate students at UMD. I am continuously impressed by the motivation, engagement, and leadership shown by our students in classroom conversations, at special events like the annual Undergraduate Research Opportunity Showcase, and among our dedicated, responsible student employees in the library. To be honest, I find it very difficult to stay motivated during summer months, and winter and spring breaks, because I miss our students so much. They are my motivation to work hard to provide the best possible library services, because they deserve nothing less.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years, we'll be celebrating the 20th anniversary of this building, which is still affectionately referred to by many people as "the new library." In five years I look forward to leading the campus to reflect on the changes in services and collections in this building, and celebrate the library team's evolving and valuable support of teaching, learning, and research at UMD.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to read (of course), hike, cross-country ski, camp, garden, and work on my old house.

This month's spotlight features Aaron Westre, Research Fellow in the Virtual Reality Design Lab, University of Minnesota College of Design. Aaron has been in this position for 3 years.

What is your role at the University of Minnesota? What do you do in a typical day/week?

I am in charge of software development for the Virtual Reality Design Lab in the College of Design. We develop immersive visualization technologies for architecture and other design professions. My typical day consists of programming, evaluating new technologies, and demonstrating the lab to students, faculty and industry partners.

How does your work impact the University community?

While virtual reality research has been ongoing for decades, recent developments - most notably the Oculus Rift - have brought VR to the attention of a much wider audience. Our lab, along with other VR and visualization labs, keep the University at the forefront of visualization research. We also work across disciplines to help academics at the University integrate virtual reality into their work.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

The ever-changing nature of it. Digital technologies, particularly virtual reality, evolve at an incredible rate. My job is never the same for very long; there's always something new to learn.

What would people never guess you do in your job?

I move a lot of furniture. Our lab is in the courtyard of Rapson Hall, a heavily used space. When it's time for a demo, there is inevitably a large collection of tables and chairs to be put away.

What do you like best about working at UMN?

The disciplinary variety. I've worked with historians, journalists, computer scientists, archeologists, artists and many others. It's the perfect place to work for the curious.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I'm never sure about this question, but I will be inventing with new technologies that don't yet exist.

What is one thing you couldn't live without?

My computer. All other possessions are secondary. :)

People would be surprised if they knew?

Because I'm a computer programmer, usually that I have a bachelors in Anthropology and a Masters in Architecture.)

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I've been doing a lot of volunteering lately. That's been really rewarding. I create art from time to time as well.

What was your best vacation?

China in 2000 was an eye opening experience. I would like to go back and see the changes.

Meet Brigid Tuck, Economic Impact Analyst in the Mankato Regional Office, UMN Extension. Brigid has been with the University since 2008.

What is your role at the University of Minnesota? What do you do in a typical day/week?

I am an economic analyst for Extension. My week is split between running numbers, writing reports, and presenting the results to communities. I am a member of the Center for Community Vitality. We collaborate with Minnesota communities on economic development, civic engagement, leadership development, and tourism.

How does your work impact the University community?

I help Minnesota communities use economic data to make critical, yet informed, decisions. In so doing, I am bringing the resources of our University out into communities. I am also helping the public understand the value and the strength of the University of Minnesota.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I can study the economic impact of just about any industry or activity. In the process, I am constantly learning. Each project gives me the opportunity to explore new things - agbioscience one week, tourism another, and bike trails the next! I am curious by nature, so I love this about my job.

What would people never guess you do in your job?

I spend a considerable amount of my time engaged in community discussions and making community presentations. When I started my job, a colleague informed my office mates that I would probably spend all my time locked in my office conducting analyses and writing reports. Turns out, I spend more time out and about in communities than I do in my office.

People would be surprised if they knew:

I am fairly competitive. If you want me to do my best, just invent a friendly competition, I'll be there.

What do you like best about working at UMN?

My team! I am fortunate to work with a team of people who are passionate about helping Minnesota communities. They are also wicked smart and fun to work with.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years, I hope to have continued to increase my profile in Minnesota. Extension has a lot to offer to our communities, but sometimes we are the "best kept secret". I hope to help change that perception.

What is one thing you couldn't live without?

My treadmill. Trust me, you do not want to be around me if I haven't been able to run for a few days.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I am a mom of 3 elementary and middle-school aged kids, so spare time does not exist. I am a runner - so when I have time, I am out enjoying sunshine and nature while pushing myself to run just a little faster (see my comment about being competitive above).

What was your best vacation?

I always enjoy time spent with my family. We spend a week every summer at a lake in Northern Minnesota. Last year, we visited a few state parks and went underground in the Tower Soudan mine. It was fun to see the mine through the eyes of my kids.

Meet Dr. Kelaine Haas, Undergraduate Research Coordinator for the College of Biological Sciences.  Dr. Haas began her Ph.D. in Genetics, Cell Biology and Development here in 2006 and has been in her current position since 2012.

What is your role at the University of Minnesota? What do you do in a typical day/week?

I am the Undergraduate Research Coordinator for the College of Biological Sciences. The majority of my responsibilities center around helping students navigate the research opportunities available to them as undergraduates here at the University of Minnesota. I meet with students in one-on-one appointments to discuss potential faculty mentors, how to craft a professional email, and what to expect once they are in a lab setting. When I am not working directly with students in appointments, I am hosting workshops, co-teaching the Honors Thesis writing course for CBS, and working with research mentors to develop undergraduate projects.

How does your work impact the University community?

I have the unique opportunity to contribute to both the educational and research missions of the University, because my work is all about connecting CBS undergraduates with opportunities to do research during their undergraduate careers.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I really love hearing students talk about the research that they have done in their lab. Early on in their experience, students are usually able to explain the overall goals of the lab, the main questions being asked, and some basic level of detail about what they are doing. As students progress and take on more responsibility, those explanations become much more complex, students start to take ownership over their projects and become experts. Watching that progression is definitely one of my favorite parts of this role and the relationships I build with students!

What would people never guess you do in your job?

I am part of the Welcome Week College Day planning committee for CBS. This year, I arranged for 541 first-year students to tour 31 different labs on two campuses during Welcome Week, providing the newest CBS students with a firsthand look at the incredible research happening at the U.

What do you like best about working at UMN?

I think the faculty here at the University of Minnesota are absolutely amazing and incredibly invested in our undergraduates. Faculty are willing to give lab tours, table for events and connect with students. I love working in a place where it is clear that the faculty and staff are devoted to improving and supporting the undergraduate experience.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I am not entirely sure where I will be in 5 years, but I hope to be in a role where I am still serving students at the University of Minnesota. I really enjoy the administrative parts of my job and the connections I am able to building with faculty, staff and students. I hope whatever I do next will incorporate those aspects of my current role.

What is one thing you couldn't live without?

My family and friends. My partner and my son are both really awesome and super fun. The rest of my family is in NC and I don't see them as much as I would like. Thankfully, I have a wonderful "family by choice" in the friends I have made in MN.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I knit. A lot. I usually have a project with me in case I have a few minutes to knit a few stitches. I am currently working on a cardigan for myself. 

What was your best vacation?

I am originally from NC and I have spent many wonderful vacations throughout my life at the Outer Banks. My entire family and my partner's family are spending this Thanksgiving there, in fact. The beach is probably one of my favorite places to be anytime of the year!