Staff Spotlight

  1. September 8, 2009

    Spotlight: Graphic designer discovered love of art in childhood

    The boyhood dreams of Dale Austin featured art and boat building. As he celebrates nearly 26 years with the university as a graphic artist, those dreams have been realized. And Austin learned a few things along the way. His love for art was stirred at age 8. “When I was a kid, instead of piano…
  2. August 17, 2009

    Spotlight: Chef’s special: Project coordinating with a dash of cooking

    Pecan crusted salmon with a maple syrup mustard glaze is not the typical dining hall fare found at camps. But Chris Malvica, the project coordinator at Camp Davis, has tried to make sure the food served at the academic camp for U-M students in Jackson Hole, Wyo., is anything but ordinary. (Photo by Laurie Dorsten)…
  3. July 27, 2009

    Spotlight: Public Health Practice staffer keeps busy helping others

    Dana Thomas, the student affairs project manager in the Office of Public Health Practice, has a complaint about her job: “There’s just not enough time in the work day!” (Photo by Austin Thomason, U-M Photo Services) Among other things, Thomas is involved in coordinating and managing trips through the Public Health Action Support Team (PHAST),…
  4. July 13, 2009

    Spotlight: UM-Flint postal clerk takes and makes the cake

    With John Haley’s help, it’s possible to dedicate a campus residence hall, and eat it too. Haley, a postal clerk at U-M Flint, is known for his elaborately decorated cakes, one of which was a replica of the college’s first residence hall created for the building’s dedication. (Photo by Mel Serow, UM-Flint) What began as…
  5. June 22, 2009

    Spotlight: Artist captures the intricacy of plants

    From the dawn of science, artists have been creating finely detailed drawings of plants, first for healers seeking medicinal herbs and later for botanical and medical researchers. (Photo by Austin Thomason, U-M Photo Services) The craft has survived for centuries. Even the invention of photography in the 19th century could not force obsolescence upon botanical…
  6. June 8, 2009

    Spotlight: Goals important for custodian, track coach

    Whether tidying up conference rooms, working toward a nursing degree or coaching runners, Domonique Morton tries to do more than just get the job done. She views each task as an opportunity to put forth her best effort, and to encourage others to do the same. (Photo by Austin Thomason, U-M Photo Services) Morton has…
  7. May 18, 2009

    Spotlight: Area coordinator has spent career in student activities, housing

    Stacy Fete has lost track of how many years she has spent living in residence halls. Fete, the North Campus area coordinator for University Housing, has worked in student activities and residence education her entire career. “I love being with students because I get my energy from them,” she says. (Photo by Austin Thomason, U-M…
  8. May 4, 2009

    Spotlight: Storyteller inspires audiences of all ages

    In 1963, Elizabeth James heard the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. speak at Detroit’s Walk to Freedom. Three years old at the time, the third-generation storyteller and Detroit native still recalls the energy of the crowd and says this memory inspires her to use words to encourage others. (Photo by Austin Thomason, U-M Photo Services)…
  9. April 27, 2009

    Spotlight: Erb Institute staffer using different skills after years as a dog trainer

    Dominique Abed went from one job — dog training — that is based on clear, simple and often nonverbal communication, to one that stresses the delivery of complex, nuanced verbal information. (Photo by Austin Thomason, U-M Photo Services) Abed is the marketing communications specialist at the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, where her core…
  10. April 20, 2009

    Spotlight: Accountant brightens office with Elvis collection

    All things Elvis decorate Dalana Moore’s office on the eighth floor of the Northbank Center at UM-Flint. Black and red velvet paintings of Elvis, toiletries from the Heartbreak Hotel, a bowling ball from Graceland and sheet music of Moore’s favorite song, “Love Me Tender,” are a few of the pieces in her collection. (Photo by…