Such a good Communication Council this month! Very exciting things are happening and it's looking like some major problems are on the verge of being solved. But first, my favorite announcement:
Bodyworlds will be here in Salt Lake City starting September 19. Dee Brewer from HSC gave a little presentation about it and asked that those interested, particularly those in the Humanities contact him about possible partnerships and special events (lectures, receptions, and other creative type events). I personally think this is going to be huge, and we should do all we can to be involved.
Next up, New Media and the University (part two). People from UCOMM, OIT and Media Solutions all attended interesting conferences on New Media and presented how they might apply to the University.
Mindy Tueller from the Office of Information Technology presented on how college-bound teens use technology to find out about schools. She has a collection of powerpoint presentations from the various workshops she attended and she is more than happy to share them with us. One takeway point she mentioned was "Don't send it, let them come you." For the first one, she said an easy way to do this is to blog, blog, blog. If the information is published, then people will find it! She then went on to show and tell about OIT bloggin initiative. They currently have in place a robust, but currently underutilized blogging tool. It's built on the Wordpress code so it's very reliable. If there seems to be some interest in creating a blog for the college, they'll set it up for free.
Valoree Dowell from Campus Marketing was next with some reporting on the differences between traditional marketing strategies and online marketing strategies. She stressed that online marketing is changing how we talk to people and we must be prepared to adapt.
Josh Paulsen from Campus Marketing gave a great presentation on Search Engine Optimization and Marketing, Social Networks, and Viral Marketing strategies. While he didn't go into much depth, it was still good information, and stuff that the College is doing already.
Chris Pfeiffer from Media Solutions gave an update on thier current projects and how they will integrate into this New Media idea for the University. First, they are upgrading their website tracking software Webtrends to be much more robust and reliable. However, this doens't affect us because we don't use Webtrends, we use Google Analytics, but it might be worth having a conversation about switching over. Second, the university search engine is getting an upgrade to be more accurate and provide guided results. Last, but most importantly, OIT and Media Solutions are currently working on a media management system for the entire university. This system, they say will be like Flickr, YouTube, and iTunes all rolled into one, and will be extreamly easy to use. This will help us out quite a bit I think, but we'll have to watch for compatability issues.
The Council decided after all was said and done that there needs to be a forum/council/workgroup to help decide what needs to happen and how it can be accomplished. Everyone seemed very keen on the idea to get creative and IT people together in the same room to brainstorm and come up with solutions on how to make the Web 2.0 jump. There will more information forthcoming from Coralie's office about this.
Well, that is about it from the Comm Council. The next meeting will be August 20, 2008, location TBD, and it will feature ASUU and the Chronicle and how to interact with them.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
My week...
Here is a rundown of what I've been up to this week, in no specific order.
CTI Opening Invites
Check out these lo-res versions of the invite that I worked up. Note, that it is not to scale, nor is the brown background correct, that is just a representation of the paper:
Version One:
Version Two:
Personally I am inclined toward the vertically aligned invite because it works better with the tree motif, and the text fits better. Again, these are just drafts, mostly unrefined, and the proper paper isn't represented.
Other Projects:
I helped Cheryl at the DiBona Center with some website stuff, she has some very unique problems, but they are mostly just glitches with the system, not anything she is doing wrong.
The check for Nicol FINALLY came and is in the mail to her parents. I feel like I should send her flowers or something as well because it's been almost two months now since she did the work for us.
The Confucius Institute asked me to do a poster for them for their earthquake benefit. I am running into some problems however about image rights. Mike keeps sending me all of these wonderful images, but they are a) too lo-res or b) rights restricted as they have been taken by news agencies. I'll see if I can find anything in the creative commons area to use.
Not much else to report as the invite took up most of my time and I was ill on Thursday. Let me know what you guys think about the invites!
CTI Opening Invites
Check out these lo-res versions of the invite that I worked up. Note, that it is not to scale, nor is the brown background correct, that is just a representation of the paper:
Version One:
Version Two:
Personally I am inclined toward the vertically aligned invite because it works better with the tree motif, and the text fits better. Again, these are just drafts, mostly unrefined, and the proper paper isn't represented.
Other Projects:
I helped Cheryl at the DiBona Center with some website stuff, she has some very unique problems, but they are mostly just glitches with the system, not anything she is doing wrong.
The check for Nicol FINALLY came and is in the mail to her parents. I feel like I should send her flowers or something as well because it's been almost two months now since she did the work for us.
The Confucius Institute asked me to do a poster for them for their earthquake benefit. I am running into some problems however about image rights. Mike keeps sending me all of these wonderful images, but they are a) too lo-res or b) rights restricted as they have been taken by news agencies. I'll see if I can find anything in the creative commons area to use.
Not much else to report as the invite took up most of my time and I was ill on Thursday. Let me know what you guys think about the invites!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
New A-Team Theme Song!
This came via Beth, and I think it's utterly appropriate for us!
What do you think?
What do you think?
6/18/08 meeting - recap of UTES project with NSF officers
Craig Forster invited me to a meeting with NSF program officers Anne-Marie Schmoltner and Rich Behnke who were seeking follow up on NSF-funding on the UTES project. Team members presented their findings and their subsequent work with Synergy funding for the urban systems EHBE initiative. NSF was particularly interested in the interdisciplinarity aspect of the work and much of the discussion addressed this issue.
Anne-Marie Schmoltner started off with the question - does NSF drive interdisciplinarity or do universities and researchers?
Presenters included:
Dave Richerson – K-12 Education outreach
Eric Pardyjak – Airshed Dynamics
Steve Burian – Urban Hydrology
Beth Dudley-Murphy – Remote sensing mapping and interpretation of urban land use and vegetation
Craig Forster – water/energy use, urban system model, interdisciplinary team dynamics
Carol Werner – Community engagement, public transit behavior
Phil Emmi – modeling urban sprawl-feedback processes
Eric Pardyjak of Mechanical Engineering was particularly positive about his experience with the interdiciplinarity of the project, and pointed out that he felt supported by his department and acheived tenure even though his work would be considered outside the "traditional" boundaries of his field. The NSF-supported work that he did with the UTES project in fact changed his career course, putting him in contact with colleagues that he would not have expected. He feels that the sort of problems that engineers face are naturals for interdisciplinary work, and is positive that campus sustainability studies initiatives can serve as a catalyst for this type of thinking.
I spoke briefly about the Office for Interdisciplinary Studies and the role of the AVP.
Craig Forster presented on interdisciplinary research team dynamics drawing on Jessica Thompson's graduate work (a former student of Tarla Rae Peterson), pointing out that the dynamics which tended to stabalize and promote effective work included institutional support, a competent facilitator, and successful proposals that brought in new money.
The NSF officers were very impressed and put forth the possibility of members of the team presenting their experiences with interdisciplinary research team dynamics to a wider NSF audience in DC.
Anne-Marie Schmoltner started off with the question - does NSF drive interdisciplinarity or do universities and researchers?
Presenters included:
Dave Richerson – K-12 Education outreach
Eric Pardyjak – Airshed Dynamics
Steve Burian – Urban Hydrology
Beth Dudley-Murphy – Remote sensing mapping and interpretation of urban land use and vegetation
Craig Forster – water/energy use, urban system model, interdisciplinary team dynamics
Carol Werner – Community engagement, public transit behavior
Phil Emmi – modeling urban sprawl-feedback processes
Eric Pardyjak of Mechanical Engineering was particularly positive about his experience with the interdiciplinarity of the project, and pointed out that he felt supported by his department and acheived tenure even though his work would be considered outside the "traditional" boundaries of his field. The NSF-supported work that he did with the UTES project in fact changed his career course, putting him in contact with colleagues that he would not have expected. He feels that the sort of problems that engineers face are naturals for interdisciplinary work, and is positive that campus sustainability studies initiatives can serve as a catalyst for this type of thinking.
I spoke briefly about the Office for Interdisciplinary Studies and the role of the AVP.
Craig Forster presented on interdisciplinary research team dynamics drawing on Jessica Thompson's graduate work (a former student of Tarla Rae Peterson), pointing out that the dynamics which tended to stabalize and promote effective work included institutional support, a competent facilitator, and successful proposals that brought in new money.
The NSF officers were very impressed and put forth the possibility of members of the team presenting their experiences with interdisciplinary research team dynamics to a wider NSF audience in DC.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Meeting Adendum
Hello everyone,
I forgot to mention something during yesturday's a-team tech meeting. Reports suggest that Instant Messaging software can help increase productivity. I think this is something that would be great for our office and particularly our team. Here are a few programs I suggest for us to use:
Google Talk - I know that this was kind of a pain for us to use in the beginning, but hear me out. Google Talk is something I like to refer to as a "gateway program." The interface may not be working for everyone, but it can be used in parallel with other programs, such as:
Adium (Mac Only) (This is the program I use for my instant messaging.)
Digsby (PC and Mac)
iChat (Mac Only)
All of these programs allow you to use their messaging service, but also pull from other messaging services and compile them into one list. For example, I have an AIM account and a Google Talk account. Instead of having both programs running at the same time, I run Adium, and I can access both lists from one place. I also like Adium because it is infinately customizable, you can choose your own layout, sounds, notifications, etc. Digsby works the same way, but is also PC compatible.
So, how do we do it?
To get started, I recommend creating a Google Talk account. Beth and Lorelei already have this, and it's simple to set up, so don't fret Heidi. Just go here and choose a login name and all that. It will ask you to embed the chat window in your homepage or download the full program, it doesn't matter what you choose, as long as you activate your account.
Next, download one of the programs listed above, I strongly recommend Digsby for PC users, and Adium for Mac Users, but any of the listed programs follow the same steps to do the same thing-
The program will ask you for an account name, just use the same one you used for Google Talk to avoid confusion. The program will then load, go to file>Add Account (this could be under File or Preferences if on a Mac). You should be able to pick GTalk from a list, then input your Google Account information and go go go. This is only one of the myriad options available to you though, so please let me know if you need help picking one or setting it up. =)
I forgot to mention something during yesturday's a-team tech meeting. Reports suggest that Instant Messaging software can help increase productivity. I think this is something that would be great for our office and particularly our team. Here are a few programs I suggest for us to use:
Google Talk - I know that this was kind of a pain for us to use in the beginning, but hear me out. Google Talk is something I like to refer to as a "gateway program." The interface may not be working for everyone, but it can be used in parallel with other programs, such as:
Adium (Mac Only) (This is the program I use for my instant messaging.)
Digsby (PC and Mac)
iChat (Mac Only)
All of these programs allow you to use their messaging service, but also pull from other messaging services and compile them into one list. For example, I have an AIM account and a Google Talk account. Instead of having both programs running at the same time, I run Adium, and I can access both lists from one place. I also like Adium because it is infinately customizable, you can choose your own layout, sounds, notifications, etc. Digsby works the same way, but is also PC compatible.
So, how do we do it?
To get started, I recommend creating a Google Talk account. Beth and Lorelei already have this, and it's simple to set up, so don't fret Heidi. Just go here and choose a login name and all that. It will ask you to embed the chat window in your homepage or download the full program, it doesn't matter what you choose, as long as you activate your account.
Next, download one of the programs listed above, I strongly recommend Digsby for PC users, and Adium for Mac Users, but any of the listed programs follow the same steps to do the same thing-
The program will ask you for an account name, just use the same one you used for Google Talk to avoid confusion. The program will then load, go to file>Add Account (this could be under File or Preferences if on a Mac). You should be able to pick GTalk from a list, then input your Google Account information and go go go. This is only one of the myriad options available to you though, so please let me know if you need help picking one or setting it up. =)
Monthly Advancement Reports
Hi all,
Rachel is going to post the report outline somewhere, and we can all update it. Heidi, do want to give us a monthly "deadline" for doing this? Can it be posted to Google Docs? Also, in this vein, what is our status on IM'ing? are we supposed to be logged into a certain IM? Because. I have a feeling this would be a better IM than blog post, right?
Rachel is going to post the report outline somewhere, and we can all update it. Heidi, do want to give us a monthly "deadline" for doing this? Can it be posted to Google Docs? Also, in this vein, what is our status on IM'ing? are we supposed to be logged into a certain IM? Because. I have a feeling this would be a better IM than blog post, right?
What is Lorelei doing today?
Hi all,
I'm still just trying to get the hang of this blog thing and how best to use it. I read the links that Rachel gave us to read, but, they were tips for bloggers who would be writing about something that someone else would actually like to read for fun, not just for work. Nevertheless, although it is just work, I thought it might be nice for me to update you all on my work that is "outside" of what the A-team in general is doing. Today I have my earplugs in and am working on writing up a synopsis of the meeting held yesterday by the Ad Hoc Committee on University Undergraduate Curriculum. On Monday, I was working on editing and scrutinizing a list of courses which could be included in the Sustainability Studies Curriculum. Beyond that, I've been coordinating a meeting for a new Visual, Information, and Technical Literacy task force that's been called by Joyce Ogburn from the Library, and Robert. I've also been talking to all of the advisors and others I can find about promoting the Interdisciplinary Studies pilot course, Health Care in America, and doing the administrative round up of reports for last year's ID studies seed grant recipients. So, that's some of what I do in case you were curious. (Hmmmm... how can I turn all of this into part of my job description that I need to write for Heidi.)
Bye!
Oh, PS, for those of you who have noticed the new yellow earplugs.... I wear them when I need to concentrate, usually on writing or reading. It seems to work really well for me. I hope it doesn't bother you all too much... I'm certainly not trying to be anti-social or block you out. Of course just tap me if you need anything. And, yes, I know I look dorky, but hopefully you'll still want to work with me.
Bye again!
I'm still just trying to get the hang of this blog thing and how best to use it. I read the links that Rachel gave us to read, but, they were tips for bloggers who would be writing about something that someone else would actually like to read for fun, not just for work. Nevertheless, although it is just work, I thought it might be nice for me to update you all on my work that is "outside" of what the A-team in general is doing. Today I have my earplugs in and am working on writing up a synopsis of the meeting held yesterday by the Ad Hoc Committee on University Undergraduate Curriculum. On Monday, I was working on editing and scrutinizing a list of courses which could be included in the Sustainability Studies Curriculum. Beyond that, I've been coordinating a meeting for a new Visual, Information, and Technical Literacy task force that's been called by Joyce Ogburn from the Library, and Robert. I've also been talking to all of the advisors and others I can find about promoting the Interdisciplinary Studies pilot course, Health Care in America, and doing the administrative round up of reports for last year's ID studies seed grant recipients. So, that's some of what I do in case you were curious. (Hmmmm... how can I turn all of this into part of my job description that I need to write for Heidi.)
Bye!
Oh, PS, for those of you who have noticed the new yellow earplugs.... I wear them when I need to concentrate, usually on writing or reading. It seems to work really well for me. I hope it doesn't bother you all too much... I'm certainly not trying to be anti-social or block you out. Of course just tap me if you need anything. And, yes, I know I look dorky, but hopefully you'll still want to work with me.
Bye again!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
A-Team Tech Meeting
Rachel is helping us understand the functionality of the new tools. I've learned that I can use Google calendar to "overlay" everyone's events, including the Universities, to look at them when I want and when I don't want to. I've also learned that I can use the blogger to keep track of the steps I take or any developments on the projects I'm working on, and I think this will be better than just using the project tracker. Thanks Rachel!
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