Dear Colleagues,

We are writing with a few updates on travel, as you plan for and embark on trips for your summer research- and work-related activities.

• Travel restrictions: The UConn Work-Related Travel FAQs have been recently updated. The key update is that no restrictions remain on domestic travel in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • International travel does not require any additional approvals related to COVID, but travelers should check on restrictions in the country to which they are traveling. In addition, employees are required to complete Global Affairs Travel Waivers when traveling to countries the State Department categorizes as level 3 and 4 for non-COVID related reasons.
• Booking travel: Although COVID-related restrictions are primarily lifted, it is still imperative that all work-related travel is booked through Anthony Travel. This provides you with support and coverage in the event that your travel is cancelled. Likewise, you should use your T-Card for all travel bookings. Per Travel Policy all travel should be pre-approved in Concur prior to travel.
• Discount bookings: If you find a cheaper flight on Expedia or a budget airline, Anthony Travel is usually able to find this option for you in their system. However, flights at the lowest economy tier are often not recommended, as they are prone to last-minute changes, such as bumping passengers in that tier from their flight. Anthony Travel will advise travelers of such concerns before booking.
• Combined business and personal travel: Additional steps are required on the traveler’s part to assure that UConn does not pay for additional personal expenses if the trip is a combination of business and personal travel.  If you plan to extend your business travel, be sure to review the travel policy for justification requirements.  If you have questions, please email travel@uconn.edu for assistance.

You may click here to view the updated FAQs. You may find additional travel information at https://travel.uconn.edu/.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Shoulson
Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

Trish Casey
Associate Vice President of Financial Operations and Controller

Dear UConn Eversource Energy Center Community:

I am very pleased to announce the reappointment of Emmanouil (Manos) Anagnostou as director of the UConn Eversource Energy Center for a second term of five years, effective August 23, 2022.

This renewal recognizes Dr. Anagnostou’s effective leadership as the founding director of the center both in bringing together internal collaborators and developing and strengthening external partnerships. A few highlights during his tenure thus far include securing nearly $23 million in extramural support, including collaborative projects supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and FEMA, as well as establishing federal centers and institutes, such as a Weather Innovation and Smart Energy Resilience center through NSF. He has also developed a distributed leadership structure that allows for responsive and nimble delegation of work to advance center priorities. Additionally, he has established strong partnerships between UConn and regional partners in industry and government, with a shared goal of enhancing the delivery of reliable power and promoting economic growth throughout New England. And he has led important efforts to promote the diversity of students receiving hands-on experience in the center.

The review process works best when it is collaborative and comprehensive. I am grateful to all of the faculty, administrators, and other key partners of the center who shared your feedback on Dr. Anagnostou’s leadership. There were several common themes regarding his leadership, including high regard for his strategic goal setting and delivery on objectives, a responsive and agile approach to collaboration with faculty and industry partners, and an open communication style.

I also want to thank the review committee for their thoughtful engagement in this process. The committee was chaired by Michael Lynch, Director of the Humanities Institute and Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, and included the following members: S. Pamir Alpay, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Interim Vice President for Research; John Chandy, Professor and Department Head of Electrical Engineering; Marisa Chrysochoou, Professor and Department Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Ashley Helton, Associate Professor of Natural Resources and the Environment; Ronny Heredia, Financial Assistant for Eversource Energy Center; and Malaquias Peña, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Alexis Cassan, Executive Assistant to the Provost and Chief of Staff, managed administration of the committee.

In sum, Dr. Anagnostou has charted a visionary path for the center and has significantly contributed to UConn’s strengths as an innovative leader and collaborative partner in the broad landscape of energy. He is an effective and skilled leader who I trust to continue to guide the Eversource Energy Center to ongoing success. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Anagnostou on his reappointment and thanking him for his dedication and hard work on behalf of the center.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear Colleagues,

I write you all today in the spirit of celebration. I am very pleased to share that the Board of Trustees approved on April 27 the award of tenure and/or promotion to 69 individuals across the Storrs and regional campuses.

This is a notable milestone for each faculty member awarded these promotions. I congratulate each of them on this culmination of many years of dedication to their disciplines, the advancement of knowledge, and service to UConn and the broader community. I am so pleased to celebrate this occasion with each of our faculty gaining tenure and being promoted this year. Each of you represent the best of UConn across our campuses, and on the national and international stage.

Applications for promotion and tenure are reviewed at the department level, dean’s office level, and finally at the Office of the Provost before recommendations are forwarded to the Board of Trustees. This process involves significant work on the part of each faculty member, as well as assistance and support of colleagues and administrative staff who provide guidance and manage many of the logistics through each stage of the promotion and tenure cycle.

We have posted the awards of promotion and tenure to UConn Today, by school or college. I encourage you to visit this page and join us in congratulating your colleagues who have been awarded this year.

Sincerely,

Carl

 

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear Colleagues,

As communicated last week, we reinstituted the requirement to wear masks in all classrooms through the end of classes and finals (this is in addition to the requirement in all workspaces as well as events with greater than 100 attendees). This message provides a few reminders specific to masking in the classroom.

While this requirement is in effect, instructors can remind students to wear their masks in class; instructors also have several options available if a student is non-compliant, leading up to asking that student to leave class and ultimately ending a class if necessary. In those cases, an instructor may report disruptive conduct to the Dean of Students Office. Please see our FAQs for further details: https://provost.uconn.edu/covid-19/academic-faqs/. A similar approach can be taken in workspaces, which also may include seeking support from your manager.

The Dean of Students also sent a reminder to students yesterday regarding masking requirements across all classes and workspaces. You may view that here: https://dos.uconn.edu/communications/.

We appreciate your partnership in helping us maintain consistent masking practices across all UConn classes.

Thank you,

Carl

Carl Lejuez

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear Colleagues,

I’m writing with a brief update on the Waterbury Director search. The position has posted and we are actively seeking applicants, in partnership with Parker Executive Search.

You may review the posting at this link. Please feel free to share this opportunity with candidates. This will also be advertised via several national job boards, which will complement additional targeted recruitment efforts by Parker and UConn.

We also encourage you to submit nominations, which you can do at this link.

We look forward to reviewing a robust slate of candidates to lead our UConn Waterbury campus. On behalf of the search committee, thank you for all your engagement in this important search process.

Sincerely,

Indrajeet

Indrajeet Chaubey

Dean, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources

Chair, Waterbury Director Search Committee