In The Know – Issue 101

A Cosmic Celebration

View photos of students, faculty and staff who came together to celebrate this week’s solar eclipse.

Graduate Students Pioneer Maternal Child Health Nutrition Program

Sydni Hebert and Brianna Jack are the first to participate in the TRANSCEND Program, a collaboration with Montclair, Penn State and Arizona State Universities.

Bristol Myers Squibb to Fund Research for the Next Generation of STEM Scholars

The pharmaceutical company granted the University $25,000 to support five student-led, health-focused research projects.

In the News

• Cortni Borgerson (Anthropology) is featured in this National Geographic article about her work to save Madagascar’s endangered lemurs by using “bacon bugs” as a source of protein.
• Weighing in on last week’s earthquake, Matthew Gorring (Earth and Environmental Studies) spoke to NorthJersey.com (picked up by Yahoo! News and also posted to the NorthJersey.com Instagram), ABC 7 New York and NBC 4 New York (beginning around the 7:30 minute mark), while Greg Pope (Earth and Environmental Studies) spoke to NJ Spotlight News.
• NorthJersey.com posted a photo gallery including images from the Montclair solar eclipse viewing event hosted by the Physics and Astronomy department and also posted a video of the event to Instagram Reels.
• Emily Isaacs (Office for Faculty Excellence) is quoted in this WIRED magazine article about students’ use of AI to write papers.

Employee Communications Survey

• As a loyal reader of In The Know, we value your feedback! University Communications and Marketing is working to enhance communications with employees, and we want to hear your communication preferences, including frequency of communication, preferred channels and the types of information you consider most valuable. Please complete our Employee Communications survey. Your responses will be anonymous and will assist in identifying areas for improvement, developing strategies to enhance communication effectiveness and strengthen employee engagement. To learn more about this initiative, contact Internal Communications Editor Brittany John at johnbr@montclair.edu. Direct questions about this survey to Karen Ramsden, Market Research Analyst, at ramsdenk@montclair.edu.

Important Updates

• University Mascots Rocky and Roxy are getting a new look coming July 2024! Please take inventory of where the current mascot looks are utilized in your respective areas (including websites and print) in preparation for the update. More information to follow from Student Communications in the coming weeks!
• W-2 forms are now available for print and download in Workday. From your Workday home page, under “Applications,” please select the “Pay” icon, then select “My Tax Documents.” Once in My Tax Documents scroll down and you’ll see a table with available tax year W-2 documents that you can view/print. If you do not see this notation, that means your W-2 was delivered by mail. If you were employed by Bloomfield College during January 1, 2023, through June 30, 2023, you will receive a separate W-2 for earnings during that time period. Questions? contact Workday Support at wccsupport@montclair.edu or 973-655-5000, Option 3.
• The New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits special enrollment period closes Tuesday, April 30. Learn about the new Aetna medical plan and how to enroll. Upon enrollment, the Aetna medical plan will become effective Monday, July 1. Log into the Benefitsolver website by accessing a link on the MyNewJersey portal or via MyNJBenefitsHub to access additional information. No action is required if you do not wish to make any changes to your current medical plan.
• The Office of Inclusive Excellence and Institutional Equity is seeking a dynamic thought partner to fill the role of Inclusive Excellence Programs and Engagement Specialist. Internal applicants are encouraged to apply.

Last Chance

• Nominate a student for the annual student-employee awards which recognizes students for their contributions to the University. Students should be nominated and recommended using the following criteria: work ethic, initiative, quality of work, disposition and contribution to employer. The supervisor’s description of how the student meets each of the criteria assists the committee in its decisions. For questions or assistance, contact careerconnect@montclair.edu. Nominations close Tuesday, April 16. The awards reception will be held Thursday, April 25, 2 to 4 p.m. RSVP today.

NEW! Weekly Events Digest

• Information on University events will be moving to a weekly events digest via email starting Monday, April 15 for faculty and staff. To submit your event for consideration, use the existing In the Know submission form and choose the new “Events” field.

Reminders

• The Hill at Yogi Berra Stadium is now open! Enjoy concessions from local food vendors and breweries. View the vendor schedule.
• Lost and found items can be brought to the Student Center information desk in the 2nd floor lobby. Browse the inventory of lost items or file a claim with a description of your lost item to be notified if it is returned.
• Make parking easier by downloading the Parking Logix app to check for available parking before you leave for campus. The app provides real-time updates on parking availability in the parking decks and lots.
• Request the company of our university pupscot, Pebbles at your upcoming events! Let Pebbles be a paw-sitive presence at your event, fostering a sense of well-being and support for everyone involved.
• The University has partnered with Ascendium Education Solutions®, a leader in student loan repayment support, to address any questions or concerns regarding federal student loans. Call 833-707-1220 or email successcenter@ascendiumeducation.org for assistance. Also check out the MSU GradReady website for additional resources available to help with managing your financial needs.
• Faculty and staff are eligible to choose from two meal plans for purchase. By purchasing the $300 Faculty/Staff RHD plan, you will also receive a bonus $50 Red Hawk Dollars. The plan can be used at all campus dining venues, vending machines and convenience stores. Enroll by payroll deduction or credit card.
• Take advantage of the State Employee Discount Program with access to discounts in various categories.
• EMS has installed hemorrhage/bleeding control kits and Narcan in Automated External Defibrillator (AED) cabinets on campus and is offering training sessions on how to use the hemorrhage control and Narcan kits. If you or your department would like to participate in these training sessions, contact EMS at 973-655-7836 or ems@montclair.edu.
• Need some writing help? The Center for Writing Excellence is open to all University employees? The center provides free, confidential appointments for feedback on all types of writing including professional documents, emails, memos and improving general writing skills. In-person and virtual appointments are available.
• Land on a broken link or dead end on the Montclair State University website? Report your experience via our Broken Link form.
• The new University Calendar is here. Powered by the University’s room booking system, 25 Live, all event listings should be entered here. Still need training? Register for online or in-person training.

Support for Staff and Faculty

• The Employee Assistance Program provides free, confidential support services for employees and their families – including locating resources for substance abuse, mental health and self-help. For more information, view the CONCERN brochure.
• Concerned about a student’s well-being? Please fill out a CARE Report form to connect students to mental health support and resources. Faculty and advisors can complete an alert via Navigate for academic concerns.
• If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988, the nationwide 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support, 24/7.

Kudos

• To Enza Antenos (World Languages and Cultures) and Patrali Chaterjee (Feliciano School of Business), who served as featured presenters at the Advertisers National Association Educational Foundation Triannual University Membership Committee meeting. Rae Kim (Marketing) was also in attendance for helping lead the DEI marketing research capstone project.
• To Monica Taylor (Educational Foundations) and Emily Klein (Teaching and Learning), for the publication of their book chapter, “The Persistent Relational Disconnect of Teacher Education: Reimagining Teacher Education Pedagogy as Feminists” in the book Understanding a Pedagogy of Teacher Education Contexts for Teaching and Learning About Your Educational Practice.
• To Robert Taylor (Earth and Environmental Studies), who delivered his presentation, “Global Engagement in Sustainability Science for Higher Education Utilizing a Modified Citizen Science Model,” at the Asian Conference on Education and International Development in Tokyo, Japan.
• To Marilyn Davis (Network for Educational Renewal) and doctoral student Guida Faria, who presented at the National Association for Bilingual Education, “Bilingualism is Our Power” Conference.
• To Nancy Burke (Writing Studies), who was interviewed about the release of her collection of short stories, Death Cleaning and Other Units of Measure. Attend her book launch and reading on Wednesday, May 8 at 7 p.m. at Watchung Booksellers.

Social Media Post of Note

Watching the Solar Eclipse with the squad be like…

Have an item you’d like included in Kudos or Reminders? Want to nominate a staffer for our spotlight? Use this form to tell us. Read more about our people and programs in the University News Center and in back issues of In the Know. And find out what’s happening on campus in the Events Calendar.