Finance Matters

Join us as we listen in on a conversation with Urmila Bajaj, UVA's Director of Post Award, and her team, as they discuss what their department does, how their work impacts research at UVA, and how they're ultimately part of helping UVA fulfill its mission.  Thank you to Christa Albanez, Kelly Mays, Catina Seitz, Mike Priddy, Alpana Gautam, and Christine Estes for joining the conversation!   Resour...

Jared Lathrop, Communications Specialist for Safety & Security, joins Patty and Brandi to discuss the wide breadth of areas covered by Safety & Security at UVA.  Listen in to discover more about the services they offer and how you can be safer on Grounds.   Resources Mentioned:  Safety and Security Website: https://safetyandsecurity.virginia.edu/   Clery Reporting: https://safetyandsecurit...

In this episode of "Finance Matters," hosts Brandi Van Ormer and Patty Marbury chat with Caroline Walters, head of UVA’s Records & Information Management Department, about how good records management saves time, money, and resources. Caroline explains how well-organized records make information easy to find and accessible to the right people, while formal retention policies simplify audits and...

What's the difference between UVA's Audit & Compliance department and UVAFinance's Compliance Team?  What do they do, how do they work with people across Grounds, and how can we best work with them?  Carolyn Saint and Gary Nimax from Audit & Compliance, along with JJ Sullivan and Christine Kennedy-Tyburski of UVAFinance Compliance, join Patty and Brandi to give answers and insights into th...

Amanda Meares and Reshma Gali, UVAFinance's staff senators, drop by to talk about the importance of Staff Senate and how the UVAFinance Team can interact with them to everyone's benefit.     Resources Mentioned:   Staff Senate Website: https://staffsenate.virginia.edu/   Form to share feedback: https://staffsenate.virginia.edu/contact-us  

Patty and Brandi talk with UVAFinance's 2nd cohort of summer interns:  Hayden Peper, Audrey Hanger, Jeffrey Zhang, and Lillian Durden.  This impressive group shares what they've learned and what's next.  

The relaunched version of Finance Matters is back for installment number two of our Values Series.  This time, Patty and Brandi focus on Collaborative Partnership with guests Joey Carls and Kellyn Morris of the Finance Solution Center.  Resources Mentioned:  Service Excellence podcast UVAFinance Values Symbiotic Relationship between Ants & Acacia trees      

Finance Matters returns, this time with a focus on the UVAFinance values.  Each quarter, Brandi and Patty will bring you guests from UVAFinance who have demonstrated the value.  This first episode focuses on Service Excellence, with guests Danielle Hancock and Kevin Crabtree.    Resources Mentioned:  UVAFinance Vision, Mission, Values: https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/about-uvafinance Finance Team...

Patty and Brandi discuss Ryan Holiday's book Stillness is the Key , a NY Times bestseller that describes how to stay steady and draw on inner peace while the world is anything but quiet.  We go over the book's main concepts, historical examples, and practical applications, in the hopes that you'll find at least two or three ways that you can increase your own clarity, calm, and happiness.  We lear...

Vice President for Finance Melody Bianchetto will retire from UVA on February 3 after 26 years of service. She sat down with Patty and Brandi to reflect on her career and her pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion in UVAFinance.   Resources Mentioned:  UVAFinance Mission, Vision, Values Melody's Brown Bag Series  (under "Resource Library") Melody's Career Reflections Podcast  

Vice President for Finance Melody Bianchetto will retire from UVA on February 3 after 26 years of service.  She sat down with Patty and Brandi recently to reflect on her career.    Resources Mentioned:  UVAFinance Mission, Vision, Values Melody's Brown Bag Series (under "Resource Library") Melody's DEI Podcast

Our fight or flight response kicks in when we perceive a situation as potentially dangerous or threatening.  It's an automatic and unconscious impulse that stems from caveman days (thanks, evolution!) and could be causing you to burn out, make bad decisions, and all around feel pretty crummy at work and at home.  Patty and Brandi talk to Augie Maurelli, James Gorman, Gretchen Kriebel, Sarah Flemin...

Two of the Business Analysts who joined the Change Management team during Finance Strategic Transformation share their perspectives on change, big projects, and what sets UVA and FST apart from other projects they've been a part of.  Featuring guests Derrick Carter and Detria Thomas.   Resources Mentioned :  The Change Curve

Six members of UVAFinance's first summer intern cohort are here to talk with Patty and Brandi about their experience in Central Finance at UVA.  Thank you to Luke Blair, Samyukhtha Venkateswaran, Karly Fuentes-Parades, Raymond Costa, and Amanda Lin (all UVA students), and Maheswar Ghimire (Piedmont Virginia Community College student) for taking the time to join us.  What an inspiring group!

In this episode, we welcome members of UVAFinance's Inclusive Excellence Committee and Equity Action Team to discuss the trajectory of diversity and inclusion efforts in UVAFinance.  Our guests are Melody Bianchetto, ToShun Campbell, LaVerne Harris, and James Cobb. Resources Mentioned:  More on the UVAFinance blog about Inclusive Excellence activities:  http://uvafinance.blogspot.com/search/label/...

We've got a panel of creative folks from the UVAFinance team in today's episode, talking about the benefits of creative pursuits on them as individuals and also as professionals on the Finance team.  Join Patty and Brandi as they talk with Jay Gallimore (musician), Matt Bonham (photographer, graphic artist), and Mary Wagamon (artist, writer), and get inspired to pursue your own creativity! Resourc...

There are now FIVE generations in our workforce, ranging from our Traditionalists in their 70s to the newest members, Gen Z, in their early twenties.  (And all the Millenials cheer, because they're no longer the babies!)  Today we have UVAFinance's Jack Sherwood, a rising UVA 4th year and member of the FST project team and Gen Z extraordinaire, for a discussion on how his generation participates i...

Change Team Leader Angela Knobloch visits to discuss practical tips for managing yourself during times of change, including the dreaded "valley of despair."     Resources Mentioned: Gartner Report Engage for Change:  Clarify Purpose, Honest Reflection, Assess Opportunities, Note progress, Grow Skills, Exhibit Flexibility

How confident are you that you won't be retaliated against if you admit to a mistake at work?  The answer to this question is one of the biggest indicators of psychological safety in the workplace.  Listen in to learn more about psychological safety and its role in creativity, belonging, and productivity. Resources Mentioned:  Fifteen Ways to Promote Psychological Safety in the Workplace (Forbes)...

Do you ever look back on your past self and think about how much you didn't know then?  We all learn as we go through life, and we should get comfortable with the fact that we'll never know as much as we think we know.  Being aware of how much you don't know can actually make you a better manager and human being.  Listen in as Patty and Brandi discuss a book they admittedly haven't read full of go...

Patty and Brandi welcome Lisa Harris back to Finance Matters to discuss the Six C's of Inclusive Leadership as identified by Dr. Shirley Davis.     Resources Mentioned:  Dr. Shirley Davis' 6 C's of Inclusive Leadership More about Dr. Davis Valerie Kaur, Revolutionary Love (See No Stranger book) More of Lisa Harris on Finance Matters: F ind Your True North The Importance of Resilience Bridging the...

During times of stress, it's important that we as managers and as teammates pay attention to our own well-being and that of our colleagues.  Here are six practical strategies that work both in and out of a pandemic.   Resources Mentioned:  The original blog post UVAFinance Shoutout board

The Challenging the Status Quo Panel Series was designed to show you different perspectives from UVAFinance employees who aren't afraid to challenge the status quo and share their thoughts and ideas with you.  Today's session focuses on the UVAFinance Service Model Project Plan, with guests Andrew Sallans, Scott Adams, and Raegan Harouff Gaye.     Want to watch the webinar?  Log in to the Continuo...

Volunteering:  it's great for networking, skill-building, and soothing your soul.  Tune in to this conversation with Brandi and Patty to learn more!   Resources Mentioned:  UVA Public Service:  https://publicservice.virginia.edu/service-opportunities/volunteer UVAHR Volunteer Center:  https://hr.virginia.edu/covid-19/volunteer-center UVA Health:  https://uvahealth.com/services/volunteer VolunteerM...

Let's talk about questions:  asking questions of others, asking questions of yourself, and asking questions for better collaborative results. Angela Knobloch joins Patty and Brandi to share how asking better questions can lead to improved relationships and better results. Resources Mentioned: UVAFinance Blog (Video):  Sharpen your questioning skills. Warren Berger's work:  https://amorebeautifulqu...