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Who Does What

Student Services

Jim Hoppes

Student Services Assistant (remote Thursdays)

jahoppes@umich.edu

  • Provides administrative support for Smith Lecture, e.g. speaker travel
  • Coordinates with CTP to arrange visitor travel
  • Plans/coordinates events
  • Coordinates the time schedule for classes
  • Reserves classrooms and conference rooms
  • Supports undergrad program, including advising
  • Manages class registration, including permissions
  • Updates LSA Course Guide with relevant information each semester

Nicole Rappuhn (she/her)

Outreach Coordinator (remote Tuesdays)

nrappuhn@umich.edu

  • Coordinating Earth Camp, including:
    • Curriculum planning, onsite coordination, and all aspects of running the program
    • Supporting Broader Impacts portion of grants
    • Advising on outreach efforts
  • Recruiting grad students, including via Fall Preview
  • Supporting and coordinating undergraduate research experiences in EARTH
  • Managing loaner gear

Nathan Sadowsky (he/him)

Academic Program Manager (remote Thursdays)

nsad@umich.edu

  • Provides primary support for grad program:
    • admissions;
    • milestones (e.g. qualifying exams, dissertation defenses, MS theses, course requirements);
    • Funding (GSI/GSRA/fellowship);
    • Awards (start-up, Turner, professional development, and others)
    • Non-research advising and concerns.
  • Serves as “graduate coordinator” in all places required by Rackham
  • Provides curriculum support (new or modified courses/CARFs, new or modified majors or minors/PARFs, teaching schedule)
  • Supports the associate chairs 
  • Liaises with Rackham and LSA for student academic affairs
  • Functional supervisor for Student Services Coordinator (Jim Hoppes) and Outreach Coordinator (Nicole Rappuhn)

Facilities

Craig Delap (he/him)

Building Manager (remote Thursdays)

craigdel@umich.edu

  • Handles scheduling of building systems and coordination of shutdowns related to maintenance activities
  • Serves as staff point-person for sustainability and carbon neutrality initiatives
  • With Camp Davis Assistant Director, manages Camp Davis facilities and safety
  • Alongside the chair and CA, coordinates space planning and utilization
  • Manages facilities renovation projects, including budgeting
  • Supports phone/networking infrastructure
  • Reviews ADA and fire safety compliance
  • Handles Risk Management claims
  • Provides backup support for loaner field gear

Dominic Elder (he/him)

Facilities Coordinator

domelder@umich.edu

  • Coordinates decommissioning of labs
  • Manages furniture ordering and room refreshes
  • Manages hazardous waste disposal 
  • Manages Building Incident Response Team (BIRT)
  • Serves as point-person for facilities tickets (i.e. TDX, Maintenance requests)
  • Makes changes to Zoom PhonesFields requests for building access/keys 
  • Performs audits of classrooms, conference rooms, and restrooms
  • Handles freight shipping/receiving

Camp Davis

Chris Malvica (he/him)

Camp Davis Assistant Director (fully remote)

cmalvica@umich.edu

  • Anything related to Camp Davis 
  • Brief field trip/camping logistics related to meal planning/food ordering
  • Fleet services

Communications

Noah Goad (he/him)

Data and Communications Coordinator (remote Tuesdays)

ngoad@umich.edu

  • Drafts and updates department communications on digital signage, posters, website, and social media
  • Manages department weekly, quarterly, and annual newsletters
  • Works with Halls & Walls Committee on changing displays throughout NUB
  • Liaises with other LSA and university communications departments (e.g., Michigan Photography)
  • Maintains print and digital assets (logos, photos, fliers, etc.)
  • Updates LSA Course Guide with relevant information each semester

Chair's Office

Courtney Hooper (she/her)

Chief Administrator (remote Fridays)

clhooper@umich.edu

  • Provides strategic guidance regarding faculty affairs, student affairs, facilities, budget/finance, HR, or staff matters
  • Internal liaison for chair-related matters (e.g., initiatives that require chair support) and college HR, research, and finance matters
  • Reviews/approves PAFs
  • Answers policy questions about both department and college/university matters
  • Reviews and responds to requests for department funding (<$5k; requests for > $5k require chair review and approval)
  • Provides data from central U-M databases
  • Supervises administrative team
  • Addresses complaints and problems from all community members, together with the chair as appropriate

Carla Huhn (she/her)

Executive Coordinator (remote Fridays)

carlavoy@umich.edu

  • Maintains calendars for chair and CA
  • Coordinates faculty academic affairs (promotion/tenure, reviews, recruitment) 
  • Provides administrative support (prep, calendaring, agendas, note-taking/minutes) for chair and CA, Faculty Meetings, EC, and AAB annual meeting, as  well as special meetings (e.g., external review visit) 
  • Department calendar and file management
  • Chair/ CA correspondence 
  • Expenses and reimbursement support*
  • Supervision of front desk interns and communications coordinator
  • Backup to CA on office management

*Expense reports must be completed by the SSC via the webform. Carla does not complete expense reports. But she can answer questions about them when needed.

 

Temporary Staff

Adam Hess (he/him)

Front Desk (Monday: 9-3, Tuesday-Thursday: 10 - 3, Friday: 12 - 5)

hessad@umich.edu 

  • “First line” administrative matters like help with the copier, package delivery, etc.
  • Event support

 

Non-EARTH Support Staff 

Gretchen Lavelle (she/her)

Local HR Rep

cebp-lsahr@umich.edu

  • Handles transactional HR business
  • Posts job ads 
  • Hires postdocs and temps (here for both student and non) 
  • Fields questions about visas and other international employee matters (note: international student questions should be directed to Nathan Sadowsky or  the International Center)
  • Volunteer appointments/visiting scholarsManages requests for MCommunity sponsorship (here) Liaison to central HREmail cebp-lsahr@umich.edu 

Sam McCoig (she/her)

Senior HR Rep

sbaugher@umich.edu

  • Sets salary range for all staff positions, including final salary offered
  • Routes staff reclassification or additional hire (i.e., new headcount) requests
  • Manages institutional side of employee performance problems
  • Works with CA to resolve complex staff HR matters

Melissa Smith (she/her)

Business Analyst 

mksm@umich.edu 

  • Manages recharge rate process
  • Supports the CA by providing information and reviewing departmental (i.e. non-research) balances and spending
  • Communicates LSA Finance expectations and guidelines

Randall Business Office

Research Administrators (assigned to faculty) and Financial Specialists (who support the department)

randall.bus@umich.edu

  • Provides pre-and post-award administration
  • Answers balance inquiries for graduate student awards
  • Process fellowship student reimbursements (GSIs and GSRAs submit directly to SSC)
  • Support graduate students applying for external research grants (e.g., GSA Research Grants). Students should contact the business office before applying.

Notes

Ergonomics requests previously handled by the department are now managed by the LSA Disability Navigators. Contact them at lsa.disability.navigators@umich.edu.

Earth is evolving, and we sometimes evolve faster than our staff can grow. You should contact michigan-earth@umich.edu for the below needs:

  • EventsCareer advising
  • Safety training (see EHS for the time being)
  • Gas cylinder exchangeRock saw room
  • Classroom tidiness
  • Chemical supply ordering

If you notice other gaps, please contact Courtney (clhooper@umich.edu).