I would be honored to be a member of the University Staff Council representing the Health Sciences Campus (HSC). I’ve worked at Loyola HSC for over 9 years and also received my master’s degree from the Quinlan School of Business while working full-time.  I currently work in the Clinical Research Office where we serve our patients by collaborating with faculty to bring innovative treatments to the community. In our ever-changing landscape within academia, I promise to be an advocate for staff and to bring their concerns and suggestions to the Council.

Since joining the Loyola community, I am in awe of the advocacy work done not only by students, but also the staff to ensure a safe and welcoming workplace. It would be an honor to work collaboratively and alongside the members of the University Staff Council (USC) to discuss pressing issues, promote Loyola's values and mission, and celebrate the work of fellow colleagues. Given my former experiences leading companywide events and serving on a staff administrative assembly and various diversity network executive boards, I plan to use my detail-oriented organizational skills, transparent and politely persistent communication style, and positive, energetic personality to further advance and enhance the efforts of the USC. While I aspire to grow within my role in the Scholars Programs team, I seek to broaden my reach within the USC to educate and empower our fellow staff members to continue using their voices to lead extraordinary lives. 

I am inspired to accept this nomination by Briana Allen, my former colleague and University Staff Council Chair who showed me the potential of USC to advocate for Staff and make a meaningful, positive impact on their working lives. I would be eager to serve in the same way and believe I could bring a number of important skills and perspectives to Staff Council. As a Senior Instructional Designer in the Office of Online Learning, I have extensive experience in program development and would like to build offerings that meet the needs of all Loyola staff to improve their work lives. I believe my expertise in contemporary technology and online learning could help USC find new ways of communicating with and connecting staff, and my knowledge of the future of higher education could add to USC’s understanding of how the Staff role may grow and shift in the coming years. I would be grateful for your vote and the opportunity to serve all Staff at Loyola.  

My name is Katie Kearns, and I started working here at Loyola in December 2022. I know, I know! I haven’t been here long; however, I could tell immediately after arriving that this is a special workplace.  

I know education is the magic bullet to make people successful. I also know that while the students see the teachers in class regularly, hundreds of people do things to improve the students’ daily lives and most students never see them.  However, these staffers are just as important as any of the professors.  

Also, when I am dedicated to a cause, I mean it; for example, this will be my 32nd year doing the Walk to End Alzheimer’s because when a cause is important to me, I stick with it! 

I see joining the University Staff Council as an opportunity to bridge the often siloed offices that make up Loyola University Chicago across our 3 campuses. I believe in a collaborative approach to problem-solving, and the power of including all voices when being offered the space and platform to effect change. I have worked at Loyola for the past 2 years and recognize that we can be doing more to create opportunities for staff to be in community with each beyond our respective offices and divisions. It is important and necessary for all staff to feel connected to campus, and to have a genuine sense of belonging which stems from feeling heard and seen as a member of the campus community. In this role, I would strive to make sure that we include all staff in conversations around belonging and work to build a better Loyola experience so that we can show up more authentically in the work that we do.  

Hey y’all! I’m Gus, I use they/them pronouns, and I am the Tutoring Center coordinator here at Loyola. Approaching the completion of my first year as a staff member, my motivation to run for Staff Council lies in the readiness to undertake a larger role in the Loyola community. If given the opportunity, I plan to utilize my strength in relationship building to support an environment of positive staff collaboration across campus departments. I additionally hope to promote a stronger sense of belonging among staff members at Loyola to maintain safety, retention, support, and wellbeing within the community. These initiatives remain a priority as the landscape of higher education and our work at Loyola continues to evolve because without these at the forefront of our work, we cannot continue to effectively support the students we serve!   

Hello, my name is Maria Wolfe, I am the School of Social Work Director of Online Learning. I joined the school as an instructional designer in 2018 and was part of the team that developed and launched the first-in-the-country online bilingual master in social work program.  

I am honored to be nominated by a colleague. I work with an amazing group of people and would like to represent them in the Staff Council. As a member, I would work on relationship-building, collaboration, inclusion, and sharing of ideas. Thank you for your consideration.