There will be a research study conducted at Mayo Clinic to evaluate the use of the drugs varenicline and bupropion as aids to smoking cessation. Smoking cessation counseling will be included as part of the study. Individuals are needed who are between 18 and 75 years old and smoke 10 or more cigarettes per day. For more information, call (904) 953-2941.  

The Department of Health Promotion Nutrition Services will present a "What's In My Food? Deciphering Food Packages" workshop. Participants will learn how to read food labels and ingredient listings to be able to sort the useful information from the marketing hype. Bring any food labels/packages for interpretation during the workshop. The workshop is free to UNF students, faculty and staff. For more information, e-mail Alexia Lewis, Department of Health Promotion wellness dietitian, at alexia.lewis@unf.edu.

Employees currently receiving a cell phone allowance as of payroll date Friday, May 17, must be recertified to continue to receive the allowance for the 2013-14 fiscal year, which begins the first payroll in July. A report listing the employees currently receiving the allowance will be e-mailed to the respective department directors, deans or chairs for review and approval for continuance or termination of the allowance. The deadline to return the report to the Payroll Office is Friday, June 7. The recertification is to verify that current service exists and to notify Payroll of the correct allowance.

Cell phone with data allowance is $90 monthly and cell phone only is $50 monthly. These amounts will be paid on a bi-weekly basis (1/26). In addition, a one-time allowance for an associated service equipment purchase of basic cell phone equipment is also provided, limited up to $240 per every two years with receipt. The process for employees new to receiving the cell phone allowance hasn't changed. These employees must complete the Cell Phone and Associated Services Allowance Authorization Form. For more information, visit the Controller's Office Cellular Phone and Associated Services Allowance Web page or contact Miguel Gabertan, assistant controller, at (904) 620-2715 or Tiffiny Poole, senior payroll representative, at (904) 620-2706.

The Department of Health Promotion will offer "Healthy Habits for Life," an eight-week group led by a registered dietitian. The group will cover evaluating eating habits, a healthy approach to eating, physical activity, menu planning, grocery shopping and eating on-the-go. The group will meet once a week from 12 to 1 p.m. Thursdays in Building 61, Student Wellness Complex, Room 1300, beginning Thursday, May 30, and ending Thursday, July 25. Space is limited to 15 participants per group. UNF students, staff or faculty may reserve a space by e-mailing Alexia Lewis, Department of Health Promotion wellness dietitian with a name and N-number.

The Presidential Excellence Awards Committee is currently accepting nominations for the 2013 spring awards. Nominate colleagues for the Presidential Excellence Award, the Presidential Quality Customer Service Award and/or the Presidential Spot Award. Click here for the nomination process and award criteria. The nomination deadline is Monday, June 17. Questions may be directed to awardcom@unf.edu. Nomination packets should be delivered to Dr. Lucy Croft, assistant vice president of Student Affairs, Building 58E, Student Union, Room 2311.

The Osprey Café, located in Building 16, Osprey Commons, is open during the summer A term from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday for lunch and 5 to 7 p.m. for dinner. Click here to see the daily menu. For more information, click here or contact Chartwells' business office at (904) 620-2543.

The following high school graduations will take place in Building 34, UNF Arena. Traffic on campus may be busy during these times. Lot 34, located behind the Arena, will be closed from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day a graduation is scheduled:

• 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 20: West Nassau
• 6 p.m.  Wednesday, May 22: Yulee
• 7 p.m. Thursday, May 23: Bishop Kenny Senior Awards

• Researcher chronicles how male dolphins bond: Dr. Quincy Gibson, coastal behavior biologist, has seen clear evidence in her research on the St. Johns River that male dolphins team up with loyal male friends who help them get females, whether by wooing or by force. Click here to read The Florida Times-Union article. You may have to be an All-Access Member to view the entire article.
• IRS and Associated Press scandals: Dr. Michael Binder, assistant professor of Political Science and Public Administration, discussed the latest in the IRS and Associated Press scandals hitting the Obama administration on WJCT's "First Coast Connect" radio show. Click here to listen to the interview.
• Creating a culture of unity through interfaith cooperation: Rachael McNeal, Interfaith Center programming coordinator and interfaith activist, shared her views on interfaith cooperation in the Huffington Post. Click here to read the opinion column.
• African-American baby boomers and retirement: Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder, assistant professor of sociology, told WJCT 89.9 FM Public Radio that the same black Baby Boomers who lived through the Jim Crow era and the turmoil of the Civil Rights movement often don't have the skills to successfully navigate retirement. Click here to listen to the interview.
• UNF offers unique summer camp: Dr. Caroline Guardino, assistant professor in the Department of Exceptional Student and Deaf Education, discussed a one-of-a-kind iRead Graphic Novels summer camp for students who are deaf or hard of hearing on "UNF On The Record," a weekly radio show featuring campus life, as well as faculty and student research. Click here to listen to the interview.
• Jobs for college grads: Rick Roberts, Career Services director, shared the job outlook for recent college graduates on WJCT's "First Coast Connect" radio show. Click here and then scroll to the 28:29-minute mark to listen to the interview.

To read more about UNF faculty, staff and students "In the News," click here. Anyone with an expertise or event to share with the media is encouraged to contact Joanna Norris, associate director of Public Relations.

Due to departmental training, the Student Union Administration will be open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, May 31, and the game room will be open 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The hours for the Student Union West building will remain the same and will be open 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Normal hours will resume Saturday, June 1.

There will be a second quarter general assembly meeting of the African-American Faculty and Staff Association (AAFSA). Come learn about AAFSA's goals, activities and accomplishments. All UNF employees are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served.  Please R.S.V.P. no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, by visiting this R.S.V.P. link. Click this link to join AAFSA.

University departments and organizations are encouraged to share or update their social media pages on the "Follow UNF" Web page in order to be recognized as official social media sites of the University. To report or update a page, read the Social Media Guidelines and complete the Social Media Guidelines Agreement. Reported Facebook and Twitter pages will be "Liked" by the UNF Official Facebook fan page and "Followed" by the Official UNF Twitter page. Completed Social Media Agreements should be sent to Sherry Hays, public relations specialist, by e-mail or by fax at (604) 620-2149.

The Department of Art and Design and the UNF Gallery of Art presents "Florida-Twenty Seven: Two Decades of Watching," an exhibition of Florida photography by Bob Willis. As a former instructor at the Jacksonville Art Museum, the John C. Campbell Folk School, the Jacksonville University continuing education program and a resident at the Vermont Studio, Willis' images have appeared in the Pinhole Journal, Eric Renner's "Pinhole Photography: Rediscovering a Historic Technique" and other private collections. The exhibition will be on display until Tueday, July 2.

"Traces: Recent Work by Lari Gibbons" combines the visual languages of technical illustration, cartography and expeditionary photography to examine the ways in which humans interact with and document the natural world. Lari Radabaugh Gibbons is an asssociate professor of Art at the University of North Texas, Denton, where she teaches printmaking and directs the Print Research Institute of North Texas. The exhibition will be on display until Sunday, Aug. 18, at the UNF Gallery in the Museum of Contemporary Art, 333 N. Laura St.  An opening reception and artist lecture will occur at MOCA from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 23. 

There will be a spring assembly for all University Support Personnel System (USPS) employees. President John Delaney will deliver the keynote address, and USPS news will be discussed. Lunch will be provided, and there will be many prizes, including a family fun-pack to Adventure Landing, Panera bagels for a year, tickets to Alhambra Theatre and Dining, VIP passes to the Catty Shack Ranch and more. To follow the University Support Personnel Association on Facebook, click here.

There will be 11 parking spaces reserved in Lot 9, located next to Building 16, Osprey Commons from 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 23, for guests attending the Board of Trustees meeting. These spaces will return to normal parking activity after 5 p.m. 

The Department of Campus Recreation is offering a limited number of need-based scholarships for the Youth Sports and Fitness Camp and Eco Camp. Applications will be accepted beginning Friday, May 24, and the submission deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, May 31. Recipients will be notified Monday, June 3. Those awarded a scholarship will receive one week of the camp selected at the time of application. If that camp has reached maximum enrollment, the recipient will be able to choose from one of the other camps offered. Applications may be picked up in Building 61, Student Wellness Complex, Campus Recreation, Room 1200.

The Child Development Research Center (CDRC) is offering open enrollment for children to attend the fall semester. There are also some summer spaces still available. For more information or to schedule a tour, call the CDRC at (904) 620-2372. 

The following offices will have special hours or will be closed during the Memorial Day holiday:

 

Aquatic Center
The Aquatic Center will be closed Saturday, May 25, to Monday, May 27. The Center will reopen Tuesday, May 28. For more information, contact the front desk staff at (904) 620-2854.

 

Carpenter Library
The Carpenter Library will be closed, Monday, May 27, and will reopen Tuesday, May 28. For questions, contact Stephanie Weiss, assistant university librarian, at s.weiss@unf.edu or (904) 620-2431.

 

Dining Services
Ozzie's Convenience Store and Grille will be open from noon to 7 p.m. Monday, May 27. All other Chartwells food venues will be closed. All locations will reopen Tuesday, May 28. For additional information, click here.

 

ITS Help Desk/Mathews General Purpose Computer Lab
The Information Technology Help Desk and Mathews General Purpose Computer Lab will be open for normal summer hours Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26, and will be closed  Monday, May 27. Click here to view the ITS Help Desk hours of operation and click here for the Mathews Computer Lab hours. Questions may be directed to the ITS Help Desk at (904) 620-4357 or helpdesk@unf.edu.

 

Shuttle Service
The Osprey Connector and Osprey Transit shuttle services will be inactive from Saturday, May 25, to Monday, May 27. Regular hours of operation will resume at 7 a.m. Tuesday, May 28, for the Osprey Connector and 7:30 a.m. for the Osprey Transit. Shuttle service for the Town Center will begin activity Monday, June 24, at 10 a.m. For questions, contact Parking and Transportation Services at parking@unf.edu or (904) 620-2815.

 

Student Union
The Student Union Administration and Student Union West Building will be closed, Monday, May 27. The game room will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Normal activities for all Student Union locations will resume Tuesday, May 28. For more information, contact Maritza Choisser, Student Government office manager, at m.choisser@unf.edu or (904) 620-1077.

 

Student Wellness Complex
The Student Wellness Complex will be closed Saturday, May 25, to Monday, May 27, for the Memorial Day holiday. The Complex will reopen Tuesday, May 28.

The Memorial holiday Monday, May 27, is a recognized University holiday. Since the campus will be closed, the payroll processing schedule for the pay period Saturday, May 11, to Friday, May 24, has been modified. This is necessary to process payroll in a timely manner. The revised schedule is as follows:
 

• Friday, May 24: Web and departmental time sheets online submission and approval by 10 a.m.
• Friday, May 31: Checks will be released at the Payroll Office, Hicks Hall, Building 53, Room 2850. Payroll direct deposits will be credited to the employee's bank account.

Questions concerning the pay schedule can be directed to Human Resources at (904) 620-2903, Payroll Office at (904) 620-2715, ext. 2706 or ext. 2984 or banner-payroll@unf.edu.