Career Center Assistant Director: Patty Hickman

DU Career Services is pleased to announce that Patricia (Patty) Hickman was recently hired as assistant director at the University Career Center. She provides career development for all graduate students, except those in the Daniels College of Business, Sturm College of Law and Josef Korbel School of International Studies who are served by their respective career centers. She is also the career liaison to Veterans Services the division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Patty received her master’s degree from the University of Oregon and has been at DU since 2005. During that time here she has served as Assistant Director, Associate Director and Interim Executive Director of Daniels College of Business Career Services. Patty’s experiences have made her one of the best on campus for career advising and coaching, job market trends, program development, and strategic planning.

We are excited to have her as a part of our team and as a resource on campus. Meet with Patty today by making an appointment at (303) 871. 2150 and see the difference she can make for you!

Getting Cutomers to Pay You and Continue Coming Back

By Chemeketa SBDC

Times still are tough out there for most business owners and their customers. You may have customers who never had problems paying you in the past, but who have developed slow-pay habits over the past couple of years, or worse, stopped paying you altogether. How can you help these formerly good payers continue to pay you?

If you don’t already offer payment plans, then you should consider it. Sometimes this is the only way you’ll get paid at all, although it will take longer. You want to keep your customers, so make it possible (and comfortable) for them to pay you, even in small amounts.

The first thing to consider is how you are going to approach a slow-paying or non-paying customer. Being polite, reasonable and fair is a good start. No one likes to be yelled at or intimidated, and taking a strong “take no prisoners” stance will just lead to your customers hiding from you, avoiding phone calls, and stalling.

Have a conversation with your customer that begins with asking questions about what’s going on with them. You will learn why they aren’t paying you, and what might be reasonable for them going forward. After this discovery process, make a clear request for specific amounts at specific times. Don’t make the mistake of asking the customer how much he can pay, keep control
of the conversation. Agree on a payment plan together.

Follow up the conversation with a letter that details the arrangement. You can start with a sentence like “Here’s a recap of our conversation today (date) regarding the (specific dollar amount) still owed from the previous (specific time period).

Then detail the terms agreed on, the number of payments and their dates, and any other details. Be very clear about everything, and include a stamped payment envelope for extra emphasis. Be sure to include a sentence or two about how much you appreciate this customer working to make this debt good, and how you look forward to working with them in the future.

Marcia Bagnall is Director of the Chemeketa Small Business Development Center and instructor of Small Business Management Program. The Small-Business Adviser column is produced by the center and appears each
Sunday. Questions can be submitted to SBDC@chemeketa.edu. Visit the SBDC at 626 High Street NE. in downtown Salem or call (503) 399-5088.

Enhance Your Resume and Make It Shine

We are just a little less than a month away from the annual Fall Resume Review Days on the Driscoll Bridge. This year the event will be held from 12pm-4pm on the Bridge on October 4th. Employers and Career & Professional Development staff will be available to review your resumes, CV’s, and cover letters! You don’t need to register, but you can read more about the annual event in Pioneer Careers under Events.

So ahead of Resume Review Days and the Science & Technology Fair on October 5th, you might be thinking about how to enhance your resume. If you’re not sure of the best way to get started here are a few resume concepts to keep in mind.

1.) Limit the use of color: Call me a resume traditionalist, but I wouldn’t say you’re putting your most professional foot forward by printing your name and contact information on your resume in bright neon orange– as cool as it looks. I get the point though. You want your resume to stand out from the others. The logic makes sense, but because your resume is a professional document you want it to appear as formal as possible. Most employers will want to see that you’re able to make your resume stand out based on the content of your resume. Now, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all. Depending on the industry you are in, you may need to add some flare and design concepts to your resume. Marketing professionals will often have a modern design resume to display their graphic illustration skills. You will want to keep the industry of the job you’re applying for in mind. Take a look at this article from Keith Wolf at ResumeSpice which outlines how to think about adding color to your resume (or if you should at all).

2.) Ask yourself this question… How easy is my resume to scan? You have probably heard this statistic before. Most recruiters will only look at your resume for 5-7 seconds. Every hiring organization is different in terms of how they evaluate resumes, but this is true to an extent. A recruiter isn’t going to read every word of your resume, at least the first time through. Rather they are looking for the most important information: degree, the companies you have worked for and how long you were there, gaps in employment, software experience, etc. etc.. These things will vary based on the job you’re applying for, but once you’ve read the job description you should have an idea of what the most important factors of a position are. Looking at your resume quickly, how easy is it to find that information? Would your resume benefit from some formatting differentiation or reorganizing your categories (Skills, Work Experience, Education, etc.)?

3.) Consistency and Grammatical/Spelling Accuracy: Spelling and grammatical errors are a very common reason that a resume will not be considered by a hiring organization, and they can be easily avoided. A good example might be if you have periods after some of your bullet points in your position descriptions, but not all of them. The more eyes that you can get on your resume, the more likely it is that these mistakes will be caught… AND another reason to come by Resume Review Days!

How to Land a Job in Tech

One of the most exciting industries around, the tech industry has built its reputation on growth and innovation. This is great news for recent grads who are passionate about technology and interested in contributing to its development. To find out more about tech industry opportunities, we asked the team at Philips Lighting, a tech industry leader focused on healthcare and lighting solutions, to tell us what they look for in an employee and what you can do to stand out from the crowd.

Here are the steps you need to take if you want to land a job in tech.

1. Develop your knowledge of the tech industry

When it comes to starting your career, few things are as important as knowing the industry inside and out. Although this may sound a bit overwhelming at first, it’s actually good news because your knowledge doesn’t have to be academic. While computer science and business classes can be a good way to learn about the tech industry, there’s also a lot you can do to develop that knowledge on your own. Tech-focused websites like Forbes Tech offer a lot of insight into industry trends and emerging technologies. Beyond that, it’s about learning about specific companies and the kind of work they do. At Philips Lighting, where the focus is on improving lives through technology, this means being familiar with the company’s products and the impact they have on people all over the world.

2. Determine what aspects of tech you’re interested in

Once you have a strong grasp of what’s happening in the industry, it’s time to narrow your focus and pick a career path the matches your skills and interests. For example, if you’ve been coding since high school and want to take a hands-on approach to creating new technologies, you might want to focus your attention on engineering. On the other hand, if you’re more interested in sales or marketing, focusing on those aspects of the industry might make more sense for you. If you’re not sure, working for an industry leader like Philips Lighting is a great way to gain exposure to all aspects of the field before deciding on your specialty.

3. Intern with a tech-focused company

With industry knowledge under your belt and a strong focus in mind, it’s time to get some hands-on experience by interning with a tech company. This is a great way to deepen your knowledge of the tech field while also figuring out what type of role is best for you. Depending on the type of company you work for (and the internship you choose) you may be involved in different aspects of a company’s operations from engineering to marketing or even human resources. While smaller companies can provide a more cross-functional internship experience, larger companies can give you a chance to truly specialize in your field and gain the kind of experience that might take you a year or two to develop at another company. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you apply for internships since you’ll want the internship you choose to reflect your career goals moving forward. If you’re a recent grad without a tech internship under your belt, don’t worry. You can still stand out from the crowd by developing your industry knowledge and studying the companies you want to work with.

4. Know what tech companies look for

While tech companies definitely have their share of differences, they also have a lot of similarities. One of these is the desire to hire bright, motivated people to join their teams and give them the chance to create solutions that are truly game changing. “I love the idea that we can put the control back into the consumer’s hands. We provide the technology so that individuals can control their environment.” says Galvin Ho, a Philips Lighting engineer who focuses on creating innovative lighting solutions. Since tech companies place so much emphasis on talent and passion, being able to demonstrate these qualities is extremely important to landing a job.

By following these tips and developing your skills and knowledge, you’ll have no problem finding a tech job that’s right for you.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as the Top 10 Skills Employers Want in an Intern and find answers to common interview questions such as Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?

The post How to Land a Job in Tech appeared first on Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide.

Current Classes and Events

November

11/2 Start Up Orientation- So, You Want to Start a Business?, No Cost (details)

11/20 Access to Capital, $129 (details)

11/21 Ready, Set, Start Your Business, $49 (details)

December

12/6 Access to Capital, $129 (details)

12/7 Start Up Orientation- So, You Want to Start a Business?, No Cost (details)

12/8 and 12/9 Construction Contractor Training, $355 (details)

2018

2/7 Access to Capital, $129 (details)

4/4 Access to Capital, $129 (details)

6/6 Access to Capital, $129 (details)

Ready to sign up? Call us at 503.399.5088 to register for any class. On weekends and after 5 pm, leave us your name, number, and email address and we’ll be sure to get back to you.

All classes are held at the Center for Business and Industry (corner of High and Union) 626 High Street NE (2nd floor), Salem unless otherwise noted.

Ongoing Programs and Business Resources

Business Advising – come and see one of our knowledgeable advisors, free of charge!

EDGE Business Accelerator – a supportive home for ten young businesses.

Entrepreneurship Classes Online – college credit for planning your business.

Small Business Management (SBM) Program – a 9-month program that assists established businesses experience increased efficiency, profitability, and support through monthly one-on-one business coaching and interactive learning sessions. SBM is a great way to start working on your business, not just in it!

Opportunity Knocks – business support from business owners

Today is the birthday of Frank Herbert

Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was an American science fiction writer best known for the novel Dune and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his long novels, he was also a newspaper journalist, photographer, short story writer, book reviewer, ecological consultant and lecturer. Wikipedia

Born: 8 October 1920, Tacoma, Washington, United States

Died: 11 February 1986, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics

Movies: Dune, Threshold: The Blue Angels Experience

His famous quotes

Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.

The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand.

Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.

A process cannot be understood by stopping it. Understanding must move with the flow of the process, must join it and flow with it.

This is a list of works by the science fiction author Frank Herbert

Try any one of his works…..

New Beer School Courses Created to Help Existing Breweries Succeed

Brewery operation requires knowledge of everything from regulatory requirements and intellectual property to financing and accounting. Three years after launching the online Business of Craft Beer Certificate Program, UVM is introducing a series of short courses to meet the growing demand for professional development opportunities for staff in existing breweries.

UVM Continuing and Distance Education is offering in 2019 a variety of four-week, online courses that will be taught by seasoned professionals in the craft beer industry.

Courses include:

Legal and Regulatory Compliance
Intellectual Property Protection in Craft Beer
Financing Your Start-Up Brewery
Business Models for New Brewery Start-ups
Brewpub/Taproom and Restaurant Planning
Maximizing Taproom Sales and Profits

“Trial and error can be costly for a small brewery owner and our goal is to provide professional development opportunities in an easy-to-access, affordable and online format,” says UVM Business of Craft Beer program director Greg Dunkling.

“The short courses—what we’re calling Beer School—serve as continuing education for existing breweries. While there will be some courses offered for brewery start-ups, most of our focus in the short courses will be offering professional development for staff in operating breweries.”

Tackling Real Life Challenges Facing Breweries Today

The UVM beer program is also establishing a national advisory board that will include brewery owners. Dunkling says the goal of the advisory board is for UVM to gain advice regarding the business challenges breweries face and to generate ideas for courses to help build knowledge and skills. Once the advisory board is up and running, it will help UVM identify new topics for additional Beer School short courses.

“Brewery staff often wear many hats but aren’t necessarily proficient in all areas,” Dunkling says. “Our Beer School provides relevant and in-depth education to help build their knowledge of social media, brewery finance, taproom management, and other topics.”

Professional Development for Brewery Staff

David Nyhan, an experienced taproom and operations manager who is teaching the Brewpub/Taproom and Restaurant Planning course, says professional development opportunities for breweries is essential in today’s competitive market. “The more education and knowledge you can offer, the better,” he says. “It can help with your brewery’s long-term growth and sustainability in the industry.”

Marketing and sales are becoming a greater focus for most breweries as well, Dunkling says. While marketing and sales are often secondary to buying equipment, building a facility, and hiring staff when a brewery is in the start-up phase, they are critical to a brewery’s success.

“While the craft beer industry continues to grow—there were 980 new breweries last year alone—there is growing competition. There is limited shelf space in any store and on tap handles in bars and restaurants. Breweries must be firing on all cylinders to remain competitive today,” Dunkling says.

“Conferences and guild sponsored-workshops are helpful, yet these tend to focus on the technical side of brewing or are typically only an hour or two in length. There is only so much one can cover or take away from such a format. In discussions with brewery staff, we felt there was a need for more in-depth professional development programming.”

Listen to Our Podcast About Maximizing Brewery Taproom Success

Listen to Kary Shumway, instructor of upcoming Maximizing Taproom Sales and David Nhyan on UVM’s Business of Craft Beer podcast

Preparing for Dental School in UVM’s Post-Baccalaureate Premed Program

Wearing braces in middle school inspired Saloni Mehta’s career path.

The Boston University alumna spent her childhood in Framingham, Massachusetts, before her family moved to nearby Sudbury when she started high school.

“The one piece of solace I had during that time was the smile my orthodontist gave me,” she says. “Having a nice smile helped me feel confident.”

While she ended up majoring in environmental science in college, Saloni eventually enrolled in UVM’s Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program’s dental track. Now she’s applying to dental schools throughout the northeast.

Taking courses in chemistry, biochemistry and physics at UVM helped Saloni fulfill the undergraduate science courses required for application to dental school. Coming to UVM also gave her a sense of belonging and community.

“The students here are motivated and competitive but they’re not cutthroat,” she says. “We helped each other and stayed in touch since completing the program. The sense of community was amazing.”

Pre Dental Programs and Applying to Dental School

While studying at Boston University, Saloni took calculus and biology, but soon realized how difficult the pre-dental requirements would be during her undergraduate years. She focused on environmental science and worked for an energy company after graduating.

But her dreams of becoming a dentist were never far away.

After completing the UVM Post-Baccalaureate Premedical program, she applied to several dental schools, including SUNY Buffalo, Boston University, University of Maryland, University of New England, and Temple University. She has chosen to attend Boston University School of Dental Medicine in the fall of 2019. But she is also interested in possibly returning to Vermont to practice dentistry.

Ultimately, Saloni’s goal is to be an oral surgeon, which not only requires dental school, but also licensing, residency and board certification. She’s confident UVM has set her on the right path.

“The way my UVM professors taught me was integrated and hands on,” she says. “The program gave me such a good foundation.”

Summer Programs for High School Students Draw More Undergraduates to UVM

Nearly 15 years after UVM established its precollege program, more high school students are enrolling in the program to get a head start on their college degree.

UVM’s precollege program is offered to high school juniors and seniors who want to explore areas of study and earn transferable college credit.

Since 2004, 3,709 high school students have enrolled in 4,878 courses at UVM. Of that number, 993 of those students were admitted to UVM, 364 completed their undergraduate degree at UVM, and 47 went on to enroll in UVM graduate programs.

“UVM’s precollege program is not only an effective way for students to get a head start on their college career, but also an opportunity for them to experience everything UVM has to offer,” says Beth Taylor-Nolan, Associate Dean for Continuing and Distance Education, which oversees the UVM precollege program. “As the program has grown more robust over the years, we’re seeing more of our precollege students apply and matriculate to UVM.”

Precollege attracts students to UVM from all over, including Vermont, New England, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, California, as well as Puerto Rico and British Columbia.

The UVM precollege program offers more than 100 online and on-campus courses for high school students in the summer and throughout the academic year. As part of the University’s precollegeofferings, Summer Academy is a four-week program offered on-campus and online.

Dual Enrollment for Vermont Precollege Students

Vermont high school students looking to enroll in a precollege course may apply for a voucher under the Vermont Dual Enrollment program to earn transferable college credit. Students can access up to two college courses with tuition fully reimbursed through a voucher system approved by their high schools.

Ruby LaBrusciano-Carris, who graduated from Twinfield Union High School in Plainfield in 2013, participated in UVM’s precollege program in the fall and spring of her senior year of high school. She decided to take advantage of Vermont’s Dual Enrollment Program.

The financial benefit of Dual Enrollment was a big reason why she decided to eventually enroll in UVM, where she graduated from in 2017. The precollege program also helped her realize that UVM was the right choice.

“It reassured me that there were a variety of classes and (a community of) people that I could see myself being a part of,” she says.

Food System Change Begins with Breakthrough Leaders

The idea of changing our food system to be more sustainable can be daunting. But what if you could learn how to intervene at one point and make a small change that could build towards a greater impact? Identifying those leverage points to impact change in our food system is just one of the goals of the an innovative online and on-campus Breakthrough Leaders for Sustainable Food Systems program at the University of Vermont.

A recognized leader in the food system movement, UVM walks students through every step of the interconnected food system. “Our goal is to build leaders’ understanding of the overall food system dynamics to gain a better sense of the whole picture not just their own perspective,” said Dr. Cynthia Belliveau, Dean of UVM’s Continuing and Distance Education.

Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission Strategy and Policy Manager, Simone Washington, M.S., J.D., who leads discussions about social equity in our food system during the program, says that good leaders need to go into situations listening, observing and identifying who or what those leverage points may be. “Leverage points are the opportunities where you can break through tension and begin to see change,” said Washington. “It could be a person, a group of people, policy, or a shift that can create momentum towards change.”

Former Breakthrough Leaders student, Sylvia Grove, PhD, says that as a result of the program, she has changed her perspective on leadership, the food system and activism. “As a French teacher and a daughter of a dairy farmer, I’ve been thinking a lot about the intersection of humanities and sustainable practices in my work in the classroom,” said Grove. “The teachings at Breakthrough Leaders has helped me to better understand where leverage points may be in my work and from what point I am capable of approaching and providing solutions to a problem.”

Gaining that broader viewpoint on systems theory is what organizers hope students will take away from this unique cross-disciplinary program. The focus on our food system allows participants to see examples in Vermont some of the behaviors and practices the can be modeled elsewhere. Washington says that food is a great equalizer. However, people come to discussions about food and food systems from very difference perspectives. “We need to be aware of what is happening across the country as it relates to food,” said Washington. “In many places, there aren’t grocery stores, access to fruits and vegetables, no one picking up the trade of gardening or farming; areas where people aren’t thinking about if they are eating healthy, but rather are thinking about if they able to eat at all.”

Through UVM’s Breakthrough Leaders program, Washington encourages participants to not shy away from the tough topics and to create a space to discuss social equity in our food system by considering how we can help all of us have access to good food. Developing leaders that can recognize the need to bring stakeholders from different levels and perspectives to the table is key to identifying those leverage points and developing potential solutions.

UVM’s Breakthrough Leaders for Sustainable Food Systems begins with two weeks of online classroom work engaging with peer activists and initiating discussions around food system challenges. In the third week, participants come together with their peers in Burlington, Vermont to deepen their engagement in the food movement by interacting with food system leaders through site visits and hands-on experiences. Registration is open now for leaders looking to create positive and forward-looking solutions for our broken food system

College Prep Class for High School Students Shares the Power of Journalism

To be a person is to have a story to tell. — Isak Dinesen

For thousands of years, storytelling has been a way for humans to engage, share feelings, and convey personal experiences.

Sharing stories with words and images helps us connect with the world around us and better understand one another.

This summer, high school students will have the opportunity to enhance their storytelling skills in Journalism through Words and Photographs, a college prep class offered in UVM’s Summer Academy program.

Taught by photographer Andrew Frost and writer Jenny Grosvenor, the course is part of UVM’s Summer Academy, a four-week residential and online program offered to high school juniors and seniors who want to explore areas of study and earn transferable college credit.

The course’s photography component is new this year, Frost says, adding that students will work on a variety of projects, from writing assignments to research to telling stories using words and photographs.

The goal of the course is for students to understand “real visual literacy coupled with the tools to tell a powerful story,” Frost says. Students will learn to appreciate the ability of words and pictures and to illuminate universal human experiences. Students will also learn to capture an audience and build a visual narrative that communicates without written language.

In an era when smart phone cameras are ubiquitous and everyone is posting online, Frost says students will better understand how to make an impact.

“This is nothing new—photographs have been staged since the inception of the medium, and from a fundamental starting point photographs are not true representations of reality,” he says. “We’ll delve into this in class and work on strategies to use photographs in interesting and compelling ways through both practice and an examination of historical photographic examples.”

Frost, who has been a photographer for 15 years, says he generally creates photographs of whatever he finds interesting—a pile of keys in the afternoon sunlight, icicles in a cave, a ski lodge perched on top of a mountain, and his dog running in the snow.

“Storytelling is all around us. We spin the events of our lives into a story we tell people when we meet them,” he says. “Understanding both how storytelling works and how to tell more engaging stories is almost like a superpower.”

How Web Analytics Can Help You Understand Your Customers

Bounce rates. Page views. Acquisition. New vs. returning visitors. When it comes to web analytics, which metrics are the most important?

When used collectively and strategically, all of them matter, say experts Krista Park and Ryan Andricks, who will separately teach UVM’s online Web Analytics and Data-Driven Decision Making course.

“It’s about understanding analytics as a whole,” says Park, director of analytics at Greenlane Marketing in Philadelphia. “Analytics are only one piece of the larger puzzle. You use web analytics to inform. But just because your web numbers are going up doesn’t mean things are going the way you want for your company. You need to think about the data strategically.”

The five-week course offers a deep dive into Google Analytics and interpreting web traffic data. It’s designed for digital marketers, analysts, and professionals looking to deepen their understanding of how to identify and use data to support their campaign planning and performance. It will also show how to leverage data as a way to better understand how a company’s website is being used—by whom and in what ways—for better reporting.

“We’ll look into how the process of selecting key data works, evaluating data, presenting it effectively, and communicating findings and recommended actions—based on the data—to achieve a business’s objectives,” Park says. “The course will help participants more efficiently and effectively evaluate their business’s performance and create actionable insights.”

Those actionable insights will then be used to achieve their business objectives, whether it’s growth in a particular area, stemming a loss, or working to achieve parity with their competitors, Park says.

In the course, Park and Andricks will also demonstrate how to create connections between offline and online data so digital marketers and analysts can understand and communicate a whole-world view of their business.

“I don’t think there is anything wrong with looking at a top surface piece of Google Analytics information, but segmentation is key,” Park says. “Otherwise it’s likely you’re missing some really important things that are happening.”

Andricks, a senior analytics manager at Seer Interactive in Philadelphia, agrees. He adds that if a digital marketer or analyst is working for a new employer or is hired by a web client that already uses Google Analytics, it’s important to educate them. “A lot of people are using Google Analytics and assuming that it’s been set up properly,” he says. “If goal tracking isn’t being used, it needs to be. And they need to be sure to focus on the users, don’t think about sessions.”

When measuring analytics and communicating results, Park and Andricks say it’s critical to pay attention to and communicate patterns and standard fluctuations.

“One of the most basic patterns is seasonality. It’s a standard catch-all such as back-to-school or Christmas,” Park says. “But fluctuations don’t have a primary driver and might be less obvious. Maybe there’s a marketing campaign happening or selection of channels being promoted. You need to ask yourself, what is the context behind this data? What else is happening?”

UVM’s Digital Marketing Course on Web Analytics

The UVM course will help prepare participants for the Google Analytics certification exam. Participants will also learn:

How to identify key performance indicators within the data and contextual supports
Mapping data to key performance indicators, strategies, and objectives
Identification of ancillary factors impacting a data set
How to work with trends to identify patterns versus standard fluctuations
Data combinations for more robust outputs (e.g. segments, filters, dimensions, custom views)
Presenting data in digestible formats
Data presentation structures—report types (sheets, docs, slides), frequency, update methods (manual, automated)
Creating actionable insights
Developing baselines and projection

Cabot Creamery Co-operative Manager Nick Managan Strives to Keep Learning

What makes a good manager?

For UVM alumnus Nick Managan ’05, it’s all about accountability and hard work.

Managan has been employed full-time at Cabot Creamery Cooperative for ten years, working his way up through the ranks and being mentored by his supervisors along the way. In 2017, he was promoted to Northeast marketing manager and had years of experience under his belt in customer service, marketing, communications, and event planning.

But one area he needed more training in was managing staff. His new role was the first time he would be in a supervisory role with full-time employees reporting to him. Managan enrolled in UVM’s Leadership and Management Program, which offers eight, one-day seminars in Burlington. The program addresses everything from emotional intelligence to conflict and negotiation to accounting.

“I thought the program did a great job giving a broad perspective of the things you need to focus on as a manager,” he says. “I really loved the emotional intelligence and conflict and negotiation seminars. It was nice to learn more about those areas and gain a little more self-awareness.”

A Priority to Never Stop Learning

Managan joined Cabot in 2005, first as a part-time staffer sampling cheese at events in New York City. He returned to his native Vermont in 2009 as Cabot’s special events coordinator. He later became the co-op’s Northeast marketing and communications integrator before being promoted to his current role.

Even though Managan has worked for Cabot for more than a decade, he says he strives to continue to learn and grow.

“It’s important to improve all the time,” he says. “Education is one of the seven co-operative principles and a priority for Cabot. I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn.”

Another principle at the heart of Cabot is concern for community. In February, Managan and 100 Cabot staff and farmers participated in the Special Olympics Vermont Penguin Plunge in Lake Champlain fundraiser. The co-op’s Department of Gratitude also promotes and supports a variety of volunteer opportunities with its Reward Volunteers program.

A Sense of Community

Meanwhile, outside of work, Managan and his wife are raising a therapy dog—a golden retriever named Lou—who visits schools and nursing homes through Therapy Dogs of Vermont. Managan also coached for the first time this winter, volunteering for first and second grade basketball in Waterbury.

“Volunteerism is part of the fabric of Vermont and at the heart of our farmers,” he says. “You can change the trajectory of someone’s day by helping someone. It comes down to caring and trying to make the world a better place, starting with the community you’re in.”

That sense of community and caring carries over to the workplace, he says. Being engaged, accountable and hardworking are just a few of the things that make a leader and manager effective.

“It’s about making sure you’re supporting your team, making sure they know what the expectations are and making sure you’re providing the resources they need,” he says. “A good manager is checking in with staff, making sure things are running smoothly and putting in their own work.

Using a Public Health Approach in Physical Therapy

The best part of Mariana Wingood’s job has always been helping patients return to their everyday lives.

She has spent most of her career being a full-time physical therapist at UVM Medical Center’s Fanny Allen campus in Colchester, providing care to patients who have suffered a fall or illness and helps them get them back on their feet and stay healthy.

However, in the fall she decided to take the next step and start her PhD in Human Functioning and Rehabilitation at the UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

“Many older adults stop exercising as they age. My interest is figuring out how can we change that,” she says. “One avenue may be through increasing physical activity discussions in healthcare. The thought is that older adults value the advice they get from healthcare providers, and by having them discuss physical activity with their patients, it may impact an individual’s level of physical activity. My question is, how can we increase healthcare providers promotion of physical activity? What tools can be developed, validated and implemented to increase this ease? Do those tools make a difference in the level of physical activity?”

She hopes that these two important parts of her life—hands-on clinical care and research—could one day coalesce into a job teaching at a university with a pro bono clinic offering physical therapy and preventative care.

Epidemiology Certificate Program at UVM

To help her prepare for her career plans and the doctorate program, Wingood enrolled in the UVM Certificate of Graduate Study in Epidemiology in 2017. The 18-credit program is a one-year, online certificate that is a collaboration of the Larner College of Medicine, Continuing and Distance Education, and the UVM Graduate College.

“What I enjoyed most about the program was the application of research, statistics and analyses,” she says. “It really deepened my understanding of public health and prepared me well for the PhD program. Public health and epidemiologists have a different view of healthcare, I really enjoy their promotion of health and prevention of disease. As a healthcare provider it’s important to be aware of their view and efforts. By understanding them, we can improve collaborations and become better clinicians and better researchers.”

The program’s core courses include epidemiology, applied research in public health and public health biostatistics. Program electives range from public health law and ethics to investigating disease outbreaks.

“The program did a good job making the assignments based on real-life scenarios and making it applicable,” she says. “We would also apply any recent news of an outbreak—such as flu or salmonella—into our work as well.”

Wingood studied biology at SUNY Oswego and received a doctor of physical therapy from SUNY Update Medical University. Raised in Austria by her parents and grandmother, she moved to the United States in 1999. She says that she always knew she wanted to work with older adults.

“I love exercise and how it makes me feel. It’s really beneficial to be able to enjoy physical activity and exercise later on in life and seeing how it can help people get better was a huge motivator for me wanting to become a physical therapist,” she says. “I always knew I wanted to go into geriatrics. My grandmother helped raise me and I always wanted to thank older adults for everything they have done. This is a great way for me to do that.”

Helping patients get better and helping them enjoy the life they lived prior to going to the hospital or getting injured is her favorite part of the job. More than anything, the human connection is what makes Wingood’s work in physical therapy so rewarding.

“I learn as much from my patients as I hope I teach them, especially the older adults as they have so much life experience,” she says. “Patients tell me that I have a great outlook on life and I inform them it is thanks to them, I have learned it all from my patients.’ It’s a great connection to have

Medical Mentorship Program Helps Medical Students Prepare for Revised MCAT

Originally published on March 17, 2016. Updated March 27, 2019

The University of Vermont offers a four-week Medical School Mentorship and Enrichment Summer Program to help prepare students for the new Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

The revised MCAT is designed to place greater emphasis on critical thinking and cover additional content. In addition to being broader and more difficult, the new MCAT is twice as long as the old edition and has a heavier section on biochemistry.

“On the new MCAT, students need to know even more,” says UVM College of Medicine Biochemistry Professor Paula Tracy, who is leading the Medical School Mentorship and Enrichment Summer Program. “Our goal is not to reteach students everything they’ve already learned over four weeks. We want to identify concepts students struggle with and offer an active, hands-on learning experience.”

The revised MCAT also added a fourth section dedicated to behavioral tactics, psychology, and sociology. The Association of American Medical Colleges conducted five years of research to revamp the test in April 2015, which had not been updated since 1991.

In addition to preparing for the MCAT, the Medical School Mentorship and Enrichment Summer Program will also help students build clinical experience with formal shadowing and medical-simulation-center activities and give them the opportunity to practice essential interviewing skills.

An MCAT Prep Course and the Benefits of Mentoring

The program is not just about testing. Tracy points out that mentoring is a key component to help students prepare for medical school. Students are assigned to a current UVM medical student who will serve as a personal mentor and provide students with firsthand knowledge about applying to and succeeding in medical school today.

“What I like about mentoring is finding the best in people,” says Tracy, a champion of mentoring and a member of the UVM faculty for more than 30 years. “It helps students realize their own potential.”

During the Program, Students Will:

Perform virtual medical procedures in UVM’s state-of-the-art medical simulation center and have an opportunity to watch a live surgery
Practice for medical school interviews through mock multiple mini interviews (MMIs) with feedback to improve interview skills
Receive a detailed, personalized assessment

Is a MCAT Prep Course Right for You?

The program is for premed students who are getting ready to take the MCAT and apply to medical school. Tracy expects participants will have completed their first three years of undergraduate premedical coursework before starting the program. Recent graduates are welcome to participate as long as they have completed the standard premed course requirements.

Tracy has worked with undergraduate, graduate, and medical students at all training levels, as both their teacher and mentor. She previously served as the director of Preclinical Assessment in the College of Medicine Vermont Integrated Curriculum (VIC) and prior to that served as the director of a VIC first-year course for 13 years.

“As a result of those experiences and my membership on the College of Medicine Admissions Committee, I have an in-depth understanding of what it takes to get into medical school and how to be successful as a medical student,” she says. “I’m confident we’ve pulled together the right team of teachers and mentors in order to create the right learning experiences to help students confidently progress through their premed pathway into medical school.”

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