Each week, we highlight the work being done in our departments. We appreciate the efforts our staff members make that support UNT and make it a great place to learn and work!
The UNT Police Department's Criminal Investigative Services team will once again offer a free Forensic Fun Day to children of UNT faculty and staff. Classes are limited to 40 participants in each session. This is a very popular event. Last year's sessions reached maximum capacity prior to the RSVP deadline.
The hands-on activities include learning about fingerprinting methods, documenting a scene with photos/sketches, preserving evidence with casting and collection, and there will be a chance to interact with police vehicles and equipment.
Snacks, pizza and ice cream will be served with each session. RSVP by June 27 to Sgt. Cory Lane at Cory.Lane@unt.edu.
Posted May 22, 2025
Our campus Facilities department provides support for larger UNT System construction projects such as the Science & Technology building, which is expected to be complete in 2026, but oversees other significant projects on campus each year.
One such project is the Kerr Hall renovation (pictured), which included a complete rework of the lobby area, a new laundry room for Tower A, and a community kitchenette. This $4.1M renovation also updated furniture in the lobby and created more gathering spaces for games and friendly gatherings.
Other big campus projects this year included the $2.3M renovation of UNT Volleyball's Building H, the $1.4M ceiling and classroom repairs in the Ryan College of Business building, the $1.3M roof replacement at Discovery Park and the renovation of the Discovery Park dining facilities, plus more.
Our Facilities Design, Planning and Construction team remains hard at work each year to improve buildings and conditions to help our community better use UNT spaces.
Posted May 19, 2025
In January 2025, Transportation Services hired SWOOP (Students Working On Our Profession) the student-run advertising agency in the Mayborn
School of Journalism. SWOOP hires students on a semester-long basis to do real work
for real clients for real money. The money received from clients goes directly toward
scholarships and awards for students.
Two competing student groups – Team Lucky and Team Ford – collected data and feedback
from hundreds of fellow UNT students to give our parking team a better understanding
of how to connect with students who use parking and transit services. The student
groups also assessed Transportation Services' social media accounts, website and other
communications assets in order to create an integrated marketing and communications
plan for the department.
Two final presentations were given allowing Transportation Services staff a chance
to pick a winning team – and to use the advertising materials created for Transportation
Services in upcoming messaging to help students better understand our services. Both
teams focused on boosting community engagement and clear, consistent messaging. Team
Lucky, with their "Park Smarter" plan was announced as the winner at a dinner on May
7.
Posted May 12, 2025
In Risk Management Services, our staff is able to share real-world training and experiences with our student interns and through training we offer to faculty, staff and students. But, we are always looking for more ways to engage and to provide support to our campus community.
In our Environmental Health and Safety program, new registered sanitarian and Public Health Program Manager Angela Sietsema found a way to offer more support. She was recently appointed to serve on the College of Health and Public Service’s Public Health Advisory Board. This will help the college, which is transitioning to the Ryan College of Business, by giving professional guidance to faculty and students at UNT. It also helps our staff keep in touch with new talent and helps us remain connected to our mission here on campus.
Posted May 5, 2025
The UNT Police Department's community service dog, Clover, has grown so much since the department adopted her in September. In April, she turned 8 months and weighed in at 63 pounds -- nearly full grown and time for her first official UNT portrait.
Things didn't quite go as planned because Clover had much to explore at the photographer's studio. Click here to enjoy a video of Clover exploring and ignoring her partner, Cpl. David Causey, as she finds much better things to do than sit still for a photo.
Eventually, University Brand Strategy and Communications Assistant Director of Photo/Video Ahna Hubnik was able to get Clover's attention long enough to get three great photos.
Posted April 29, 2025
Kudos are in order for Director of Asset Management Jimmy Grounds for showing “We Care” and “Better Together” values recently.
He received a “Way to go!” from UNT Frisco Director of Operations Shauna Barbato. She praised his dedication and teamwork, writing in the note that Jimmy “consistently goes above and beyond, accommodating the needs of our team and ensuring assets are updated with precision and care.”
UNT faculty and staff who know someone who deserves recognition can send a “Way to go!” message on the UNT System site by clicking here. You'll be directed to sign into your UNT account to fill out a form outlining who you're honoring and what they did.
Posted April 21, 2025
Congratulations are in order for Training and Exercise Coordinator Hannah Taylor, who recently graduated from FEMA's National Emergency Management Basic Academy.
According to FEMA, the National Emergency Management Basic Academy provides a foundational education in emergency management by supporting those in their early careers through a training experience combining knowledge of all fundamental systems, concepts, and practices of cutting-edge emergency management.
While also working to complete her master’s degree here at UNT, Hannah participated in the academy which requires 3 weeks of classroom training.
Posted April 14, 2025
UNT Police Department recently welcomed two new officers recently.
Davionne Campbell, shown on the left, previously worked for The Colony Police Department and became a police officer after serving in the military.
Chaz Walzer, shown on the right, just graduated from the academy. He is an alum of UNT and previously had worked for the police department as a non-sworn public safety officer.
Posted April 7, 2025
Departments in the Division of Finance & Administration support the university often in "behind-the-scenes" ways, providing services essential to operations, maintenance, safety and funding.
This year, the university recognized more than 60 of our staff members who had milestone years of service in 2024, including:
30 years: Jorge Orozco and Terry Wilson
25 years: Lt. Edward Fleming, Cpl. Craig Simons, Cpl. Pete Uranga and Richard Westbrook
20 years: James Adams, Sharon Bercel-Kirkpatrick, Van Cross, Estela DeJesus, Delfina Espinoza, Sgt. Cody Howell, Kenneth Kindle, Keith Kregel, James Lewis, Delbert Phillips, Lance Standifer, Ofc. Chad Terrill, Tony Valdes and John Waldrop
15 years: Edie Brooks, Lt. John DeLong, Josh Hamman, Mary Howard, Cassandra Nash, Sonia Perches, Neely Shirey
10 years: Bruce Anthony, Jose Benavides Jr., Lt. Nicholas Brauchle, Cpl. Daniel Bruce, Rafiu Fashina, Andron Franklin, Pedro Hernandez, Tennie Jones, Randal Martin, Oxsormira Neira, Edwin Orozco, Jonas Powell, Adam Stinchcomb
5 years: George Adams, Cassie Archer, Daniel Berry, Robert Blythe, Sally Carne, Simone Chambers, Chris Cooper, Monica Delarosa, Conlin Dempsey, Karl Hammond, Desiree Hubbard, Eva Hurtado, Karen Ishee, Matthew Long, Norvell McClure Jr., Robert Moreno, Michael Munywoki, Cpl. Christian Mutters, Carl Parsons, Michelle Patnett, Alaina Replogle, Paul Smith, Royce Stille, Beth Wells
Posted April 4, 2025
Facilities spiced things up with a salsa contest in February. Prizes were awarded for the best salsas and winners are pictured in the top photo. Staff members gathered for food and fun.
First place salsa went to Tammy McDaniel, Executive Assistant for Facilities, pictured on the left. Second place went to Cheryl Smith, Facilities Planner, pictured in the middle. Third place went to Ellen Wall, Facilities Personnel Operations Manager, pictured on the right.
Posted March 24, 2025
During the colder February weather, staff at Transportation Services felt a craving for chili. What started as a joke about having a chili cook-off to satisfy that craving became a reality recently when the Transportation Services department challenged the UNT Police Department to a chili competition.
The competition brought out 10 challengers from both departments and a variety of chili types - from mild to spicy, from beef-based to chicken-based, some that were stew-like and some that were soup-like. Judges from both departments plus outside experts from UNT Housing and Risk Management Services sampled each chili and rated it on taste, smell, texture and appearance.
Cpl. Lahoma Vaughn, center, from the UNT Police Department took home the prize for best chili. She was awarded a plaque and ribbon by Chief Ramona Washington, left, and Interim Executive Director for Transportation Services Ed Reynolds, right.
Posted March 17, 2025
The days may be heating up but nights just got a little cooler with Transportation Services’ new Night Flight vans. Night Flight is a service provided by Transportation Services. There are three vans that pick up students to transport them between two locations on campus from 7 pm to 2 am every day during the fall and spring semesters, except for when UNT is closed or classes are not in sesssion.
The vans used in Night Flight were plain white passenger vans, but recently Transportation Services newly-branded the vans so that they are partially green with the big UNT flying eagle logo emblazoned on the sides. Styling the vans this way will make them easily recognizable for students using the service.
If you know a student who could use Night Flight, tell them to download the TripShot app to schedule their ride. The TripShot app shows students where the vans are located and helps students identify the van as it approaches them for their ride.
Posted March 3, 2025
The Building Representative program was created to facilitate the communication between Facilities, its partners, and building occupants. UNT has about 184 buildings and 125 building representatives.
Building representatives are UNT employees who have roles in ensuring that buildings and occupants are prepared. Building representatives should have a broad understanding of the unique needs and activities of the department(s) in their building. They distribute important information, support programs and activities that require coordination of building operations, and act as liaisons for a number of other key functions.
Find out more about the UNT Building Representative program on this page.
Posted Feb. 24, 2025
Posted Jan. 28, 2025
Follow the UNT Police Department's social media (@UNTPolice on Facebook, Instagram and X) for updates on future open houses and other events that will feature K-9 Clover.
During each academic year, UNT sees a variety of construction projects both on and near campus.
Most of the construction happening around campus is roadwork or utility work from the City of Denton or other partners. In 2024, UNT will also have a big construction project as we build a new Science & Technology Building on the current site of Lot 7.
However, most folks don't know that our teams handle several other smaller projects around campus each year. One example is shown at left, the Physical Education Building. Old carpet and tile that was more difficult to maintain was replaced by brand new flooring. This new flooring also added some brightness to the hallways as it replaced dark flooring and carpet.
Another recent renovation was done to the Kerr Hall lobby area. The front desk area
was expanded to provide better service to students and give staff a bit more space. Flooring and furniture
were also updated to give students a more community-focused space.
Smaller projects are highlighted on the Facilities Department's social media platforms (Facebook: @UNTFacilitiesDept; Instagram and X: @UNTFacilities). Follow their accounts to learn more about work being done at UNT.
Larger projects are detailed on the Facilities Department's website so that they can continue to update the UNT community about every step of the construction. These updates include progress reports received by the City of Denton and other partners about work being done near the campus. Click here to view the Construction page on Facilities' website.
Keeping students, faculty, staff and visitors aware of these projects is important to our team!
Posted Sept. 16, 2024
The UNT Police Department announced in August that they would be getting a community service K-9. This puppy will be on campus to serve the UNT community by helping with community engagement activities.
Not everyone feels comfortable interacting with police, so Police Chief Ramona Washington wanted this dog to help bridge that gap by allowing others to feel more at ease with campus officers. The puppy will also receive obedience training so that she can be a comforting animal if a crime victim or survivor would like to hold her while they speak with police.
To truly help the UNT community feel as if she is their dog, the police department held a naming contest pared down from five names voted on by staff at the department. The top vote-getter, Clover, won out over second-place Jazz by just 25 votes. Clover is a reference to both the color green and UNT's unofficial mascot Lucky, the white squirrel. Jazz, of course, being a reference to UNT's world-class music program. Other names in the list were: Grace, Luna and Maple.
The UNT Police Department will need to get puppy vaccinations for Clover and have her undergo several weeks of obedience training so that she can interact with the community. They expect she will start making her rounds at community engagement activities later this fall semester in October or November.
Posted Sept. 9, 2024
The University of North Texas has been recognized with a statewide award for exceptional
commitment to business continuity planning and execution.
The State Office of Risk Management’s (SORM) Continuity Preparedness Program Award was received by UNT’s Emergency Management and Safety Services (EMSS) program, housed in the Risk Management Services department.
To qualify, recipients must have a dedicated continuity practitioner with advanced certification, a comprehensive and regularly updated continuity plan, and a proven history of conducting exercises and after-action reviews.
“This is a very selective award, with only six recipients this year from across the state. UNT and the University of Houston were the only two universities to receive the award this year,” said Associate Director of Emergency Management & Planning Corey Olszewski, who is pictured at left.
UNT’s program includes business continuity for critical areas – such as police, on-campus housing – that have a significant role in student safety and support. The campus Continuity Liaison Program also requires all major departments or divisions to appoint a continuity manager. Olszewski, who is certified through DRI International, then works with those areas to help train them on continuity planning and provide support.
“An important part of this program is that we also help our partners, so our program provides support and collaboration across the UNT System entities and with other external partners,” said Olszewski, who recently graduated from the National Emergency Management Advance Academy offered by FEMA.
SORM reviews the framework of UNT’s plans and during the last review, the state organization found that the university met all requirements with no changes needed. This framework provides terms and definitions, identifies levels of criticality and response requirements.
Plans are implemented during major events, such as the COVID pandemic, and during impactful events, such as extended power outages due to severe weather.
“We were the first institution in the state to take a framework approach that establishes a base plan from which all others branch out into their own plans. This gives each of our areas guidance, but with the flexibility to address their own needs,” said Olszewski.
Smaller areas may not already have a business continuity plan, but Olszewski is happy to work with any UNT group to help create one. Simply email him at emergency.management@unt.edu.
Receiving this state award reaffirms UNT’s position as a leader in emergency management and business continuity. It validates the university’s proactive approach to safeguarding its students, faculty, staff, and community. UNT will continue to prioritize continuity planning as an integral component of its overall risk management strategy.
Posted Aug. 30, 2024
Most of the roads surrounding UNT's campus are owned and maintained by our partners at the City of Denton. Starting with this academic year, some of these roads are undergoing utility expansion and paving roadwork. This work will not only help ensure our utilities are carrying the load to sustain activity on campus but also that we will have smooth, nice roads surrounding our beautiful campus.
Our own Facilities department acts as the primary partner with the City of Denton, receiving updates and sharing information campus-wide so that students, faculty, staff and visitors have a better understanding of the best routes to navigate campus.
If you need the latest information about roadwork -- or any of the construction impacting campus -- then please visit the Construction page on the UNT Facilities website. They keep the site updated so that our community members have a better understanding of what is going on around campus and can best prepare for their journey to or from UNT.
Posted Aug. 26, 2024
The first day of school, even for returning students can be very overwhelming because UNT has a big campus with many supportive services. It's a lot like a small city when you're here at UNT!
During the first week, Vice President Clayton Gibson enjoys spending time at the welcome tents giving out goodies and answering questions for students. One of the questions he heard the most this year was regarding wayfinding so it's important to note that all UNT buildings and almost all parking lots are listed on Android and iPhone maps (along with Google Maps). If you enter in your building name and "UNT" then you should get a direct route to help you find the location.
Most of the departments in the Division of Finance & Administration do not have a direct impact on education but all of the departments oversee efforts to provide supportive services. We recommend our community members familiarize themselves with our social media and websites to help them find information to make their experience at UNT a bit smoother.
Click through the departments listed on this site to find their websites. You can also find Facilities on Facebook at UNTFacilitiesDept, and on X or Instagram at UNTFacilities. UNT Police Department is on Facebook, X and Instagram at UNTPolice. Transportation and Parking is on Facebook and Instagram at UNTTransit. Risk Management Services is on Facebook, X and Instagram at MeanGreenReady.
Posted Aug. 19, 2024
In May 2024, K-9 Keegan retired after six years of service with the UNT Police Department. The department then chose Ofc. Cioffi to be the next K-9 handler for their explosive detection dog. In July 2024, he returned from training with K-9 Watson, shown at left.
The duo can be seen at home games and large events on the UNT campus. Watson is trained as an explosives detection dog using the Vapor Wake system, in that and his looks he is almost identical to K-9 Keegan. He sniffs the air to detect scents and follows the scent of explosives to their source. When you see him on campus or at events, you may see him raise his face as he sniffs the air. He may also seem to be wandering, but that is a sign that he is tracing a scent.
K-9 Watson is almost 2 years old and has been extensively trained in detection. He and Ofc. Cioffi will also be on-call for assistance to other police departments, as needed.
If you see K-9 Watson on campus, he may be friendly but please refrain from petting him unless the officer says it is OK -- because he may be working and we don't want him to get distracted.
Posted Aug. 12, 2024
Many students who attend UNT live within the Denton city limits. To make it easier for them to navigate campus, UNT has a partnership with Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA).
DCTA is the service provider of buses that run routes internal to UNT's campus and externally within the city to allow commuters to leave their cars at home and still get to class on time.
The fall 2024 bus route and service schedule was recently posted on DCTA's website. Find it by clicking here.
As a supplement to DCTA's routes, UNT's Transportation Services department also offers a Night Flight program. This allows students to get a safe ride between two points on campus by calling for a Night Flight shuttle. Find out more about the Night Flight shuttle (formerly E-Ride) and other transit options on campus by clicking here.
Posted August 5, 2024
In 1982, the self-proclaimed "Wild Women" were a group of friends who lived in Clark Hall while attending UNT. They gathered for a reunion during homecoming in 1992 and buried some sentimental items in a storage bin “time capsule” near Clark Hall.
On July 10, 2024, a UNT Facilities work crew was repairing a sanitary waste pipe when they discovered the bin. This led to a social media post and, ultimately, the Wild Women were identified! You can read about our discovery and the social media responses of the Wild Women in news media stories linked on this page.
Kudos to our staff for identifying the sentimental value of their discovery and taking steps to preserve it as best they could. Please note that UNT does not recommend burying your own time capsules as digging on the grounds may disrupt utility lines.
Posted July 29, 2024
The University of North Texas takes pride in living Our Values. These values have meaning and can be seen in our every day activities.
For example, Risk Management Services, shown at left, explored the "Be Curious" value as they conducted an exercise to learn about the strengths of each team member. Developing a better understanding of each other also supports the "Better Together" value as the team learned how each member could use their strengths to support each other, the department, and the mission of UNT.
Taking time to learn and grow is important in our roles here at UNT. It supports our own professional development while keeping us connected back to our community.
Posted July 22, 2024
The staff in the UNT Controller's office handle many of the daily accounting duties that keep our university fiscally responsible and on track to achieve our budgeting goals.
They also make time to help others. At left, a member of the UNT Controller's office explains financial accounting processes during an open house help session. The University Budget team hosts these monthly sessions in collaboration with the controller's team so that staff at UNT can get their questions answered directly from our experts.
The UNT Controller's office includes four areas of concentration: accounting & financial reporting; student accounting; cash; and state. These teams offer support for all of our campus needs.
Posted July 15, 2024