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Behind the Mask

Meet the Experts Guiding UNC Asheville’s Return to Campus

By UNC Asheville

July 7^th, 2020

At UNC Asheville, we know that we are Bulldogs, wherever we are.

We also know that our community is at its best when we’re able to be together. That day will finally arrive on August 10, 2020, when classes resume in person, online and in hybrid formats. With new health and safety protocols in place, this semester will certainly look different than any we’ve ever experienced. You can read the full plan here. This plan has been developed with the collective efforts and advisement of a huge team, spanning from local partners like MAHEC and the city and county managers, to the university’s Emergency Operations Committee, which includes representatives from across campus, who have been working tirelessly for months to ensure our safe return to our UNC Asheville home this fall:

David Weldon

Emergency Management Director

Weldon is responsible for the coordination and management of all emergency response activities, including the development, implementation, and review of the emergency operations plan, departmental standard operating guidelines and training. He’s also responsible for the environmental health and safety program. Weldon’s work in emergency management has spanned three decades and has included positions working in county and state governments. His expertise is sought out not only at UNC Asheville, where he’s worked for eight years, but also across the UNC System and North Carolina.

Fun Fact: Weldon has even taken on “the Super Bowl of emergency management” when he served as command staff of the emergency operations center for the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte in 2012.

Kim Kauer

Environmental Health and Safety Officer

Kauer is the institutional director and chair of the university’s environmental health and safety committee, which is charged with supporting the University in its endeavors to comply with local, state and federal laws applicable to campus operations and academics. Kauer advises, educates, and protects students, faculty and staff in the workplace environment, supports UNC System environmental health and safety initiatives, and ensures the University complies with local, state and federal regulations. This summer she’s been working to ensure preventative measures are in place to protect students, faculty and staff this fall. She serves on staff council, the health and wellness committee, and was on the UNC System emergency operation committee’s disaster response team for Hurricane Florence.

Kauer has worked in environmental health and safety for about 30 years, and has been at UNC Asheville for a little over two years. She’s spent most of her career in heavy manufacturing in the automotive industry; after retiring from that work she returned to college to pursue a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. After graduating, she got a job as a public health advisor for the Centers for Disease Control, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS), Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development in Atlanta, GA.

Fun Fact: She once used a 20-ton bulldozer to pull a 54-foot 18-wheeler from a ditch. The driver had tried to turn around on the gravel road leading to Kauer’s 60-acre tree farm and gotten stuck. When she offered to help, he said, “Ma’am, it would take a bulldozer to get this truck out of the ditch.” He was dumbfounded when Kauer returned with her farm’s bulldozer several minutes later and easily pulled him from the ditch.

David Todd

Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Operations

Todd has been working at UNC Asheville for 18 years, and has 31 years of experience in the design, operation and maintenance of facilities, buildings and grounds. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the 2 +2 Engineering program between UNC Asheville and NC State University. On campus his responsibilities include the day to day operation and maintenance of campus buildings and grounds as well as the design and construction of new facilities, and he manage the facilities management and design and construction teams. He serves on the Master Plan Leadership Team at UNC Asheville, and is a member of the Association of Physical Plant Administrators.

Todd has been on campus nearly every day since COVID-19 sent most students, faculty and staff home. During this time, he’s been managing a small crew that has insured our buildings and grounds stayed safe and functional. As part of the EOC and academic task force Todd has helped determine plans and logistics associated with reopening—everything from talking through class schedules as they relate to housekeeping and disinfecting, desk spacing, classroom layouts, and building signage. He’s also assisted with locating and procuring personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks, along with hand sanitizer and wipes. And he’s helped design and procure over 1200 sneeze guards, and 400 hand sanitizer stations for campus.

Fun Fact: Todd was a professional skydiver for about 10 years, and has completed over 2,000 skydives from planes, helicopters and hot air balloons. That’s 36 hours of freefall time!

Behind (Rocky’s) Mask: Casey Watkins

One day before Governor Cooper's "wear your mask" mandate took effect, Rocky became a role model, helping raise awareness of everyone's role in creating a caring campus community where we all protect each other's health. Rocky's mask was sewn and placed by costume designer Casey Watkins of the drama faculty, whose own personal response to the pandemic was immediate and serious. Working at home on a totally voluntary basis, Watkins began sewing face masks for humans back in mid-March and has completed and donated more than 300 that are in use by essential workers, homeless people and others in need.

Watkins maintains contact with costume designers in New York City who had suddenly lost their jobs in the theater district as the pandemic hit hard. "All the sudden, costume people are doing the full-coverage gowns and surgical caps – we have the skills,” Watkins said. “The traditionally lowest-paid people in technical theater are suddenly the most important. It’s often dismissed as ‘just women sewing.’ And most of our clothes are made by women in other countries who are terribly underpaid. I want to share these stories."

Watkins and her colleagues in costuming frequently communicate via online forums, where they share resources. “Usually, it’s ‘does anybody have a Peter Pan alligator costume I can borrow,’ but now it’s full of academic articles about the best materials for different levels of protection needs, and also, importantly, how to get paid doing this kind of work if you are out of a job,” Watkins said.

Watkins also called on two of her New York City costuming colleagues, Tyler Holland and Kenneth Griffin, for their assistance with her theatrical makeup course at UNC Asheville when classes transitioned online in the spring of 2020. Holland designs off-Broadway, and Griffin is a makeup artist who works for Broadway productions such as Kinky Boots and the Lion King. Both also specialize in the makeup design and performance art of drag queens.

With everyone in the NYC theatre scene is currently out of work, Holland and Griffin were more than happy to accept Casey’s invitation to come on Zoom and be guest lecturers for her class’ last unit of study on drag makeup.

“The students were a bit star-struck at the idea that people working on Broadway were teaching them, and that their professor knew people working on Broadway,” Watkins said.

The two theatre artists created a thorough two-week unit of study outlining drag history, makeup application techniques, character creation, theatrical drag for stage tricks and many other aspects of this performance art.

Holland and Griffin were ideal guest artists, Watkins said, who were, “wonderful with the students, answering questions, and were really invested in the characters they were creating. I was super thrilled at the whole experience. They even convinced me to participate!”

Meet the Blue Crew

Sometimes, you just need your peers to show you the ropes. That’s what the Blue Crew is all about. And this year UNC Asheville’s team of student orientation leaders has a new challenge ahead of them: helping first year students navigate college during a pandemic. Meet a few members of the Crew and find out what they’d like their fellow students to know about the year ahead.

Alexa La Pierre

Junior

History Major

“I want students to know that they should wear their masks. It's easy and can stop the spread of COVID. Also that the university has done a lot of prepping and planning and behind the scenes work to prepare school for the fall and make sure everyone is safe and comfortable.”

Fun Fact: Has a skeleton tattoo.

Ana Rodriguez-Cué

Sophomore

Creative Writing Major with Teacher Licensure

Treasurer of HOLA; member of Blue Echo Radio, the Literature Club and the Collegiate Recovery Alliance; Student Ambassador

“This upcoming semester, I’d like other students to know that each and every one of us are on the edge of our seats, waiting to see what the next day’s news report will bring. Just know you are not alone and we are all in this together!”

Fun Fact: Was born ambidextrous

Madison Gilroy

Sophomore

Psychology Major

“As long as we continue to care about each other as we always have, have compassion, and wear masks we will continue to thrive this next semester! The school is putting a lot of safety measures to protect us and our community!”

Fun Fact: Can hold a dime in her dimple when she smiles

Eva Rodriguez-Cué

Sophomore

Arts, Management & Entrepreneurship Major

Student Ambassador

“As an orientation leader, my team and I were tasked to be the first online Blue Crew. Through trial and error we successfully put on four orientation sessions over two weeks and helped the class of 2024 prepare for the coming school year over zoom, google drive, oneport and a new app called Raftr.

My advice to fellow bulldogs, please wear a mask and follow preventive measures for COVID-19! Although it can be tricky, if we follow these guidelines, life will sooner resume at our favorite place, UNC Asheville!”

Fun Fact: Lives with her twin sister and their seven-year-old chinchilla, Charlie.

A Word from the Area Directors

Students who live on campus have another resource to turn to when needed: their area director. Area directors oversee the wellbeing of their students, help build community, and keep students safe. They do everything from helping students who are facing tough situations, to helping with study skills or cooking lessons.

Area Director Resharia Keller and a few of her RAs

Madison Merrifield

Worked at UNC Asheville for one year; also worked in residence halls at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Georgia State University

Member of NASPA, American College Professional Association, Southern Association for College Student Affairs

Serves on campus CARE Team

Madison Merrifield is working hard to prepare for the fall 2020 semester by staying up to date on all laws, policies, etc. related to COVID-19, practicing some self-care strategies that she can role model to residents, and working on her “#maskswag.”

“I'll always be able to listen to residents who need to process all the changes happening, and I'll also be working to create some fun amidst a very un-fun season,” Merrifield said.

Merrifield says she takes her role of keeping her students safe very seriously, and so she’s working with her teammates in Residential Education to educate and enforce important new policies within residence halls and around campus like wearing masks, keeping safe social distances, and building a sense of community responsibility.

“Some days it seems impossible, but I fully believe we will make it through this pandemic, and we'll be stronger because of it!” Merrifield said. “In the meantime, we need to show our Bulldog Bravery by doing our part to keep our community safe... even though sometimes it will be annoying or inconvenient. Things will look different around campus, but one thing will be the same: we're here for you and we're committed to (safely) making the most of this experience!

“However it may look this semester, don't forget that I've got your back.”

Fun Fact: Entered the National Gingerbread House Competition in 2019 with a gingerbread version of UNC Asheville’s Bee Hotel

Dylan Lawing

Worked at UNC Asheville for one year; also worked as a resident director, coordinator for diversity and inclusion and assistant director for campus rec at Wofford College

Member of American College Professional Association

Dylan Lawing is preparing for the semester ahead with a focus on student communication and engagement. “We have implemented a new mobile app called Raftr, to increase student to student engagement through technology and changes on how we will implement programming to ensure all students will be safe,” Lawing said.

He’ll also be checking in with students via email and virtual meetings to talk about their physical and mental health throughout the semester.

“Next semester will be different. Dining and events will be spaced out. Instead of students meeting and hanging out in small spaces, we will most likely encourage them to do the same in a large space or outside. Hours for certain offices or buildings may be changed,” Lawing said. “I ask that we are all patient during this time, we are all navigating this together. Be open to changes because things we may thought would have worked, do not so that requires us to change those protocols. This will be a group effort in following protocols to ensure the safety of the UNC Asheville community.”

Fun fact: Collects bobbleheads—mostly sports-related, but also has bobbleheads like Superman and A Christmas Story

Anna Claire Dodd

Worked at UNC Asheville for one year; worked in residence life at Clemson University and Appalachian State University

Member of American College Professional Association

Getting ready for residence life in the fall semester has been no small task. “I won't lie—we have to re-think a lot of what we do,” Anna Claire Dodd said. “Some things that my team and I are preparing include thorough plans for residents who may have COVID-19, safety protocols and procedures, a brand-new virtual programming platform, and much more.”

But while programming has changed, Dodd says, student support will not.

“I will be supporting students with the same mission I always had, except this time, with a mask and more distance between us.”

Dodd will be responsible for ensuring any students who experience COVID-19 symptoms relocate appropriately on campus and are connected to the Health and Counseling Center immediately.

“I want residents to know that we are still here and we still care about how they're doing,” Dodd said, “in fact, probably more than ever.”

Fun Fact: Can touch her nose with her tongue

Resharia Keller

Worked at UNC Asheville one year

Member of Southern Association for College Student Affairs

Reshaira Keller says she’s putting a big emphasis on connection and care this semester.

“The big things is going to be finding a way to maintain connection,” she said. “My goal will be to create as many genuine relationships as I can with students, but doing so safely. In that regard it’s going to look a lot different, figuring out how we keep our residential community safe, how we keep them sanitized and are reducing the risk of spreading coronavirus.”

Keller says she’s planning on finding out more about students individual preferences for contact—a socially distant meeting with masks, a phone call, a video chat?—and focusing on being flexible in order to meet those needs.

She’s also planning to encourage students to maintain those connections with their faculty and advisors. “If you know that online learning is not a strong suit of yours, reach out to your advisor, at the beginning of the semester, before you get into your heavy coursework” she said. “Let them know what your concerns are. They want to hear from you, so that they can support you properly. And they know that that looks different for everybody.”

“Reach out, you have people to support you, our whole Care and Crisis Team is dedicated to student success,” she said. “Utilize those resources.”

She’s also working on developing some fun virtual programming for her students, like museum tours, movie nights, and group painting activities.

“We really want to be able to relieve stress,” Keller said. “We can make a lot of things work creatively.”

Even with all the uncertainty of the semester ahead, Keller wants her students to know that she and her resident assistants are excited for the students to come back to campus.

“We are looking forward to caring for and about them,” she said. “With effort and with a positive attitude we’re really going to be able to make the semester and the academic year successful and we’re going to be able to make it fun and engaging. And we’re going to prioritize doing that safely.”

Fun Fact: Has been to 13 counties in four and a half months during her study abroad trip to Austria as a senior. She also visited Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and the Netherlands.

Welcoming New Students: Sarah Smith

Incoming first year students and transfer students in the fall of 2020 were welcomed to UNC Asheville a bit differently than the students who came before them—Sarah Smith, the interim director of transition and parent programs at UNC Asheville, took on the task of helping new students discover their new home on campus during COVID-19.

“My work day pre-COVID is a mixture of meetings that focus on how to support our incoming students and our current first-year students,” Smith said. That includes organizing big fall events like EmBark, Pre-RendezBlue and RendezBlue, and Family Weekend. “In March, everything shifted and all of the initial planning we were doing stopped and I had to rethink how we were doing everything.”

That meant, among other things, moving her class on orientation leaders online. “We spent the rest of the semester continuing to prep and also spending time building our team because we weren't able to do that in person during the spring semester,” Smith said. “The orientation leaders working together as a team and being able to support and encourage each other was critical to our success this summer!”

Smith also had to figure out how to bring programs like EmBark Orientation online. EmBark would usually be a time for incoming students to gather at UNC Asheville, meet new friends and faculty members, explore the university and the city, and take part in fun activities together.

“Ultimately I had to focus on what our culture is at UNC Asheville and how we can make sure that our online EmBark format is true to who we are at UNC Asheville,” Smith said. “And for us, it's a focus on the individual relationships and ensuring our students know that they are cared for and will be supported holistically in their development.”

And then there was the technology to figure out; Zoom and an app called Raftr helped create the virtual community and information sessions. In the end, the numbers broke down like this:

· 5 EmBark sessions

· 12 orientation leaders

· 65 faculty members serving as advisors representing every department on campus

· 91 presentations from staff and faculty

· 143 orientation leader small group sessions

· 202 Zoom links

· 0 major technology catastrophes

The work continues with bringing other campus events for students and families online or restructuring them to be safe and socially distant throughout the semester.

“I want our campus community to know that we are all in this together,” Smith said. “Its going to take everyone working together, communicating together, and supporting each other to allow us to have a successful fall semester-and we can do it! We're off to a great start!”

Fun Fact: Smith completed her first half marathon in March during the beginning of the state Stay at Home orders. Even though the Biltmore Half Marathon was canceled, she still ran all 13.1 miles!