From the Desk: It's Celebration Season!
Greetings,
This fiscal year and academic year have been off to a great start, and I am thankful for all the great work our team has been doing to make this start a success. There is always work to do, but I want to take a moment to thank you and note some of the work we are doing this fall.
Our fall luncheon was a ton of fun!!! I was glad to see so many faces and everyone enjoying their time visiting and catching up with colleagues and friends. It was awesome to have Hoosier the Bison stop by for a little bit and take photos, visit with our team, and have some fun during the event. I hope you enjoyed the time and were able to take a small break from the important work we do. Congrats to those who met milestones in their service to IU and those that walked away with some goodies!! I am thankful for the great support and work of Karen Easter, who organized and setup the event so all of us could enjoy!
The 2025 annual financial audit is almost complete! We are in the final steps of closing the books officially for 2025 and I am happy to report that things are positive both financially and process wise for our financial operations. There are still many ways we can make improvements, and we are doing that every day, but having a clean audit and strong financial position is a testament to your commitment to IU’s financial position and future. I am thankful to Anna Jensen and her team for once again tackling the annual audit and presenting before the Board of Trustees in December.
Over the last few weeks, I had the opportunity, along with Hormaz Dubash and Brett Dunn, to visit with all the regional campuses, their leaders, and students, to talk about the role of the CFO and how we support their goals and needs through our team. I am happy to report they are greatly appreciative of the support we provide for them and their students and are eager to work with us to find ways to continue to improve their operations. I heard from each of the campus Chancellors how important our role is in their success and how delighted they were to learn more about our team. I am thankful for their time and feedback as we met with them, and your continued engagement with their teams.
As we continue to look at ways we can improve the services we provide to the IU community, Don Lukes and Baris Kiyar have reviewed and requested feedback on Bursar and Procurement operations. These two operations are critically important to IU and our students and parents. We serve as the front door to many of the transactions they engage with on a daily basis. Don and Baris have been working to identify new approaches and opportunities to continue to improve our engagement so we can support IU students, faculty and staff. I am thankful to Don and Baris for their commitment to their teams and always striving for the best.
Thank you for all you do for IU and your team. Have a wonderful holiday!!
Best,
Jason
Meet the Team
We're remixing the "Meet Your Leaders" feature this issue and introducing you to a team in IU Finance instead of an individual! Each team is asked the same 6 questions. This issue, we're introducing the External Financial Reporting team.
What is your group's official name and who are the awesome employees that make it up?
We are External Financial Reporting within the Office of the University Controller. Our awesome team members are as follows: Michelle Issacson (Senior Accountant), Paige Psyllos (Principal Accountant), Sadie Schmidt (Principal Accountant), Corbin Neu (Associate Director), Troy McAlister (Director), Christy Gelback-Diaz (Senior Director) and Shannon Bloom Thomas (Assistant Controller).
How would you explain your team's role at IU to a student?
We provide comprehensive, consolidated financial reporting for the university. This includes preparing the university’s annual financial report, leading the financial statement audit process, and preparing other reports required to maintain the university’s compliance. Our work ensures transparency in the university’s financial position to external stakeholders, including the Higher Learning Commission, federal and state agencies and others.
What's one goal or initiative your group is focusing on?
We recently completed the university’s 2025 financial statement audit and are looking forward to our project season, where we will be working on financial reporting enhancements to create efficiencies and increase transparency.
What hobby or interest is surprisingly common among your team members?
In addition to traveling and reading non-accounting related materials, we also enjoy exercising our creative brains in a variety of ways, including crocheting, pottery, and remodeling projects.
What is a team tradition -- a special lunch, coffee run, or gathering -- your group uses to celebrate an accomplishment or lift team spirits?
Each year, after the audit concludes, we go to lunch as a team with the University Controller (Anna Jensen) to celebrate wrapping up this significant milestone. We also enjoy the annual trip to Mother Bear’s with our external audit partners!
How would you describe your team in one word and why?
Collaborative. We chose the word collaborative because everyone on the team is always willing to help with any task—large or small. We enjoy working through projects and brainstorming together. Additionally, all of our projects require working with staff from a variety of departments in the university. We couldn’t do our work without everyone’s help!
Thank you, External Financial Reporting team, for sharing a bit about yourselves with the rest of the division!
HR Corner
New resources and other updates from IU Human Resources.
Performance at IU: What's New for 2026
Annual performance reviews and expectation conversations are coming soon. Based on employee feedback and performance management best practices, the Organizational Development team has implemented some important changes to Performance at IU:
- One simplified guide: The Expectation and Annual Performance Conversation Guides are now combined into one document, including remote work expectations.
- Four-point rating scale: “Exceeded expectations” is now a distinct category.
- Streamlined attestation: Leaders will now complete one form confirming all conversations.
Leaders must submit attestations by May 15, 2026.
What's new for Performance at IU
Supporting Grief & Loss
Grief touches all of us — sometimes through the death of a loved one, but also in other forms of loss: changes in health, family, work, or even the world around us. No matter how it arrives, grief doesn’t stay outside the workplace. Healthy IU has launched a new page offering resources, reflections, and support to remind you that you don’t have to navigate loss alone.
Explore Grief & Loss support resources
Adverse Weather Reminder
As winter marches forward, remember that IU campuses will not close. Review IU’s Adverse Weather Policy and be prepared to use your best judgment when travel conditions are hazardous.
Learn what happens during adverse weather
Year-End PTO & Pay Reminders
With winter holidays near, IU HR’s Year-End article reminds employees about:
- Winter break holiday schedules
- Using PTO during office closings & borrowing PTO
- The final 2025 paycheck timeline
Brush up on year-end PTO & pay
New Employee Spotlight
Several new staff have joined IU Finance since our last issue! Get to know them by checking out their profiles.
Name: Eric Rumschlag
Start date: September 29, 2025
Department and job title: Office of Insurance, Loss Control & Claims (INLOCC), Fire Inspector
Get to know Eric: I'm a graduate of IUB and am excited to work again for IU. Since I last worked for IU as an undergrad, I've had a 25-year career in the fire and life safety industry working for ADT, Tyco Integrated Security, and Johnson Controls. I've also been a fire inspector for the city of Indianapolis. I'm the husband of Rachel Popma and father to our two boys, August (16) and Ari (12). I'm an Indianapolis native and son of Sam and Lily Rumschlag (also IU grads).
Any hobbies or special interests you’d like to share? Hobbies and special interests include bowling, small engine repair, and fashion. I was featured in the June 2024 issue of Indianapolis Monthly for my stylish looks.
Name: Paige Psyllos
Start date: October 1, 2025
Department and job title: Office of the University Controller, Principal Accountant
Get to know Paige: I’m a proud graduate of the University of Southern Indiana, where I earned both my bachelor’s degree in accounting and my MBA. I stay involved with my alma mater through the USI Accounting Circle, helping plan events and connect students with professionals in the field. I’m a licensed CPA with over seven years of professional experience, most recently as a Tax Manager at Forvis Mazars (formerly BKD). I’m really excited to join the team at IU!
Any hobbies or special interests you’d like to share? I love traveling and spending time with friends and family. My husband and I are currently brainstorming potential 5-year wedding anniversary trip locations for next May so I’m open to recommendations!
Name: Christa Brown
Start date: October 27, 2025
Department and job title: Office of the University Controller, UA Principal Accountant
Get to know Christa: I am from the Richmond, Virginia area where I attended college and earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. I have been an Internal Auditor for both a health care management company and a media communications company. Those positions led to other roles in the companies where I worked with pharmaceutical rebates and in the Shared Services department. I am married with two children and just became an empty nester. We lived in Puerto Rico, Missouri, and West Virginia before making Indiana home base.
Any hobbies or special interests you’d like to share? I enjoy exploring the areas we move to with my family and branching out to see what the surrounding areas have to offer.
Name: Jordan Dalton
Start date: November 10, 2025
Department and job title: Accounts Payable, Research & Audit Representative
Get to know Jordan: I have been with IU for two and a half years now and worked positions with both Procurement and the Jacobs School of Music. I'm also an IU English Alum and love helping support our academic programs.
Any hobbies or special interests you’d like to share? In my spare time, I like to paint, hike, roller blade, and learn new crafts.
Not Pictured:
- Andrew Moreland, INLOCC, Start date: October 6, 2025
- Diego Alanis, INLOCC, Start date: October 6, 2025
- Luke Kiritschenko, INLOCC, Start date: October 22, 2025
- Eric Mokube, Finance Shared Services, Start date: November 10, 2025
GenAI Explained: Start Enhancing Your Work
You’ve probably heard the terms “AI” “generative AI” and “GenAI” a lot lately, but what exactly are they? “AI” stands for artificial intelligence, and “generative AI” (called GenAI for short) refers to a version of AI that is trained on data to create, or generate, content you request. You may have used these tools without realizing it. Ever asked Spotify to create a playlist or used the Magic Eraser tool? That’s AI!
Other common examples of GenAI tools include Microsoft Copilot, Chat GPT, and Google Gemini. The online versions of these tools are trained on information that’s broadly available on the web. For example, when you give Copilot a request, it assess millions of online resources, picks out the best and most relevant ones, and creates a response based on how you framed your request. This is a great way to brainstorm ideas or generate examples of the “best” way to do something. You can also upload documents and ask it to perform an initial analysis or review.
Your head may be spinning at the enormous number of possibilities here, and that’s completely fair! GenAI technology is rapidly evolving, and we all need to get comfortable with using this tool. It’s not about using GenAI to replace us or what we do. It’s about learning how use it to enhance what we do, like having it take a first pass at reviewing a procedure, cleaning up data in a spreadsheet, or presenting alternative ways to convey a message.
The key is learning how to “talk” to these AI tools, review their responses for accuracy, and use them compliantly and ethically. The GenAI 101 Canvas course, launched this fall, teaches you exactly that. This online course was created by Professor Brian Williams from the Kelley School of Business but is open to all IU staff.
You can complete it at your own speed – watch a video or two and practice a skill as you can – and chip away at the course over time. The end of each module of the course has a reflection activity. This may sound scary, but it’s not! You’re encouraged to complete one of the activities the course suggests, but you can also simply enter your thoughts about what you learned in the module in the prompt to get credit for completing that section of the course.
Before you take off for the holidays, enroll in the GenAI 101 course and check out a video or two. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll learn!
Department News & Updates
Get up to speed on what's been happening in IU Finance.
Financial Enterprise Engagement (FEE)
The IU Finance 2030 initiative was introduced during October’s Finance Town Hall. Since then, this initiative has been given a new name, Project Horizon, but the goals remain the same: bring IU’s financial operations into the modern era and build a culture of fiscal responsibility and accountability across the university.
Hormaz Dubash has been meeting with campus groups to share updates on Project Horizon and discuss how the upcoming review of IU’s financial structure and processes will lead to a modern organization in the future. These conversations are essential for understanding IU’s current state and building connections with staff.
IU recently issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to higher education consultants, which received strong interest. A stakeholder committee is reviewing proposals and will select a partner to assess IU’s current state and recommend a structure that supports efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance moving forward. The findings will help shape a future organization that meets IU’s needs while ensuring compliance as a public research institution.
Financial Training & Communications
Angus Burke and Juliet Roberts have been hard at work ensuring IU faculty and staff stay informed about important policy updates. Angus partnered with the Office of the University Controller (UCO) to promote the updated Employee Determination policy, which went live on September 11. He presented the changes to several audiences, helping clarify when individuals should be paid as employees through IU’s payroll system versus as independent contractors through BUY.IU. Meanwhile, Juliet has focused on supporting faculty and staff through the Accountable Plan policy changes introduced on July 1. She has kept this new process top of mind—where unreconciled or unreimbursed transactions become taxable after 60 days—through presentations, email announcements, and IU Today articles, helping colleagues avoid unexpected surprises in the new year.
In addition to their regular responsibilities, Angus and Juliet attended several webinars and trainings to learn more about resources available at IU. The virtual GenAI Jumpstart session, hosted by UITS Learning Technologies, introduced the team to a plethora of tools available to IU faculty and staff. This was a great companion session to the GenAI 101 Canvas course and helped the team brainstorm creative ways to use these tools in our training development process. The Training team also attended Brand Camp, an all-day training presented by University Communications and Marketing (UCM) in Indianapolis. They got to hear from experts across the university about IU’s Brand 2.0 initiative and new online tools that are now available.
Office of the Treasurer
Big kudos to Barb Doster, Gwen Indrutz, Jada Driver, and Kylee Pendley from the Bursar’s Account Resolution Team (ART) for going above and beyond! They recently wrapped up a massive calling campaign—over 1,700 calls to students at regional campuses—to help them clear their balances and stay on track for Spring 2026 enrollment. Thanks to ART’s quick action and personal outreach, many students got the support they needed to register for classes on time. This wasn’t just about phone calls—it was about removing barriers and helping students succeed—and the team did it in record time. Amazing work!
Over the past few months, the INLOCC Loss Control Team has demonstrated exceptional commitment and adaptability. Despite reduced staffing and medical-related absences, our inspectors ensured that critical responsibilities—such as inspections, fire drills, and loss control coverage at athletic events—continued without interruption. Notably, one team member even leveraged AI to create an online Fire and Building Codes quiz, fostering collaboration and professional development among inspectors. These efforts reflect the team’s dedication to our shared mission: protecting the people and infrastructure of Indiana University. Thank you to the Loss Control Team for your outstanding work and initiative!
Capital Finance within the Office of the Treasurer plays the key role of managing relationships with credit rating agencies. On October 16, S&P Global (S&P) reaffirmed IU's AAA long term credit rating and A-1+ short term credit rating, the highest credit ratings available.
IU’s credit rating from S&P is reflective of many factors, such as financial resources, including ample liquidity, market position and demand, and management best practices. S&P stated, “… IU has a history of converting strategic positioning and decisions into constructive action and achieving financial and operational goals. The university has displayed excellent organization effectiveness and the ability to make difficult resource allocation decisions, including cutting costs effectively to maintain break-even to positive operating results.”
IU’s cost cutting efforts affect us all personally. Many thanks for all your efforts on behalf of IU.
Thanks to a great collaboration between Treasury Operations, Purchasing, Supplier Data Management (SDM), and UITS, the wire transfer payment process has been streamlined in the following ways:
- Better upfront checks: Treasury staff now review wire transfer details when suppliers register, making sure everything is accurate from the start. This prevents most of the problems we used to see.
- Faster payment processing: When an invoice hits the Treasury Review stop in BUY.IU, the wire transfer and payment details automatically flow to IU’s banking partner, eliminating manual re-entry.
Both these changes result in fewer errors, faster payments, and a lot less frustration for Treasury staff and our suppliers. Thank you to Melissa Smith, Shalom Drummond, and Stephanie Mobley for your instrumental work getting this new process in place and ensuring it meets our security and compliance requirements. Special thanks to our Purchasing colleagues Dawn Bodle and Amanda Coats for helping us navigate BUY.IU and beyond!
Office of the University Controller (UCO)
Fall was a conference-filled season for UCO. Zach Whitesel and Margot Burke presented at the Indiana Association of College and University Business Officers (IACUBO) in November. The team shared insights from the phased implementation of IU’s updated Accountable Plan policy and highlighted how this approach has strengthened compliance. Later that month, UCO hosted the B1G Controllers meeting. Twice a year the B1G Controllers get together to discuss issues of common concern, share best practices, and network. The event rotates between each of the schools and this fall was IU’s turn to host. We had an excellent meeting and even managed to run into Coach Cignetti as we took the group on a tour of Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall!
Payroll process review and standardization was another focus this fall. Previously, IU had several payroll policies, each covering an aspect of the process. Many of these policies were reworked into IU Accounting Standards. These Standards define compliance requirements in more detail and are the go-to source for staff in roles with finance responsibilities. The new payroll policy, FIN-PAY-001: Payroll Compliance, defines the university’s position and expectations related to payroll processing. This project is ongoing, and UCO continues to work on development of payroll processes, standards, and tools in collaboration with payroll processors, fiscal officers, and units.
Procurement Services
Procurement continues to look for ways to streamline how IU purchases goods and services and books travel needed to support its mission. Linda Blair, Denzil Cotera, and Vanessa Freeman have been working with their commodity teams to consolidate contract information across IU. The goal of these efforts is to create a single contract database faculty and staff can review to see what contracts should be used before engaging other suppliers. On the Travel front, Priscilla Vincent reviewed content on the Travel website to ensure it’s up to date. These updates are the first step towards redesigning the website with the traveler audience in mind, making it easier to see how travel should be booked.
Next year, UPS CampusShip will be replaced with eShipGlobal, a platform that allows you to enter the details of your shipment and choose the right carrier – including UPS, FedEx, and others – based on your needs. Team members from Purchasing, Accounts Payable, Financial Training & Communication, UCO, UITS, and the Office for Research Administration (ORA) will continue to meet and discuss the configuration of this new tool along with the implementation strategy. More information will be shared soon.
Last but not least, Kristin Brand continues to do an enormous amount of outreach to IU faculty, staff, and their Fiscal Officers. She’s notified these expense owners and financial staff of prepaid travel and P-Card transactions that need to be reconciled as soon as possible so the individuals avoid being taxed on these transactions. Thanks to her efforts, the number of outstanding transactions has been reduced by over 90%! This is a huge win for the individuals who would have been taxed and for IU’s financial compliance.
University Budget Office & Finance Shared Services (UBO and FNSS)
Budget construction for fiscal year 27 (FY27) is right around the corner. UBO recently published the FY27 Operating Budget Calendar which provides the timeline and key milestones for developing operating budgets. The first milestone for campuses is on December 8 when the 3-year Budget Model Portal opens, allowing groups to begin planning their budgets. Further guidance for budget construction will be distributed on March 11 including the salary guidance and detailed budget instructions. Campuses may also provide additional guidance and deadlines which may be earlier than the deadlines listed in the UBO calendar.
The KFS Budget Construction module is a legacy system that has been tweaked over the years to meet IU’s evolving needs. However, the time has come for this KFS module to be retired and replaced with a more robust tool. UBO is in the process of procuring a more robust budgeting and financial planning & analysis (FP&A) solution to better support institutional planning. The software aims to improve the budget process, provide better financial modeling, and establish standardized budget to actual financial reports. Financial leaders across IU attended a demo of the leading vendor to explore its capabilities and ask questions. We will continue to operate in the current system for FY27 budget construction and will transition to a new software for the FY28 budget build.
FNSS was established in 2022 by realigning finance-focused jobs across University Administration (UA) units into a centralized group that reports to the AVP for Budget & Planning. The goal of consolidating these positions was to streamline processes and strengthen service delivery for all UA units. UBO and FNSS leaders are working through plans for the final phase of this reorganization to make this goal a reality. Service centers focused on processes, such as Accounts Payable, will be created within the new structure. Staff in these service centers will then support specific functions for all UA units. Planning will continue over the next several months, with full implementation expected in Q1 of FY27.
Kudos, Service Milestones & Celebrations
Take a moment to celebrate your colleagues' professional and personal accomplishments!
Kudos
Ali Piovesan, Accounts Payable
Ali was nominated for the IU Bloomington Staff Council's Staff Spotlight. Her nominator had this to say about working with her:
Ali Piovesan is a truly great people-leader and colleague. She is quick to help, has incredibly sharp problem-solving skills, cares very much for the well-being and professional development of her team, and has an unmatched dedication to process improvement for the betterment of the university. It's nothing short of inspiring to see all she has accomplished!
Office of Insurance, Loss Control and Claims (INLOCC)
For the third year in a row, INLOCC won the Community Float category of the 2025 Homecoming Parade! This year's theme was The Wizard of Oz.
Kris Blevins, with help from Joey Griffin and Aaron Hawes, Supplier Data Management (SDM)
SDM’s Kris Blevins, with help from Joey Griffin and Aaron Hawes, completed a project updating nearly 3,500 BUY.IU supplier profiles that were originally imported from KFS. The project required a good deal of research, investigation, and problem solving. Thank you! - Tyler Nichols, SDM
Karen Easter, Executive Liaison to the CFO
Thank you, Karen, for organizing an amazing Staff Appreciation Luncheon for IU Finance! It was an awesome event; the table decor was amazing and having Hoosier the Bison stop by was such a treat. The logistics of that kind of event are no small feat. Thank you for making it so great! - Sarah Chavez, Financial Training & Communications
Patty Cole, Travel Management Services
Working under Patty has been an incredibly positive and motivating experience. She consistently demonstrates strong leadership grounded in clarity, integrity, and respect. Patty takes the time to understand both the team’s goals and individual strengths, creating an environment where everyone feels supported and empowered to do their best work. She is approachable, communicative, and always willing to listen—whether it’s to provide guidance, remove roadblocks, or recognize great work. Her ability to balance strategic direction with genuine care for people has helped our team stay aligned, engaged, and focused. Patty encourages open dialogue, welcomes feedback, and she models the kind of professionalism and accountability she expects from others. Her leadership not only drives results but also builds trust and a strong sense of team purpose. Overall, Patty is an exceptional leader who leads by example and brings out the best in her team. Her guidance has had a lasting, positive impact our team’s overall success.
Jonathan Blair, Purchasing
A PhD student contacted us in a panic because she was having a really tough time getting customs paperwork together for biological samples being shipped to the US from India. The samples were going to expire if the paperwork wasn't sorted out quickly. Once we figured out that Jonathan Blair was the person we needed to connect her with, he did an amazing job getting the contract and required paperwork taken care of and the samples shipped in time. Thank you, Jonathan, for going above and beyond to help a very stressed student! - The Financial Training Team
External Financial Reporting Team
The External Financial Reporting team recently finalized the 2025 financial report and completed the audit. Along with preparing entries, notes, and responding to external auditor requests, the team also improved efficiency this year by producing the web version of the report concurrently. UCO would like to thank everyone in IU Finance for their timely responses and support throughout this year's audit process.
UCO Tax (Bryce Adair, Andrea Bousman, Amber Hanners, Dulce Ruiz Lemus, Tonya Sego, Lisa Keough, and Becky Morefield)
Kudos to the Tax team for continuing to persevere through tax software updates to make sure we can have them implemented in time to complete our work and make sure almost 200,000 tax forms go out the door timely. They are making sure to prioritize any testing and communication to make sure these updates are completed as quickly as possible. - Margot Burke, UCO Payroll & Tax
Kourtney Turley, Purchasing
Kourtney has been doing an amazing job training new team members and learning new duties over the last several months! She's taken them on with no complaints and continues to do exceptional work with a positive attitude and perfect customer service. Kourtney is always a great person to work with and be around!
Gina Stillions, Card Services
We’re excited to recognize Gina Stillions for her outstanding initiative in leveraging AI technology to enhance the quality and consistency of CRM responses. AI has helped Gina align policy and compliance standards to improve response accuracy, reduce turnaround time, and elevate the overall customer experience. Her forward-thinking approach reinforces the department's commitment to policy-based decision making and responsible AI use. Thank you for setting a high bar for innovation and compliance! - Travel Management Services
Kara Peterson, Finance Shared Services
Kara has recently taken on additional responsibilities within our team, including leading another division. She oversees a group of finance managers who support the financial operations across many VPIT divisions. Kara is an integral part of our team’s culture and a key reason why we operate so effectively. On a personal note, I’ve learned and grown tremendously under Kara’s leadership. She consistently leads by example—demonstrating integrity, collaboration, and accountability—and has pushed me to become a stronger, more thoughtful leader. Her guidance has been instrumental in my own development and continues to shape the way I approach leadership and teamwork. - Keenan Mumma, Finance Shared Services
Procurement Business Analysts (Amanda Coats, Alan Haupert)
They do a great job! Amanda, Alan - your ongoing commitment, collaboration and great work are not unnoticed. You are an excellent team. Thank you for making our work meaningful and impactful! - Dawn Bodle, Purchasing
Sarah Chavez, Financial Training & Communications
Sarah was also nominated for the IU Bloomington Staff Council's Staff Spotlight feature. Her nominator was Laura Oxford from School of Medicine, and she shared the following:
Sarah Chavez is an indispensable member of the Financial Training and Communications team. Her relentless dedication and deep expertise in procurement make her an invaluable resource—one whose contributions are both essential and deeply appreciated. In addition to her outstanding work designing and recording comprehensive training sessions, Sarah consistently goes above and beyond to assist colleagues with complex and unique procurement challenges. Her depth of knowledge, resourcefulness, and professionalism make her a trusted advisor and a go-to problem solver. What truly sets Sarah apart is her unwavering kindness and generosity. She approaches every interaction with grace and a genuine desire to help, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment that uplifts everyone around her. Sarah exemplifies excellence and embodies the spirit of teamwork. Her contributions have a lasting impact and deserve recognition across the IU community.
Angus Burke and Juliet Roberts, Financial Training & Communications
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Angus and Juliet for their help collecting, collating, and copy-editing content for this issue of The Socket. They did a great job reaching out to folks and making this issue great, and I really appreciate all their help!! - Sarah Chavez, Financial Training & Communications
Phoebe Coble, Finance Shared Services
Completed a certificate in accounting from Western Governor’s University (WGU).
Vanessa Freeman, Purchasing
Vanessa was elected to be the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) - Great Lakes Regional Board President. She will serve in this role for a year and actively work on membership, education, and planning the fall regional meeting.
Lora Monix, UCO Customer Service
Lora consistently goes the extra mile for our UCO customers. She asks the questions required to completely understand their issue or problem and has the thorough knowledge of IU’s financial systems and procedures to either help them resolve the problem or connect them with the appropriate subject matter expert who can help.
In a recent email I received, Christy Cole, Senior Contracts and Grants Specialist in IUSOM’s Neuroscience Administration, gave Lora high praise. She explained she was trying to get a former employee approved for urgently needed contract work as a grant consultant. The former employee had submitted a support form asking about the Independent Contractor Questionnaire but had not received a response. Lora could have simply told Christy to submit the required questionnaire and left it at that. But because of the urgency of the situation, Lora instead did research and found that the former employee’s defunct IU email address had been assigned to the case. She then put Christy in touch with the UCO staff member who could directly assist her.
Our team appreciates Lora’s dedication to providing top notch service in every UCO customer interaction! - Andy Bruce, UCO Customer Service
Holly Hooper, UCO
Holly recently organized our Big 10 Controllers meeting which was hosted by IU this time around. She did a phenomenal job of planning all the various elements from booking rooms to coordinating meals to producing name tags! We couldn't have done it without her and are so grateful for her awesome talents! Thanks Holly!
Lisa McCoy, Finance Shared Services
A big thank-you to Lisa for her outstanding work assisting Phil Schuman, Executive Director of Financial Wellness and Education, with reimbursements for the Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance (HEFWA) Conference held in Atlanta, GA, at the end of October. Lisa expertly managed the hotel and restaurant contracts, requisitions, and invoices in BUY.IU, and is now coordinating the travel reimbursements for all attendees. To ensure every detail is handled smoothly, she even created her own tracking spreadsheet to monitor each attendee’s progress from requisition entry and trip authorization to final reimbursement. Thank you, Lisa, for your exceptional organization, attention to detail, and commitment to keeping everything on track! - Naomi Cohenour, Finance Shared Services
Misty Millis (Purchasing) and Devon Zeck (Finance Shared Services)
Misty and Devon collaborated with colleagues from other divisions to bring the Zombie Escape Room to life at this year’s CIB Halloween Party in Bloomington!
Misty designed a creative matching game that challenged participants to pair cryptic emoji messages with horror movie titles: a task that required a ton of manual paper cutting. She even made an extra set for IU Indy colleagues! Devon crafted a spooky word search with a hidden message that participants needed to uncover a clue to “save the university” from a zombie outbreak.
A huge thank-you to both Misty and Devon for their teamwork, creativity, and all the extra time and effort they put into making the Halloween party such a success! 🎃🧟♀️
Pictured below are Angelica Perez Camacho, Jack Wetnight, and Ali Piovesan in costume, working through Misty's puzzle! - Juliet Roberts, Financial Training & Communications
Corbin Neu, External Financial Reporting
Corbin took the lead in refining the quarterly reporting package to ensure the information is presented in a visual format for the Board of Trustees that will enhance understanding and decision-making. His forward-thinking approach established a strong foundation for improved reporting in future quarters.
John Brumley, Cassie Rosenburgh, and Meredith Coots, University Payroll
These three have been great at keeping our team on track with the payroll standard conversion project, as well as offering insight at multiple, hours long meetings for this process. Additionally, they continue to participate in other series of meetings to contribute to solutions for payroll compliance at IU overall. Their contributions hold great value, and I'm so thankful for their teamwork! - Margot Burke, UCO Payroll & Tax
Michelle Harper, Travel Management Services
Kudos to Michelle Harper for her exceptional skill in auditing complex travel reports with precision and integrity. Reviewing travel expenses often requires navigating subjective interpretations, and Michelle consistently demonstrates expert judgement, curiosity to understand trip context, and a commitment to policy-based guidance. By citing relevant IU travel policies and SOPs in her responses, Michelle not only ensures compliance but also helps travelers learn best practices for stewardship when conducting IU business. This proactive approach strengthens accountability and fosters a culture of responsible travel. Thank you for setting such a high standard of excellence and for turning compliance into a learning opportunity for others! - Travel Management Services
Ireli Babbs, University Collections & Loan Services (UCLS)
She has fostered 50 dogs for the City of Bloomington Animal Shelter! Two have become family and help her foster other dogs. - Her UCLS Crew
Service Milestones
Congratulations to the IU Finance staff who celebrated a service milestone last quarter! Be sure to congratulate them the next time you see them 😄
| Staff Member | Department | Anniversary Month | Years of Service at IU |
| Phoebe Coble | Finance Shared Services | October | 25 |
| Sarah Chavez | Financial Training & Communication | November | 10 |
| Rick Knapp | INLOCC | November | 10 |
| Cynthia Hughes | Finance Shared Services | November | 20 |
| Melissa Hill | Office of the Controller | November | 20 |
| Howard Swyers | Finance Shared Services | November | 25 |
| Angus Burke | Financial Training & Communication | December | 10 |
| Kylee Harding | Treasury | December | 10 |
| Lisa Canada | Office of the Controller | December | 25 |
Celebrations
Check out these sweet new additions to some Finance families!
Upcoming Events
All times are listed in Eastern Time.
Preserving Your Savings for Future Generations
- Friday December 5, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
- Gain a general understanding of estate planning, including taxable distributions, the importance of a living will and health care proxy, and the basics of trusts, gifting, and insurance replacement strategies.
Retirement Basics (Saving for the Future You)
- Tuesday December 9, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
- Learn about the power of saving and the different types of accounts (including your workplace savings plan) that you can take advantage of to save for your future.
IU Finance Forum
- Wednesday, December 10, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- IU Finance Forums aim to build stronger connections between the IU Finance division and finance staff across IU’s campuses. This session, we’ll discuss Financial Headwinds for Higher Ed and the Impact to IU, Budget and Planning for FY27, Controller's Office Policy Review, Training Updates & Reminders, and a Project Horizon Update.
Get to Know Your Campus Tour: Wylie House Museum
- Wednesday, December 17, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- 307 E Second Street, Bloomington
- This free tour is a chance to experience the Wylie House Museum, the 1835 home of Indiana University’s first president, decorated in all its seasonal splendor.
Care Talks by Care.com - Succeed at Work: Managing Work and Life
- Thursday, December 16, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
- This webinar provides strategies to successfully manage your work and personal responsibilities. We will discuss causes of work-life stress, assess goals and priorities, and manage personal and professional responsibilities.
Fall Semester Ends
- Friday, December 19
Care Talks by Care.com - Your Healthy Lifestyle: Compassion Fatigue
- Tuesday, December 23, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
- Compassion fatigue is the emotional and physical toll of helping others, often mistaken for burnout. Learn how to recognize its signs and get real-life strategies to cope and regain balance in your personal and professional life.
Winter Break Closure
- Thursday, December 25 - Thursday, January 1
Spring Semester Begins
- Monday, January 12
Performance at IU: Skill Series - Put It All Together
- Tuesday, January 13, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Lead annual reviews that celebrate progress, spark motivation, and set the stage for future success. Note: Skill series sessions are targeted to leaders (managers/supervisors), though all are welcome.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Monday, January 19
Get to Know Your Campus: McCalla Exhibition Center
- Monday, February 2, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- 525 N Indiana Ave, Bloomington
- Tour the McCalla Building, home to University Collections. A renovated elementary school, McCalla features eight rotating gallery spaces, two classrooms, a collection lab, and a multipurpose event space. Galleries feature exhibits that highlight objects from IU’s vast collections and are curated by faculty, staff, and students
Don't forget to visit the Financial Training & Communications team events calendar for Office Hours and Info Sessions!
That's it for this issue! Looking for more? Check out The Socket archives.