Advancing USU - ADVANCE Program has new Program Leader

Workplace environment is one of several areas that the ADVANCE program at Utah State University focuses on. The program seeks to foster a workplace environment that increases both faculty effectiveness and gender equity.

Trish Kalbas-Schmidt is the ADVANCE program leader at USU, and promoting its mission is her goal. Kalbas-Schmidt joined the program in September and her office is located on the third floor of the Taggart Student Center in the Women’s Center. Kalbas-Schmidt said she has several goals as she works with ADVANCE.

 

“I want the university as a whole to become more familiar with ADVANCE and what it has to offer,” she said. “There is great value in the different aspects of the program, and I want everyone to understand the different facets of ADVANCE.” I want to help, inform, teach and communicate — ADVANCE is a diamond in the rough.”

 

ADVANCE at USU is funded by the National Science Foundation. It is intended to be a role model for programs to enhance gender equity at universities across the nation. The overarching aim of ADVANCE is to improve the recruitment and retention of women faculty in the colleges of Science, Engineering, Agriculture and Natural Resources.

 

Kalbas-Schmidt said a goal is to provide quality programs and events for faculty. A recent women’s leadership workshop was offered as one of the ongoing offerings. Additionally, she sees ADVANCE as a place for faculty to turn for resources and support.

 

USU is one of only 19 institutions nationally to receive the NSF grant, and the university is about half way through the grant’s five-year timeframe. At this mid-point, ADVANCE can look back to several successes. So far, the program has facilitated department transformations for three departments, worked to improve policies, assisted in negotiating formal procedures for dual career accommodation, provided a variety of research and leadership seminars, offered mediation training, funded seed grants for collaborative research and provided department head workshops.

 

According to its newsletter, new ADVANCE projects include a theater project that highlights the subtle gender biases that women encounter, and assistant professor lunches with invited guest speakers to increase the transparency of the system.

 

Kalbas-Schmidt earned a master’s degree in corporate communication from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. She earned certification in training and development from University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Her undergraduate education was completed at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in interpersonal communication.

 

The overriding objectives of ADVANCE at USU are to transform three areas:

 

 

 

 

Kalbas-Schmidt said she wants to be known as the face of ADVANCE.

 

“I’m here to serve the faculty of USU and help in any way possible,” she said. “I want to be a strong representative of the program.

 

As the ADVANCE project manager, Kalbas-Schmidt will serve as the program liaison, marketing, planning events and giving presentations.

 

“I am always here to listen,” she said. “I want everyone to feel comfortable dropping in to the office at any time — my door is always open.”

 

Kalbas-Schmidt can be reached in her office in room 315B in the TSC, or by phone at 797-8069 or email at trishk@cc.usu.edu.

 

More information about ADVANCE is available at its Web site.

 

Writer: Patrick Williams (435) 797-1354, patrick.williams@usu.edu

Contact: Trish Kalbas-Schmidt (435) 797-8069, trishk@cc.usu.edu