Administrative Cluster Personnel
Graduate Program Coordinator
Sara Eliason — PMB Graduate Program Coordinator
PMB graduate program management: support and advising for students and faculty; admissions and recruitment; funding and budget tracking and management; coordinate teaching assistant positions and other graduate-student appointments; arrange PMB annual retreat and new student orientation; maintain PMB courses, provide permission numbers, order books and distribute student-evaluation surveys. College-level graduate student support and process: examination committees, leaves of absence, time extensions, Graduate Student Board.
Extension: 5-4222
Email: seliason@umn.edu
Flex schedule: in-person on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; working remotely on Mondays and Fridays
Administrative Cluster Director
Jen Kalaidis-Meslow
Oversight of departmental budgets & administrative reports for BTI, EEB and PMB, and day-to-day operations of the Cluster staff. Departmental liaison with CBS administration, human resources, finance, sponsored and non-sponsored accountants.
Extension: 4-3489
Email: kalai004@umn.edu
Flex schedule: in-person on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays; working remotely on Thursdays and Fridays
Cluster Staff
Neal Jahren — EEB Graduate Program Coordinator
EEB graduate program management: support and advising for students and faculty, graduate recruitment, and program retreat. EEB program budget, including research and travel awards and special recruitment awards. Coordinate teaching-assistant positions and other graduate-student appointments. Maintain undergraduate courses for EEB, provide permission numbers, order books and distribute student-evaluation surveys.
Extension: 4-6770
Email: jahr0015@umn.edu
Tori Lafky — Administrative Support
Front-desk support, package receiving and sending, list-serve updates, room and meeting scheduling, U Market ordering, seminar organization for BTI, EEB and PMB.
Extension: 6-9853
Email: lafky004@umn.edu
Flex schedule: in-person on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays; working remotely on Thursdays and Fridays
Michael Ouverson — CBS Finance Support Coordinator & MicE Graduate Program Coordinator
Departmental purchasing, employee reimbursements and general accounting requests for CBS departments. Graduate-program management for Microbial Engineering.
Extension: 4-3347
Email: ouver005@umn.edu
Flex schedule: in-person on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays; working remotely on Mondays and Tuesdays
Ruth Weleczki — CBS Project Specialist
Coordinate and manage annual review and P&T processes for BTI, EEB and PMB faculty; coordinate and manage faculty searches. Provide and oversee web and print communication for BTI, EEB, PMB and MicrobeTech seminars.
Extension: 4-1449
Email: rweleczk@umn.edu
Flex schedule: in-person on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays; working remotely on Mondays and Tuesdays
Annie Yetter — CBS Facilities Representative & Special Events Coordinator
Department facilities liaison for CBS faculty and graduate students, contact for UCard and key requests, building emergencies, autoclave issues and space-use updates. Special-events coordinator. Coordination of deliveries requiring FM assistance.
Extension: 5-8083
Email: ayetter@umn.edu
Flex schedule: in-person 8:00 am - 2:00 pm daily; working remotely 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm daily
Cargill Building
MPGI Office Specialist - position currently vacant
Arranges catering for PMB weekly seminars and events, and seminar room set-up. Coordinates access to Cargill Building.
Extension: 4-6198
Email: mpgi@umn.edu