How has work in Physical Planning & Space Management changed since remote operations began at UW Bothell? Amy Van Dyke, PPSM director, answers a few questions from Maria Lamarca Anderson, director of communications.
Q. What would you normally be doing now and where?
A. In 2018, I relocated to Klamath Falls, Oregon, where my husband had a new job opportunity. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was fortunate to get a jump on remote work operations prior to the University’s remote work implementation due to the pandemic. As a result, the PPSM team was already familiar with communicating and conducting some work activities in a remote setting.
I was traveling to the Bothell campus at least once per month prior to the pandemic and have missed those in-person opportunities.
Q. What are you trying to work on today?
A. Wow, I feel like that’s a loaded question. We are on the brink of so many exciting changes at UW Bothell, not only with our campus leadership but also with our physical environment. One of the items I’ve been working on today is a campus map update. This update will identify construction areas on campus and is a critical communication tool for our visitors and campus community. I’ve also been participating in capital project meetings for STEM4 [a new academic building focused on STEM to be shared by UW Bothell and Cascadia College when it opens in 2023] and the student housing redevelopment project with our amazing partners. These projects are featured on our construction webpage.
Q. What adjustments have you made to fulfill your work responsibilities?
A. The biggest adjustment that I had to make when the University went to a remote work environment was managing meeting time. As we’ve all been using Zoom, it’s much easier to schedule back-to-back meetings without any downtime for transitioning from one meeting to the next. In the past, it often required a period of time to walk from one location to another. I often try to start and stop meetings at five minutes past and& five minutes before the hour just to catch my breath.
Q. What are you doing to care for yourself or for others?
A. I’ve always had a mindset of flexibility at work, and I keep that at the forefront every day. I learned a long time ago not to hold on too tight to plans and ideas. The only constant is change.
Q. Do you have a change of perspective to share?
A. My perspective on work-life balance has changed significantly as I’ve watched so many colleagues and students juggle their home environments and family responsibilities during remote work and school. For me, it has been a humanizing experience.
Q. What other thoughts or feelings do you want to share?
A. Be a lamp, a lifeboat or a ladder.
