Changes at the Helm

Ruth Retires

After fourteen years of dedicated service to the Department, and thirty years of service at the University, our Business Manager, Ruth Hyde, retired on November 17th. During her time with us, she managed one of the most complex units in the University. Ruth was always the calm epicenter in all of our activities, and handled her heavy workload with courtesy and professionalism, never failing to recognize and convey that our human resources are the most important assets in our unit.

Ruth served the department with distinction and was a valued member of the leadership team for seven, yes seven, Department Chairs, which has to be a record. She directed the administrative operations of the department with a high level of skill and efficiency, implementing many improvements that will have long-time positive impact on Chemistry operations. “The stability in the departmental administration and staff is especially noteworthy and is a great testament to the environment Ruth helped foster,” says current Chair, Professor Jeff Johnson. He continues, “she was a tireless advocate for staff behind the scenes; all of us in the Chair’s position have appreciated her counsel, and we will miss her expertise in navigating many byzantine University policies.”

Laura Begins

We wish a warm welcome to Laura Yurco, MBA, as the Department’s new Associate Chair for Business Administration. Laura is an accomplished business professional with over thirteen years of University and academic accounting experience. She comes to the Department from the College of Arts & Sciences, where she was the Senior Director of Budget Management. She has also held various accounting and management roles within central offices and departments, including Budget Analyst in the College, Accounting Manager for the Department of Psychology, the Department of Otolaryngology, and as an Accounting Technician in the School

of Public Health Dean’s Office. Laura has formed many strong relationships with Managers, Faculty, and Central Campus constituents from her time in the College and within departments; her experience and skills will be very beneficial for our Department. She has also managed a wide range of fund types including state, facilities and administration, contract and grants, clinical, discretionary trusts, endowments, and expendable funds. Laura also brings experience in the management of contracts and grants from pre to post-award, for a variety of federal and private agencies.

Laura is a highly motivated and successful individual, and we look forward to working with her as we build on past successes and continue to implement the Department’s strategic plan.