Julie Salgado and Brittany Fraser are part of the CHASS Facilities team at UCR. Since the beginning of campus closure in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been assigned new responsibilities in CHASS. They have also faced various challenges. Below, they share how they have learned and grown from this experience.

Julie Salgado

Position: Conference and Events Coordinator for CHASS

Year at UCR: I have been working at UCR for 22 years now. I am also an alum. I graduated in 1996.

What are some new responsibilities you have taken on?
Since there are very little events going on, I started helping other departments such as PAA, Anthropology, and Sociology with purchasing and reimbursement for faculty. And because of this, I was able to expand my knowledge and connections with other people from different departments.

What are the biggest obstacles you are facing?
The energy of campus has completely changed and it is very different from prior to quarantine beginning. I feel bad for the students, dancers, and performers since they do not have access to the studios. I also adopted two children in September and my entire family is now working from home.

What are your favorite things about your job?
I love being able to see students perform what they have been working on all quarter, and even though it may not be on the main stage right now, I still get to see them perform on Zoom. I am an extrovert and I love people. I get to work with others and together we get events planned and executed. For example, the CHASS commencement.  

Additional extracurriculars?
I am the Interim Chair for LEAD, a member of the DEI Climate Council and the Athletics Workgroup, and a past president for Staff Assembly.

What is a hobby you have taken up in order to center yourself?
My husband and I are the children’s pastors at our church. And since the children can no longer go to Sunday school, we started a YouTube channel, ROL Faithkidz. We have puppets and guest speakers. I write the episodes and my husband and a friend are the actors. This has challenged my creativity.

What would be something you would tell someone who is having a hard time mentally and physically as a result of the new online platform?
Take each day one day at a time and remember to take a breath. A mistake can always be fixed. Breathe and do it over. Don't be too hard on yourself.

Brittany Fraser

Position: Conference and Events Coordinator for CHASS

Years at UCR: I am a UCR alumna and I graduated in 2018. I initially started working on campus as a student worker in 2014, and started full time in March of 2019.

What are some new responsibilities you have taken on?
I started doing financial work and assisting the Sociology, Anthropology, and PAA departments. My perspective has completely changed about the work that other departments do.

What are the biggest obstacles you are facing?
There are no in-person events since everything closed and things are simply limited. There is also more coordination that goes into virtual events such as the Halloween costume competition, and movie nights that are coming up.

What are your favorite things about your job?
I like to be organized and not be tied to a desk all day. Prior to Covid, I would be running around campus and interacting with other people in the college.

Additional extracurriculars?
I am Interim Program Chair and the Interim Marketing and Communications Chair for Leaders of Excellence and Distinction (LEAD).

What is a hobby you have taken up in order to center yourself?
I started watching The Home Edit on Netflix and started organizing my house. I also really enjoy photography, so I started doing that a bit as well.

What would be something you would tell to someone who is having a hard time mentally and physically as a result of the new online platform?
Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day. Focus on the good and find something that you like — even doing little things such as taking a walk.

FEATURED PHOTO. Julie Salgado works in CHASS Facilities as a conference and events coordinator. She is also a UCR alumna.