Aug. 26, 2021 — The UF College of Medicine’s human resources department, which will operate under new leadership beginning next week, is staffed by professionals trained to assist students, residents, researchers, staff and faculty with recruitment and onboarding, benefits, performance management, employee development, payroll and compensation, employee relations and training licensing.

Incoming HR Director Kevin Clarke, Ed.D., who begins his new post Aug. 30, previously served as the associate director of employee relations for the UF Office of Human Resource Services and has significant experience working with entities across campus, including the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel, Office of the Provost, Office for Accessibility and Gender Equity and the Privacy Office.

With recent expansion in a number of HR programs, Clarke said he and the team are excited to elevate the role of human resources throughout the College of Medicine.

“We’re eager to work together to develop and advance the department with the goal of providing exceptional service to the UF College of Medicine community,” Clarke said.

Sally Harvin, assistant director of human resources for the graduate programs, said the graduate programs and the talent solutions teams have recently expanded to include more employees, which will increase efficiency in handling inquiries.

“We’re looking forward to working under Dr. Clarke’s leadership,” Harvin said. “And adding more staff should make our processes easier for all departments. We are committed to providing quality customer service and partnership in support of the mission and vision of the College of Medicine.”

Brent Miller, assistant director of human resources for talent solutions, said the department’s goals align closely with the strategic plan Dean Colleen Koch, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., has set forth for the college.

One of the strategic plan’s seven pillars is people, which Miller said is addressed in the department’s emphasis on excellent customer service and transparent communications.

“We’re not only here to make sure everyone is following all rules and regulations – we’re also here to advance the careers and professional development opportunities of students, residents, faculty and staff,” he said.

To save time when you have questions for HR, contact the College of Medicine’s human resource office directly at 352-265-1111 before contacting the main UF HR department. Contact information for all College of Medicine HR staff is viewable online.

The College of Medicine HR department, which includes a team of 15 staff members, operates separately from the UF Office of Human Resource Services but maintains a close working relationship with the university’s central office.

Meet a few members of the College of Medicine team and learn about the services they provide:

Amelia Baiden, one of the HR business partners, works closely with UF and various College of Medicine departments to manage talent, which includes aiding with recruitment and making sure everything lines up with the university’s policies and procedures.

“We’re here to support departments and their goals, to help them develop a system and policies that meet their objectives,” Baiden said.

She said the department is focused on relationship building and that the team brings a passion for HR and a variety of expertise.

“If you have a question about anything related to HR, please reach out to your business partner,” Baiden said. “We value all questions, big or small.”

As a College of Medicine talent management and benefits specialist, Katie Rogers works to onboard and offboard thousands of college employees.

She hosts individual and small group orientations to share information employees need to know to make the best-informed decisions regarding their benefits. Rogers also provides current employees with benefits information during life events and open enrollment in the fall.

Her team also oversees the College of Medicine’s volunteer program, conducts training and development and highlights employee recognitions.

“Our goal for the level of customer service we’d like to provide is to answer people’s questions that same day, or within 24 hours,” Rogers said. “And if we can’t handle the inquiry, we can bridge the gap to the agency that can help.”

Every department includes a behind-the-scenes role where people work hard to keep things running smoothly. As an HR generalist, Mary Byrd works closely with talent management and benefits specialists and HR business partners to approve transactions and increase the efficiency of requests.

Byrd said the team is committed to assisting all College of Medicine students, faculty and staff.

“We don’t want any one department to feel unheard compared to others,” she said. “We’re here to provide the same type of customer service to everyone.”

Byrd also said Clarke and Koch are “forward thinking” and will offer great perspectives to improve the way the HR team operates.

“We are truly excited about the direction we’re headed,” Byrd said.

Raina Carter, an administrative specialist for graduate programs at the College of Medicine, works with adjunct clinical postdoctoral associates and graduate assistants and oversees resident rotations.

Some of the processes the team undertakes include assisting with tuition fee waivers, supplemental calculations and payroll distribution. She also works closely with the Florida Board of Medicine and Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine to manage training licensing.

Carter said one tip she shares with departments is to review the graduate appointments checklist and resources page on the College of Medicine’s finance and administration website. This contains the most updated information, checklists, instructions and more for graduate assistants, research assistants and research associates.

“It’s OK if you don’t know the answer,” she said. “We are here to guide you through the process.”