º£½ÇÉçÇø

Ready to launch your understanding of º£½ÇÉçÇø's financial systems? This session will help you confidently navigate Banner and Argos to track budgets, review transactions, and access the financial data you need to make informed decisions. Whether you manage accounts or simply want a better understanding of how funding flows across the university, you'll leave with practical knowledge and greater confidence using the tools that support our institutional operations.

Lisa Allen
Director
Academic Finance & Administration
Academic Affairs
Weber State University

Lisa Allen has dedicated over 35 years to Weber State University and currently serves as Director of Academic Finance and Administration. A proud º£½ÇÉçÇø alumna, she supports university leadership with expertise in budget management, resource allocation, and strategic financial analysis. Known for her thoughtful, solutions-driven approach, Lisa plays a key role in advancing institutional goals. Outside of work, she enjoys family time—especially being “Gram”—as well as running, racquetball, and pickleball.

In this hands-on session, you’ll create a small, meaningful display to bring hope and positivity into your workspace. We’ll explore how your physical environment can influence your mindset—and how intentional design can uplift both you and those who visit your space.

Sandra Balthazaar
Community Programs & Partnerships Manager
Center for Community & Engaged Learning
Weber State University

As the Community Programs & Partnerships Manager for the Center for Community Engaged Learning at Weber State University, she leads CCEL's community engagement partnership strategy and develops collaborative relationships that connect students, faculty, and community organizations. She administers the GivePulse platform, designs and facilitates trainings and workshops, coordinates campus-community initiatives, supports student leadership development, and advances best practices in civic and community engagement. Passionate about building meaningful partnerships, she is committed to creating transformative learning experiences that benefit students, the university, and the broader community.

Connect with her on .

Lauralee Solimeno
Community Work Study Coordinator
Center for Community & Engaged Learning
Weber State University

Lauralee Solimeno is the Community Work Study Coordinator in the Center for Community Engaged Learning at Weber State University.  She taught English, psychology, and health in an alternative high school setting.  She is the program manager for Waldo Reads, an America Reads literacy program utilizing a community school model. 

She teaches a cross curricular honors course titled The Hurricane: Processing emotion and creating beauty. This course highlights trauma informed practice coupled with creative coping mechanisms. 

She is currently seeking a doctorate in educational leadership with Southern New Hampshire University.  Her dissertation topic is on the impact of gratitude on workplace satisfaction. 

She has a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on trauma and resilience from Concordia University Nebraska. Her capstone focused on strategies to build community in online educational settings. 

She has a Bachelor of Integrated Studies in health promotion, psychology, and communication. She worked for 20 years in the publishing industry. 

Everyone has a voice worth sharing. Whether you are an introvert, a seasoned presenter, or someone who prefers to stay behind the scenes, this session will provide practical strategies to build confidence in public speaking and everyday communication. Learn how to overcome nerves, share your ideas with clarity, and develop a communication style that feels authentic to you. Participants will leave with tools to speak up, connect with others, and confidently contribute in meetings, presentations, and conversations.

Rachel Badali
Director
Public Relations
Marketing and Communications
Weber State University

Rachel Badali is the public relations director at Weber State University. The best part of her job is giving audiences ways to connect and engage with the great things happening at º£½ÇÉçÇø. Rachel is a Wildcat through and through, having earned both her bachelor’s degree in communication and her Master of Business Administration from the university. She has experience in journalism, media relations, strategic communication, and public relations, giving her valuable insight into communicating with clarity and authenticity.

This session will discuss the art and science of crafting exceptional employee experiences. Based on the research of Kris Erickson, we will discuss a framework for evaluating current practices, and discuss what opportunities exist for us to increase the engagement of ourselves and co-workers through meaningful workplace experiences.

Reggie Carlisle
Assistant Director of Special Projects
Division of Online & Continuing Education
Weber State University

Reggie Carlisle is an alumni of Weber State. Since then, he has earned an MEd in Learning & Technology, an MBA, and a MS in Management and Leadership. At Weber, he delivers special projects and grant-funded programs in the Division of Online & Continuing Education. 

Throughout history, human beings across the globe have looked up at the night sky to find meaning, connection, and wonder in the stars. However, the Western constellations many of us recognize today represent just one lens through which humanity has interpreted the cosmos.

Join us at the Ott Planetarium for a 40-minute journey through seven constellation stories from diverse cultures around the globe. Explore the rich meanings different peoples have found in the stars throughout history and discover new perspectives under one shared sky.

Take your understanding of º£½ÇÉçÇø's financial systems to the next level. This session focuses on interpreting financial reports, analyzing budget activity, and using Banner and Argos to answer common business questions. Through practical examples and real-world scenarios, you'll strengthen your ability to access meaningful financial information, make informed decisions, and confidently apply these tools in your day-to-day work. While Part I provides a helpful foundation, it is not required to participate.

Lisa Allen
Director
Academic Finance & Administration
Academic Affairs
Weber State University

Lisa Allen has dedicated over 35 years to Weber State University and currently serves as Director of Academic Finance and Administration. A proud º£½ÇÉçÇø alumna, she supports university leadership with expertise in budget management, resource allocation, and strategic financial analysis. Known for her thoughtful, solutions-driven approach, Lisa plays a key role in advancing institutional goals. Outside of work, she enjoys family time—especially being “Gram”—as well as running, racquetball, and pickleball.

Your career doesn't have to follow a predefined roadmap to move in a meaningful direction. In this session, you'll explore practical strategies for mapping your professional growth, whether you're pursuing a formal career path at Weber State or creating one of your own.

Together, we'll discuss tools and approaches used by Career Services to help students identify strengths, clarify goals, and plan for the future. Come explore practical ways to intentionally chart your next steps and build a career path that aligns with your goals, values, and aspirations.

Greg Nielsen
Associate Director
Career Services
Weber State University

Greg is a proud º£½ÇÉçÇø alumnus with a PhD in geology and a master’s degree in educational psychology. He presently serves as the Interim Director of º£½ÇÉçÇø Career Services and teaches geology courses at Weber State as an adjunct instructor. His passions include brain-based learning and helping students navigate their futures with clarity and confidence.

This interactive session will introduce staff to key dashboards in the Report Gallery that support enrollment management, student success, course planning, and institutional effectiveness.

Using real campus examples, participants will learn how to navigate the Report Gallery, identify which reports best fit their needs, and apply data to support informed decision-making in their departments. 

Attendees will explore common campus scenarios, discuss ways data can support student success, and develop a personalized "launch plan" for using data more effectively at Weber State.

Daniel Jensen
Data Training & Communication Manager
Student Success Analytics
Weber State University

Daniel Jensen, Ed.D, is currently the Data Training and Communication Manager out of the Office of Student Success Analytics at Weber State University where he supports faculty and staff with on demand data literacy courses, data tool and dashboard training resources, and live training events. His recently completed dissertation focused on perceptions of predictive analytics and early alert systems.

With over a decade of experience in higher education, Daniel has helped faculty, staff and students develop data literacy skills, enhance academic advising practices, create effective assessment strategies, and implement strategic planning initiatives to improve student outcomes and institutional effectiveness.

University employees are often tasked with sharing good advice and information. Unfortunately, even the best informative presentation can feel forgettable and boring to students. One solution when presenting to groups is to format the content as a simple story and gamify the presentation.

This presentation will show how our team used the simple slide-linking feature in Google Slides to create an Oregon Trail-type game that kept our students laughing and engaged in learning about career and major exploration. Attendees will leave knowing how to get started developing similar presentations of their own.

Katelyn Cooper
First Year Exploratory Advisor
General Education & Exploratory Advising
Weber State University

Katelyn Cooper has been advising for four years, with the last two at Weber State. Originally from Utah County, she has come to love Ogden and the Weber community. Her favorite part of her job is meeting with students and exploring how to make their college experience interesting, welcoming, and the best path for them. In her spare time, she usually watches movies, finds fun local restaurants with her spouse, studies history, or knits.

Julie Larson
Exploratory Advisor
General Education & Exploratory Advising
Weber State University

Julie Larsen has been a part of the Weber State community for almost a year. Born and raised in Cache Valley, she first attended college at Utah State University. During the COVID pandemic, her program was sunsetted and she transferred to Brigham Young University to complete her degree in Asian Studies with an emphasis in Japan and a minor in History. She worked as an ESL teacher during her time at BYU and experienced many of the issues that come with transferring to another university. Taking her experience working in education and inspired by the help of her own academic advisors, she began working in education first through the University of Utah and now at Weber State. She loves it at Weber and is excited to continue helping students find the pathway forward for them.

PREP is more than an annual performance review—it can be a valuable tool for supporting individual growth, strengthening teams, and aligning day-to-day work with broader organizational goals. In this session, you'll explore practical ways to use PREP to set meaningful goals, encourage ongoing conversations, and support professional development throughout the year. Whether you're a supervisor or an individual contributor, discover how PREP can become a resource for planning, communication, and continuous improvement.

Leslie Simpson
Employee Relations & Performance Specialist
Human Resources
Weber State University

Leslie A. Simpson, born in Amarillo, Texas, grew up an Air Force kid, living in six different states. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communication-Broadcast News from Brigham Young University, launching a career in television journalism as a Producer for KUTV2 News before becoming the Associate News Director at KBYU-TV. She then took a long and amazing pause in her career to raise three wonderful children.

Pursuing her passion for communication and leadership, Leslie earned a Master of Professional Communication from Weber State University. She has since dedicated her career to employee development and workplace relations, serving as a Training & Development Advisor at Weber State, a Professional Development Specialist & Ombuds at Davis Technical College, and now back home at º£½ÇÉçÇø as the Employee Relations and Performance Review Specialist.

A lifelong athlete and music enthusiast, Leslie played varsity sports, plays guitar, and loves to sing and write music. She loves people, traveling, hiking, biking, pickle ball, reading, movies, Broadway, staying active, etc. Above all, she treasures time with her family—her three children and five precious grandchildren.

Your greatest professional tool is your own presence. In this session, you'll learn to build self-confidence by understanding limiting beliefs, escaping the comparison trap, and regulating your nervous system. We will explore how dysregulation affects interactions with students and colleagues, equipping you with the practical tools you need to reclaim your confidence. 

Angie Collinwood
Academic Advisor
Department of Teacher Education
College of Social Sciences & Education
Weber State University

Angie Collinwood, M.Ed., is an Academic Advisor for Teacher Education at Weber State University.  Dedicated to helping others manage limiting beliefs and build genuine self-confidence, she brings a holistic approach to student success. In addition to her advisory role, Angie is a Yoga and Meditation Teacher, Fitness Instructor, and Body Confidence Coach.