Department of Mechanical Engineering

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Department of
Mechanical Engineering

Top 12 – Staff

top12Updated June 14, 2018

Check these “quick reference” pages for help on the Top 12 items important to Mechanical Engineering staff. Links to websites are blue.

What else would you like to see here?  What questions do you and your colleagues ask often?  Send your ideas to co-webmaster Mike Bernard.

  • 1. WHO'S WHO: Your 'Go To' People

    You can go to these people for help!

    Marty Devaney, Administrator
    mdevane2@jhu.edu | 410-516-8542 | Latrobe 223

    • Facilities
    • Budget
    • Liaison to the Whiting School Business Office

    Lisa Eklund, Research Service Analyst
    leklund2@jhu.edu | 410-516-7132 | Latrobe 223

    Lori Lewis, Sr. Research Service Analyst
    lori.lewis@jhu.edu | 410-516-6029 | Latrobe 223

    Alison Wampler, Research Service Manager
    awampler@jhu.edu | 410-516-5253 | Latrobe 223

    • Budget Reconciliation
    • Funding Proposals
    • Electronic Filing and Organization
    • Hiring and Payroll
      • Postdocs
      • Staff
      • Undergraduates
      • Hourly-Paid Students

    Mike Bernard, Academic Program Manager
    mike.bernard@jhu.edu | 410-516-7154 | Latrobe 230

    • Graduate Applications and Admissions
    • Graduate Student Financial Aid – Salary, Fellowships, Tuition and Health Insurance
    • Visiting Student appointments – high school, undergraduate, graduate
    • Academic Advising and Policies
    • Course Scheduling and Classroom Assignments
    • Social media and website maintenance

    Kevin Adams, Academic Program Coordinator
    kadams24@jhu.edu | 410-516-5930 | Latrobe 223

    • Graduate
      • DQE and GBO Scheduling
      • Graduate Student Annual Evaluations
      • Key Distribution
      • Dissertation Defense Scheduling
      • “Good Standing” letters
      • Dissertation and Thesis Printing Orders
    • Reserving rooms for class, lab, and group meetings
    • Visiting Student appointments – high school, undergraduate, graduate
    • Teaching Assistant hiring and payments
    • E-mail list management

    Tom Benassi, Laboratory Manager
    tbenass1@jhu.edu | 410-516-5586 | Latrobe 223

    All issues related to the Mechanical Engineering labs:

    • Equipment
    • Facilities
    • Space planning
    • Card swipe access

    Barbara Adamson, Administrative Coordinator
    brogows1@jhu.edu | 410-516-0463 | Latrobe 223

    • Services for Profs. Katz and Meneveau and their students, postdocs, and researchers:
      • Order supplies and equipment
      • Arrange travel reimbursements
      • Arrange shipping and returns
    • Seminar Coordinator
      • 500.602 – Center for Environmental and Applied Fluid Mechanics (CEAFM)
      • 530.808 – Mechanical Engineering Graduate Seminar in Fluid Mechanics

    Marty Devaney, Administrator
    mdevane2@jhu.edu | 410-516-8542 | Latrobe 223

    • Career Growth, Training, and Guidance
    • University, School, HR, and departmental policies affecting staff

    Catherine Graham, Communications Specialist
    cgraha41@jhu.edu | Latrobe 223 and Malone 354

    • Communication / PR
    • Website news
    • Social Media
    • MechE Force newsletter production

    Nancy Lippi, Administrative Coordinator
    nlippi@jhu.edu | 410-516-6630 | Latrobe 223

    • Assistant for Professors Jeff Wang and Kevin Hemker and their students, postdocs, and researchers
    • Edit journal articles, dissertations, and correspondence
    • Coordinate workshops and meetings
    • Arrange purchasing for supplies and equipment
    • Manage travel arrangements
    • Coordinate travel reimbursements

    Shawna O’Brien, Administrative Coordinator
    sobrie22@jhu.edu | 410-516-6782 | Latrobe 223

    • Serves all faculty, staff, postdocs, and researchers except those related to Professors Hemker, Katz, Meneveau and Wang.
    • Purchasing of supplies and equipment.
    • P-card monthly reconciliation for faculty and staff
    • Travel reimbursements
    • Coordinate shipments and deliveries
    • Check requests and purchase orders
    • Reserves Latrobe Conference Rooms

    Deana Santoni, Sr. Administrative Coordinator
    dsantoni@jhu.edu | 410-516-6451 | Latrobe 223

    • Department Chair’s schedule and administration
    • Postdoc and Visiting Scholar appointments
    • 530.803/804 Mechanical Engineering Graduate Seminar schedules
    • Faculty Search process
    • Newswriter
    • Department website maintenance

  • 2. POLICIES: Departmental, Whiting School, and University

    Policies that affect staff and operations.

    • Work Schedules – most of the staff follow a regular Monday through Friday schedule.
    • Outlook Calendars

      • Personal – you can share your personal Outlook calendar with anyone.
      • “ME Dept. Staff Vacation Calendar” – be sure to note vacation, sick, and time off on this calendar.
      • Academic Administration Events – shows upcoming student exams and dissertation defenses.
      • Latrobe Patio Schedule – shows upcoming events on the Latrobe Patio.  Contact Deana or Mike to obtain access or to reserve an event.
    • Faculty Calendars – you might need authorization from the faculty to view these
    • Popular Department Shared Files
      • Faculty Files – S:\Faculty Folders & Data
      • Finance – S:\Financial and Payroll\Finance
        • Electronic Filing – S:\Financial and Payroll\Electronic Filing
        • Electronic Filing of P-cards – S:\Financial and Payroll\Electronic Filing\_PCard
        • Payroll – S:\Payroll
      • Office Space (inventory, policies) – S:\Equipment INFO, Software, Facilities, Space Data\Office Space Inventory
      • Letterheads – S:\Forms, Logs, Lists, Applications\Letterheads
      • Room Reservations (contact info) – S:\Forms, Logs, Lists, Applications\Room Reservations Info\Room Reservations Contact Information.xlsx
      • Student Files
        • Graduate Student Database (student history and financial aid) – S:\Academic Program Administration\Graduate Students\1 Graduate Student Database.xlsx
        • Student Files
          • Graduate Students – S:\Academic Program Administration\1 Graduate Student Individual Files
          • Undergraduate Students – S:\Academic Program Administration\1 Undergraduate Student Individual Files
        • Undergraduate and Master’s Student Advising – S:\Academic Program Administration\Advising\1 MechE UG_MSE Advising List.xlsx

  • 3. OFFICE: Operations / Printers / Back-up Staff

    Office Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., though some staff members’ hours may vary.

    Canon Printer iR_ADV 6265 (in kitchen)

    • Printing, scanning, faxing, file storage, copying
    • Driver Access and Operations Guide
    • IP Address:  10.160.48.40
    • Service:  888-273-6989
    • Serial Number NMK02573 (that’s “zero,” not “O”)

    Large Format Printer (in kitchen)

    • Print posters and large-scale documents
    • IP Address: 10.160.48.244
    • USB Drive accessible
    • Contact Tom Benassi with questions

    Canon Printer iR_ADV C2225 (in office)

    • For staff and faculty use only (to students reading this page, do not connect to this machine).
    • Printing, scanning, faxing, file storage, copying
    • Driver Access and Operations Guide
    • IP Address: 10.160.48.27
    • Service:  888-273-6989
    • Serial Number LYD07358 (that’s “zero,” not “O”)
    Access and use the many features of our Voice Mail.

    Visit the back-up person when the primary staff member is out.

    • Academic Administration – Mike and Kevin back each other.
    • Financial
      • Alison backs Marty.
      • Lisa and Lori back each other.
    • Lab Management – Marty backs Tom.
    • Administration
      • Shawna backs Deana.

  • 4. SHOW ME THE MONEY: Finance / Budget / P-Card / SAP / Hiring / Hourly Time Cards / Semi-Monthly Pay Calculator

    HR/Payroll Shared Services – 443-997-5828

    Deadlines and Payday

    • Student Employment Services – ISR submission deadlines for semi-monthly student payroll.
    • HR Shared Services
      • CATS entries for hourly pay
      • ISR submission deadlines for hourly student payroll
      • ISR submission deadlines for all payroll for other Hopkins affiliates
      • Payday schedules
    Procurement Card Program (“P-cards”)

    Most undergraduate students, a few graduate students, and occasionally, staff are paid hourly and record their time with time cards.

    Student Eligibility

    The following students are eligible to work on the Homewood Campus, including teaching assistant and hourly-paid positions:

    NOTE: American students who are part-time are not eligible for student work.

    Hourly Pay
    Undergraduate Assistant or Graduate Assistant

    • Freshmen – $12
    • Sophomores – $13
    • Juniors – $14
    • Seniors – $15
    • Graduate Students – $16

    Hiring
    To hire a student for Undergraduate Assistant or Graduate Assistant hourly positions, contact Research Service Manager Alison Wampler.

    Generally, this is the process to hire an hourly-paid student:

    • The supervisor will notify by e-mail Alison Wampler or another financial staff member that the student is being hired. The e-mail must include the date of hire, the position hired, student name and contact information, and student year to determine hourly pay.
    • After receiving the supervisor notification, have the student provide necessary identification and complete the following forms:
    • Refer the student to the appropriate “Top 12” MechE webpage and tell him or her how time cards are to be submitted.
    • In SAP Enterprise, look for the report that displays positions for Org Unit 10001495.  Select an hourly undergrad position that’s open and if there are none, submit a Position Copy ISR to obtain one.
    • Hire the student into that position and note the pernr, once hired.
    • As approved time cards are received, submit the hours in CATS in SAP.

    To assist in the teaching function of the Department, Teaching Assistant (TA) opportunities are provided to students who grade papers, conduct laboratories and hold office hours. TAs are remunerated for their efforts according to a formula that quantifies the number of hours required for a particular course, multiplied by an hourly rate, to be determined by the beginning of each semester.

    • Undergraduate Students – $14
    • First-Year Graduate Students – $18
    • Second-Year and Later Graduate Students – $19
    • Postdocs – $20

    The department tries to hire Mechanical Engineering students and postdocs where possible. Mechanical Engineering PhD students must act as a TA for two courses as part of their degree requirements and are paid.

    Academic Program Coordinator Kevin Adams plans and executes the Teaching Assistant budgeting, recruiting, and hiring process. Please contact Kevin directly with your questions.

    Those being hired will meet with the appropriate staff – the Research Service Manager for hourly positions and other staff, the Academic Program Coordinator for Teaching Assistants, and the Academic Program Manager for graduate students semi-monthly positions.  They can complete these ahead of time or you can view or print these forms from these links:

    • New Hire Information Sheet – NOTE: this form asks for social security numbers and other sensitive data.
      • When the form is completed, do not e-mail this form to anyone.
      • Be sure to tell any new hires completing this form to NOT e-mail the form but to print and deliver the form directly to you.
      • After completing the Hire ISR and other ISRs requiring a social security number, but before filing the form electronically, erase or cover all but the last four digits of the SSN.

    Not all files are encrypted and secure, so this will protect the new hire, the department, and University from harm, fraud, and potential liability.

    Time Cards
    Time Cards must be used to record hours worked.  Please use either:

    How to Submit Hours

    1. Complete all sections of the time card.
      • Name: the employee’s full name
      • “Pernr”: the SAP personnel number
      • Principal Investigator for Grant/CC: supervisor name
      • Cost Center/Internal Order: the account number to charge salary
      • Signature:  employee signature and date. Both can be typed.
      • PI/Supervisor Signature: supervisor’s signature and date. Both can be typed.
      • Hours Submitted by…: leave blank, as the MechE staff will complete this.
    2. Have the Principal Investigator (PI) or designee sign the card to confirm and authorize the hours.
    3. Send the card by e-mail to meadmin@jhu.edu
      • Subject line must read:  “Time Card”
      • Attach the completed time card.
    4. Designated staff will record the time in the CATS system in SAP and file the submitted time cards.

    Deadlines
    Time cards must be submitted by e-mail to meet the submission deadline of 2:00 p.m. one week before payday.

    Visit the Hourly Payroll Submission Deadline Schedule for the deadline in the “Time Entry Cutoff 2:00 p.m.” column.

    Hours submitted after the deadline will be paid at the next available pay period.

    When submitting a Bonus Supplemental ISR for students, the Student Employment Office is required to collect certain information to monitor number of hours works to ensure federal guideline compliance.  When using these Wage types, please provide the following information in the ISR’s Comments section:

    • 3017 (“Student Supp-2nd Assign”) – list the number of hours worked per week, the hourly salary amount, and the date range of the assignment, as well as the type of work that the student is doing and for which department.
    • 3055 (“Supplment proj-misc”) – state the type of work that the student is doing and for which department
    • Note that Departmental Fellows and other “non-employee” positions cannot use these Wage types.  Only 3018 (“Lump Sum Fellowship Pymt”) or 3020 (“Foreign Sourced Income”) may be used.

    Contact the Student Employment Services office at 410-516-8414 with questions.

    Use these semi-monthly pay rate calculators when determining the amount of pay for a partial pay period.

  • 5. SHIPPING and HANDLING: Purchases and Orders, Deliveries, Shipping, Packing Slips, Mail, Travel Registry, Tax Exempt Sales Certificate

    Typically, students or faculty usually send a web link with the item they would like to purchase to:

    If they do not have the link the following information is necessary to make an order:

    • Company name
    • Item number(s), or link(s) to item(s)
    • Cost
    • Quantity
    • Shipping – the least expensive shipping method will be used.
    • If the item weighs >100 lbs. or will be shipped on a pallet.
    • Budget number and approval from advisor.
    • If purchase exceeds $2,500, provide either three independent quotes or a Sole Source Justification provided by the advisor, so a Purchase Order can be placed in the Johns Hopkins SAP system.
    • All items delivered to the department will be received in Latrobe 217.
    • Items weighing >100 lbs. or are shipped on a pallet must be delivered to the end destination and not to Latrobe 217.  Please contact Shawna for assistance.
    • Items being delivered to the department must be shipped to

    Johns Hopkins University
    3910 Keswick Road
    Latrobe Hall, Room 217 – Attention: (recipient)
    Baltimore, Maryland 21211

    • International Shipping must be arranged through the Mechanical Engineering Administrative Office.
    • Outgoing packages related to University business will be packed by the sender, who will deliver the package to Latrobe 223 Front Office.  Senders must provide a cost center or internal order number.  The package will be sent by FedEx.

    In order to comply with federal and JHU auditing policies we are required to collect and file all packing slips from items purchased by our department. The packing slip is our proof the item was received.

    When receiving a package in Latrobe 217, everyone must take these steps:

    1. Open the package and verify the contents are what were ordered.
    2. Place the Packing Slip into the bin on the wall adjacent to the receiving table that corresponds to the faculty member who authorized the purchase.
    3. Sign the Shipping and Receiving book before leaving the room.

    At the end of each week the packing slips will be collected, scanned, and matched with the order in accordance with audit policies. Failure to properly retain and submit packing slips will result in the loss of ordering privileges.

    Please contact Administrative Coordinator Shawna O’Brien or Administrator Marty Devaney in Latrobe 223 for help.

    Interoffice and postal mail are delivered daily, usually in the early afternoon.  The front office staff will distribute the mail to mailboxes the same day or early the next morning.

    Packages larger than the mailboxes will be stored and registered in Latrobe 217 and recipients will be notified.  They should not be picked up until the packages are logged in.

    The Johns Hopkins Central Mail Services office is at 410-735-6623.

    The International Travel Registry provides an easy-to-use way for those traveling internationally on university-related business to register their travel plans.

    In partnership with International SOS, registered travelers will receive assistance with pre-travel preparations, including notifications about the destination country, risks, and prevention measures.

    Be sure to create your own Travel Profile so staff can contact and support you in the event that there is a natural disaster, political unrest or other emergency situation in locations where you travel.

    Before making purchases using a personal account, obtain a Tax Exempt Sales Certificate before purchasing items with personal funds so you are not charged Sales Tax.  Johns Hopkins does not reimburse Sales Tax.

  • 6. FACILITIES: Labs, Facilities, Facilities Help Requests, J-Card Access, Office Space, Latrobe Conference Rooms

    The Mechanical Engineering department has over 30 laboratories in six buildings on the Homewood campus, managed by the department’s Lab Manager Tom Benassi.

    The Whiting School and University provide facilities maintenance and services throughout the Homewood campus.

    The Mechanical Engineering department has 30 laboratories throughout the Homewood campus.  With the depth and breadth of our research, labs can be as simple as a laptop on an office desk to as complex as a full laboratory with elaborate equipment and potentially dangerous situations and substances that need vigilant maintenance.

    Inevitably, there will be problems with offices, facilities, and equipment that need attention beyond our department’s ability to address them.  There is a central reporting tool that the department uses to vet, record, and refer such problems to get the appropriate help.

    Visit the Mechanical Engineering Department Facilities Concerns site to report your problem, no matter what type or size, except for computer and IT issues.

    For computer or IT help, see #9 COMPUTING for info.

    Certain staff are authorized to grant J-Card Access to offices and labs.  Visit the J-Card Admin page to grant this access.

    The department administration is responsible to keep inventory of desk space in the Latrobe Hall offices it controls.

    • The department will inform faculty and students what desks are available. Academic Program Coordinator Kevin Adams will provide this information.
    • A faculty member can request a desk for a student, post doc, and others under the faculty member’s supervision.  Kevin will issue keys and charge the usual deposit for an available desk.
    • The department head, Gretar Tryggvason will moderate disputes over desk allocation, not the staff.

    Contact Administrative Coordinator Shawna O’Brien to reserve Latrobe 106 or Latrobe 320.

  • 7. ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATION: Programs, Forms, SIS, Blackboard, Starfish, Prospective Student Visits, Helping Students in Distress

    The Academic Administrative staff are responsible for just that, the administration of Mechanical Engineering’s academic programs. Duties include academic advising, course scheduling, Teaching Assistant budgeting and hiring, recruiting, social media, website maintenance of student-related pages, financial aid administration, exam scheduling, student orientations, events, and data management.

    Questions about the full-time BS, MSE, or PhD programs can be referred to Mike or Kevin.

    Undergraduate / Bachelor of Science (BS) – full-time

    Graduate / Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) – full-time

    Engineering for Professionals – evening, on-site, and online programs

    The Engineering for Professionals (EP) program is a separate division in the Whiting School of Engineering that offers master’s degrees in a variety of fields, including a Master of Mechanical Engineering (MME) degree.  Some of our professors are also involved with the EP, but administration of most EP items is performed by EP staff.

    If someone calls for information to the EP, refer them to ep@jhu.edu or 410-516-2300 or 800-548-3647.

    Graduate

    Undergraduate

    • Undergraduate Course Exception Waivers – to record approved exceptions to degree requirements
    • Paper forms for undergraduates are available from the Registrar or Mike or Kevin
      • Course Add/Drop Forms
      • Change of Major
      • Independent Research and Study Registration

    SIS – Student Information System

    SIS is an integrated system that includes every aspect of business for students, such as course scheduling and registration, advising, communication, grades and transcripts, financial aid, student accounts, and information management. Staff, faculty, and students are given access to selected sections of SIS as their duties require.

    • SIS – sign in with your JHED ID and password to see which services you have access.
    • SIS Classes –  public system open to all to search for courses, instructors, classrooms, and schedules.
    • DGA – Department Graduate Aid is the subsystem where tuition, matriculation fee, and health insurance financial support is entered.  Mike and Kevin handle all questions on DGA.

    The Registrar grants access to SIS. They require an e-mail from the department Chair to grant access.  Scott Spencer, the Associate Registrar for IT Systems can answer your questions.

    Blackboard is the platform in which instructors use to upload course information,such as syllabi, assignments, exam preparation, and other pertinent items.  The system allows confidential grade posting and interactive communication between instructors, teaching assistants (TAs), and students.

    Instructors are usually able to assign access directly to their TAs.  Students will be given access upon registration. Access concerns and questions should be sent to the Registrar’s Course Management office at ASENScheduling@jhu.edu.

    Starfish is a portal to note students’ academic performance or other concerns that will interfere with their well-being and success. It is accessible through faculty and instructors’ course’s BlackBoard page, and information entered in Starfish will be shared with the Whiting School Academic Advising office as they can initiate and coordinate any remedial actions to help students in trouble.

    It is important that instructors provide this information as they see it happening, as Starfish collects data from every instructor and alerts the Academic Advising office of patterns of concerns that students may have. Even if instructors have a small class or do not find it important, it actually is important to share concerns through Starfish. If a faculty member or instructor expresses concerns to you, encourage them to use Starfish.

    Visit the Starfish page for instructions and help info.

    Prospective students and their families will visit the department to obtain information about our academic programs.  Some will plan their visit ahead of time, others will walk in to the office on a whim.

    Please refer visit requests directly to Mike Bernard in Latrobe 230 (x6-7154), who will schedule a time for a visit where he will describe the programs and as time allows, give a tour of a lab or two, and take them to visit classes and professors when available.  Walk-in visitors will be welcomed, as well.

    Visits can happen anytime, but tend to occur in the spring, summer, and early fall.

    If Mike is out of the office, Academic Program Coordinator Kevin Adams will conduct the visit.  If neither Mike or Kevin are available, please contact the following to see if they are available to speak with walk-in visitors:

    Undergraduate

    Graduate

    Visit the “Recognizing and Helping Distressed Students“ page for information on recognizing and helping students in distress, who may have been assaulted, who may be suicidal, or who may be dangerous.  There is help.

  • 8. APPOINTMENTS: Postdocs, Visitors, Others / Faculty Searches

    For information on these activities:

    • Contact Deana Santoni for…
      • Postdoc, Visiting Scholar, and other appointments
      • Faculty Searches
      • Mechanical Engineering Graduate Seminar
    • Contact Mike Bernard or Kevin Adams for Visiting Student appointments.
    • Visit the “Faculty Top 12” page for information on the faculty’s role in requesting appointments.

  • 9. COMPUTING: Hardware, Software, and Library Services

    Sign in to your MyJHU account wiht your JHED ID and password.  Then select the “Technology” icon on the left blue bar, then select “Service Request” to be taken to an online portal to request help.

    Alternately, contact the Help Desk at 410-516-HELP to speak to a human.

    Students are welcome to use the computer facilities throughout campus, especially in the Milton S. Eisenhower Library and the Brody Learning Commons.

    Laptops, pads, and software are available at a discount student rate when purchased through Hopkins.

    Visit the Johns Hopkins Library page for information about our libraries.

    We have a librarian! Contact Engineering Librarian Steve Stich at 410-516-8357 or sstich@jhu.edu. He can help find engineering research resources and show you how to use the library’s resources and services.

  • 10. CAREERS: Training and Advancement

    Johns Hopkins asks that we devote at least three full workdays to training each year. We are asked to note our training on our performance reviews.  Take advantage of training opportunities in office skills, information technology, communication, maximizing performance, career growth, leadership, management, and more!

    Marty Devaney can help you create a skill development and career growth plan.

  • 11. PAYDAY! Salary, Benefits, and HR Policies

    The E-210 is used to record time worked and time off.  Sign on with your JHED ID and password.
    • Pay – salary ranges, classifications, and growth
    • Benefits – health, wellness, financial planning (403b and pension), tuition assistance, retirement
    • Health and Life – medical, dental, prescription, vision, flexible spending, insurance, disability
    • Time Off – Vacation, Holidays, Absences, Sick
    • Work Life – workplace support, community, family life, FASAP, discounts

  • 12. And one more thing...

    Go have some fun!

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