Diane McDaniel Rhodes
“Diane lives out the best of what we work to be: a Faculty member doing engaged work and building people up. To know her is to join with her on a team that’s learning and growing.”
Brad: What I know is that Diane makes us better in all the phases of our roles, not to mention our humanity, in the way that she encourages us and shares ways to make our work more humane, all to the end of being better at what we do. My one question, then, is: where does that come from?
Diane: That comes from so many things. I have finally made it to the latter half of life and it’s a great place to be. I got my Ph.D. at 52, and one of my goals was to bring the whole of my intellectual experience and talents together. I started out as a fiction writer creative writing major here at UT. Then I began working in social services because I wanted Austin to be a better place for my kiddos and because 3 amazing homeless gentlemen living on Guadalupe at the time traded lunch for wisdom almost every day and made me feel welcome in ways the campus and its atmosphere did not. They were a gorgeous combination of generous and broken. I learned so much from them and our friendship that shapes how I think about people. I worked in social services forever. So, academics brings the writer, social worker together reasonably well. Though I 'm still working on that.
At mid-life, I finally owned what everyone else said - I'm my dad. Huge brain, wicked sense of humor. But without the 'grew up in Jim Crow Virginia' edges. I was also raised in a matriarchy, knowing I had some big shoes to fill on all fronts. As I got older, I'd be talking to someone and they would get out a piece of paper and start taking notes. Craziest thing! But, humbling. I figured I best make a commitment to being honest. That sounded a lot easier than it was.
I try to live as if every made thing I see or touch is someone - someone made it, brought it, designed it, thought it, delivered it, took my money at the till, coded it... I try to bring that level of collectivist humanity to conversations. With as decent a side of gratitude as any of us westerners can remember to feel.
For You
TOTAL, the faculty-made Transitioning to Online Teaching and Learning Canvas site, is full of resources to help you have an engaging and smooth fall semester. Find quick tips for student buy-in, online assessment, and easy-to-learn tech that really helps. More than 1700 colleagues are using it, and it’s getting great reviews. We can do this together.
Join Us
The childcare crisis is real and ongoing; many of us are struggling to balance work and family duties. The new series Parenting in Challenging Times offered by EAP helps UT parents and caregivers connect with each other and hear short presentations on topics such as leave types, guilt, and conflict resolution. Meetings are Wednesdays from 10:00-11:00.
Take Care
Practice an act of ‘one-minute kindness’: Push back against the isolation of remote work and connect with a colleague by email, voice, or video call, even just briefly. Pass along a compliment, express gratitude, or just inquire about their well-being. Reaching out to others can boost your own sense of control, belonging, and self-esteem, according to the CDC.
