Meet the members of the #UNT COVID Contact Tracing Team helping to keep our community safe.
These individuals have committed their time to help keep our UNT community safe and informed in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Below you can read stories from the Contact Tracing Team and find out more about their positions, why they joined, and a little more about them.
Callie Bolender
Event Support Coordinator
Division/College: Division of Student Affairs - University Center and Events How long have you been on the Contact Tracing Team?: Since August 2020 What role do you play on the Contact Tracing Team?: Core Contact Tracing Team Member Why do you feel the contact tracing team is important?: To keep the UNT community members safe and informed with regards to the ongoing pandemic What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?: Puzzles, shopping and spending time eating and drinking with family and friends :)
Billy Mathew
Assistant Director of Intramural Sports
Division/College: Division of Student Affairs/Recreational Sports How long have you been on the Contact Tracing Team?: 3 months What role do you play on the Contact Tracing Team?: Case Investigator Why do you feel the contact tracing team is important?: To help prevent further spread of COVID-19 What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?: Watching sports (Go Dodgers), hunting, and spending time with my family
Jessa McKinnis
Assistant Director for Residence Life
Division/College: Division of Student Affairs, Housing and Residence Life How long have you been on the Contact Tracing Team?: October 2020 What role do you play on the Contact Tracing Team?: Housing Liaison, Lead, Case Investigator Why do you feel the contact tracing team is important?: We help navigate a very complicated situation. This can be a very scary and confusing time for those that are COVID positive and those that are contacts of a positive case. Having someone explain all the dates and math that comes with testing or symptoms helps demystify the whole process. It also gives clarity on when someone can return to campus for the safety and health of the campus community. What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?: Free time is usually spent reading or spending virtual time with family and friends
LaToya Haynes
Assistant Director of Residence Life, Conduct & Community Standards
Division/College: Division of Student Affairs How long have you been on the Contact Tracing Team?: Since October 2020 What role do you play on the Contact Tracing Team?: Investigator Why do you feel the contact tracing team is important?: The CT team is important because it is an integral piece of keeping our community safe. What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?: I’m working on my doctorate right now so there is no spare time right now! :)
Katie Marion
Assistant Director of Events
Division/College: Division of Student Affairs – University Centers and Events How long have you been on the Contact Tracing Team?: August 2020 What role do you play on the Contact Tracing Team?: Core Contact Tracing Team Member Why do you feel the contact tracing team is important?: To help keep the UNT Community Safe, informed and to limit the spread of the virus. What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?: Traveling to see family, cooking, and watching my kids in all of their sporting activities.
Ashley Mendoza
Library Production Associate
Division/College: Libraries – Collection Management How long have you been on the Contact Tracing Team?: I officially joined in October, but didn’t become actively involved until December. What role do you play on the Contact Tracing Team?: I help complete exit interviews to clear students, staff, and faculty to return to campus. Why do you feel the contact tracing team is important?: The Contact Tracing team plays a huge role in preventing the spread of COVID. We help people understand the importance of quarantine, the duration of quarantine and how and where to get help. We genuinely care about the wellbeing of everyone that we help. What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?: When I’m not hanging out with my husband and kids, you’ll find me working on jigsaw puzzles, crafting, or playing Fishdom. My newest hobby is diamond art.
Margaret Cochran
Contact Tracing Team Lead
Division/College: Risk Management How long have you been on the Contact Tracing Team?: I have been a member of the team since we started looking at COVID in January 2020. What role do you play on the Contact Tracing Team?: As the team lead I train new team members, investigate cases, and help our team of case investigators when they have questions or need guidance. Why do you feel the contact tracing team is important?: Contact Tracing is a key piece in slowing the spread of an infectious disease. To have an internal team able to leverage the resources of the University to respond quickly to any threat has been extremely successful in helping to slow the spread of this illness in our local community. The Contact Tracing Team is comprised of members from different divisions, offices, and departments making it easier for us to respond to issues quickly and efficiently. We have built a framework that allows us respond to the threat of COVID in our unique University settings. Our work has helped to isolate cases, ultimately keeping people healthy that may have contracted this disease were it not for our intervention. I truly believe that our work has had a ripple effect of good into the community that we will never be able to fully quantify, and I am very proud to be a part of this team. What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?: I enjoy painting, reading, volunteering, growing lavender and roses, having adventures (mostly at home!) with my 7 year old son. I also enjoy planning all the trips we are going to take as soon as it is safe to do so.
Stephen Lewis
Assistant Director, UNT Student Money Management Center
Division/College: Division of Student Affairs How long have you been on the Contact Tracing Team?: 6 mo. What role do you play on the Contact Tracing Team?: I serve our community as a CORE Team Investigator. Why do you feel the contact tracing team is important?: I believe that it is important to have a real life person trained, willing, and equipped to help our community through this pandemic. The words “I am here for you” can make the largest impact when assisting with a COVID-19 case. What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?: Spare time, who has that?? I enjoy spending time with my 3 dogs, sleeping, and most of all bowling!
Debra Olivarez
Part time, retired police officer.
Division/College: Police Department (retired July 2017) How long have you been on the Contact Tracing Team?: First of November 2020, roughly. What role do you play on the Contact Tracing Team?: I am a close contact tracer, make phone calls and document all the pertinent information. I also have assisted with exit interviews. Why do you feel the contact tracing team is important?: I feel that our role on the team matters very much. It is important to keep the UNT community safe and to help educated the community when they may not be aware of the seriousness of the virus and how quickly it can spread, when uniformed. In the time I have been on the team, I have also learned a lot about how quickly the virus can spread from contact to contact. Keeping the UNT community as safe as we can by reaching out to those who have been impacted, exposed, or possibly exposed is a very important role for the team. What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?: I picked up some crafting and wreath making during the pandemic. I have found I have a hidden talent!! It started as a ” just for fun” project or two and now my formal dining room is a craft room!
Sarah Amberson Rodgers
Assistant Director for Residence Life: Student Staff Training & Development
Division/College: Division of Student Affairs: Department of Housing & Residence Life How long have you been on the Contact Tracing Team?: September 2020 What role do you play on the Contact Tracing Team?: Case Investigator and Housing Liaison Why do you feel the contact tracing team is important?: It helps to keep the university as open as possible along with assisting students/ staff during this difficult time by providing them with support and resources. What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?: Reading, Running, Family time and the occasional Netflix binge
Amanda Vaughn
Assistant Director-Talent Management
Division/College: Student Affairs/Housing and Residence life How long have you been on the Contact Tracing Team?: Started October 2020 What role do you play on the Contact Tracing Team?: Contact Tracer and Lead when needed Why do you feel the contact tracing team is important?: The Contact Tracing team is important to help the University slow/stop the spread of COVID-19 on our campus. The team also helps people understand their role in slowing the spread of COVID-19. What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?: Since I am currently working on my MBA I try to spend as much of my spare time with my two child and husband outside or play board games together.