Woman of the Year Cheree Meeks, director of the First Year Experience at the Honors College, is involved in a variety of UA organizations and the local NAACP. "To be in a community that is so welcoming and a community that really cares about sharing successes is really cool," Meeks says. Six other UA employees also were honored for their career accomplishments and community involvement.

Lo Que Pasa is going on hiatus for the holidays. We wish all UA employees and their families a safe and happy holiday season!

As if studying, homework and extracurricular activities aren't enough, some students add a campus job to their balancing act. In this occasional Lo Que Pasa series, we talk to student employees to find out how working for the University contributes to their college experience. This week, meet Katherine Feehan, a UA senior who works as a recruiting and player personnel intern for Arizona Football.

With more than 15,000 employees, the UA has no shortage of good stories. Here are the most-read LQP articles of 2018. They include profiles of the OSIRIS-REx mission's graphic artist and the three emeritus faculty still deeply involved with UA anthropology efforts, a roundup of lesser-known benefits available to UA employees, and tips for writing reference letters for students.

A statement approved by the Faculty Senate is intended to be a proactive step to ensure freedom of expression at the UA. Daisy Pitkin, assistant professor in the Honors College and a member of the Faculty Senate, said the statement "is pretty much in line with what we already do and promote and value at the UA."

Congratulations to these recent honorees: the UA and the Department of Entomology; Laurence Hurley, College of Pharmacy; T.J. Ferguson, School of Anthropology; University Libraries; and Hilary Van Alsburg, University Libraries.

Two new institutes have put the UA on track to become a data science powerhouse at the national level and a leader in promoting data science literacy and transdisciplinary research. "Our goals are to advance the field of data science, facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration, enhance graduate and undergraduate literacy, promote workforce preparation, and foster industry alliances," says Nirav Merchant, director of Data7, the UA's Data Science Institute. To that end, the institute has created a program that pairs UA data science "ambassadors" with experts in other disciplines to build community and capacity on campus around data science.

Little research has been done into how to optimize and individualize smoking cessation services for women, says Uma Nair, an assistant professor of practice in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. She's filling the void with a new study that looks at how cessation outcomes are affected by women's menstrual cycles.

Events held across campus have raised thousands of dollars for the UA Cares annual giving campaign, with employees donating their dough for chorizo, baked goods, chili, hot dogs and more. The campaign saw the return of some of the longest-running events, including the Office of Budget and Planning's chorizo breakfast and Facilities Management's chili cook-off. Together, the two events raised more than $3,000. Lo Que Pasa also talked with Renee Williams, a UA Cares ambassador and senior accountant in the Financial Services Office, about her experience planning fundraisers for her unit and the importance of philanthropy. The UA Cares campaign ends Friday.

If you find yourself needing a diversion from shopping, cooking and wrapping, UA events provide many opportunities next month. Two events offer the chance to take part in a major milestone for the UA-led OSIRIS-REx mission, which is sending a spacecraft to collect a sample from the asteroid Bennu. Get a glimpse into other UA research endeavors at the five Science Cafés happening in December. Give to children in need by donating to a charity drive led in part by the UA Police Department. Faculty can learn how to provide feedback to their students during a webinar, while a Poetry Center event will teach writing skills to kids.