The Student Veterans Resource Center will host an orientation session for new student veterans at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at the center, located on the ground floor of the Baptist Student Union. If you know any student veterans, please encourage them to attend. The orientation is designed to help familiarize them with S&T so they can focus on their studies and advancing their knowledge. Refreshments will be provided.

Dedie Wilson, experiential learning specialist, will present “Undergraduate Experiential Learning” noon-1:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 6, in the Meramec-Gasconade Room of the Havener Center. The event is part of the ongoing advising conference series sponsored by the undergraduate advising office. To RSVP, contact Beth Welter, event assistant, at 341-4424. Learn about upcoming classes.

Career opportunities and employer relations (COER) will host professional development seminars by Ash Grove Cement Co. and Ameren in February. Pizza will be provided at each presentation:

• Ash Grove Cement Co. will present “Life of an Ash Grove Engineer” at noon Wednesday, Feb. 1, in Room 305 Norwood Hall.
• Ameren will present “Behavioral Interviewing” at noon Thursday, Feb. 2, in Room 305 Norwood Hall.

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurodevelopmental disorders add to our campus in countless ways. To guide our faculty and staff toward a better understanding and appreciation for the fascinating and wonderful aspects of students with ASD, disability support services will offer two training sessions Friday, Feb. 10. Registration is free but required. Please register by Monday, Jan. 30.

New research has found that the University of Missouri System saves $80 million per year across the four campuses and health system on institutional support. The cost per a full-time-equivalent (FTE) student is 39 percent less than our peers. The system achieves additional cost savings, too, such as $14 million in supply purchasing alone. To learn more, visit the System Solutions webpage, http://umurl.us/syssol.

Register now for Missouri S&T’s Teaching and Learning Technology Conference 2017, or TLT X, on Thursday, March 16, and Friday, March 17. The theme is “celebrating excellence in teaching.” Dr. Larry Gragg and Jared Stein will serve as keynote speakers. Gragg serves S&T as a Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor of history and political science. Stein is vice president of higher education strategy for Canvas by Infrastructure. Registration is free. Register online.

In 2017, Missouri S&T leaders will host lunches with faculty members and campuswide forums as part of the university’s ongoing commitment to ensure open lines of communication. The Faculty First Friday events, previously held monthly, will be discontinued. Faculty will be invited to lunches and meetings with university leadership, scheduled with the convenience of attendees in mind. Additionally, open forums on campuswide topics will be held for faculty, staff and students. Examples of topics include work-life balance design, budget updates and strategic planning open sessions. Details will be announced in future issues of eConnection.

The Missouri S&T Observatory will open its doors at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, for viewing the Pleiades, a group of stars famed for their beauty. Pleiades, also known as Seven Sisters, is an open star cluster. The viewing is free and no reservations are required. The observatory is located at 1550 N. Bishop Ave., next to S&T’s Stonehenge replica, north of McNutt Hall and west of St. Patrick’s Lane

Are you in the mood to make someone’s day? Healthy for Life is bringing back the Caught in the Act program. It started Jan. 17 and will run through Tuesday, Feb. 28. The program is designed to reward faculty and staff for demonstrating random acts of wellness. Any faculty or staff member can submit a colleague’s name via the Caught in the Act form. Awardees will receive a “Culture of Health” card from Healthy for Life and will be entered into a prize drawing.

University of Missouri System’s accounts payable shared services team will present “How to Pay for Goods and Services” at two sessions Monday, Feb. 27, in the Carver Room of the Havener Center. The training is designed for employees who work directly with these transactions, approve them or supervise employees who do. Space is limited and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Choose to attend training at 10-11:30 a.m. or 1-2:30 p.m. Register on the accounts payable shared services site.