Have you met Chris-Anne, the Information & Initiatives Coordinator in University Relations? Spend the next 2 minutes getting to know her a little better.
Where is your favourite place on campus?
I like to walk to the green-way at Corbett Hall - especially in the summer - because of the open spaces and because you can relax in the sunshine.
Tablet or paper?
Oh, paper. Old school all the way!
Name one thing you've brought to work from home.
I have a picture of my nieces and nephew because I love them very much… even though everyone [who sees the picture] mistakes them for my own kids.
What is the one thing you can't live without?
I can't live without my family - because if it wasn't for their love and support in my life, I wouldn't be able to do the things that I'm doing. And I'm very grateful for them.
If you won airfare to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would say Iceland… even though I've already been there - BUT that's just how beautiful and amazing it is! I'd love to go back and go camping and do a lot of hiking. The people are also really great, so it's a great place to visit.
You can invite anyone - alive or dead, real or fictional - to dinner. Who would it be?
I'd probably invite my grandfather who I never met. He came to Canada during WW1, and I think it would be great to talk to him about his experiences. He raised six daughters in poverty and I just think that's a huge foundation for our family - that he did what he had to do for them.
If you could switch jobs with someone else on campus for a week, what would you do?
A week? So, not just a day? That makes it harder…. I would actually say - quite ambitiously - that I would like to switch jobs with the president for a day-er-week. I can't imagine that amount of work and responsibility. I've gotten to know one part of campus, but he gets to see so many others, so I'd like to see that other perspective.
What does "uplifting the whole people" mean to you?
I think there are a lot of different ways to view what that means, but the one that comes to mind to me is service. We're here to serve one another; to support one another. To do what we need to do to meet the goals and values of our institution. Because we all need one another to keep this place running and there's value in serving one another to meet the needs of everyone. No role is too small and no role is too big.
If you could solve any problem in the world, what would it be?
I think I would try to solve fear and what that means. A lot of the issues that we face are normally connected to a fear of something. And a lot of people control other people using fear in many different situations and many different problems and serious issues. And I think fear inhibits our ability to help one another because we are afraid of what [helping others] might mean for us or for our own stability. We need to not be afraid to help each other.
What 3 words best describe your U of A experience?
Can I break out a Thesaurus? [Laughs… and then proceeds to do grab one…] Yeah, this doesn't help…
So I'd say, supportive, inspiring, and challenging- in a good way.
About Chris-Anne Felzien
Chris-Anne Felzien has served as the Information & Initiatives Coordinator for the Office of the Vice-President (University Relations) since joining the U of A in July 2016. She's often the first face you see when visiting the Office of the Vice-President (University Relations) where she helps with everything from event planning to financial processing. Her background includes over seven years of experience in higher education administration, admissions, and recruitment.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.