The Cayuse community is thrilled to shine its Champion Spotlight on @Lyndal Arceneaux, MRA, CRA, Senior Proposal Administrator II at Texas A&M University. Keep reading below to get to know Lyndal better.
How do you interact with Cayuse products on a daily basis?
We use Cayuse Proposal (S2S) only, and myself and a handful of colleagues were heavily involved in the implementation process in 2019. Since we integrated Proposals (S2S) (then 424) with our current system of record, MAESTRO, and imported more than 16,000 users and more than 20 member institutions, the implementation process was a bit of a beast. We became the “experts” by that point, so in addition to daily use of the system for our own Grants.gov submissions, we became the go-to people for questions, issues, concerns, etc.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I have many hobbies! I enjoy crochet and am currently working on a new monthly subscription stitch-sampler afghan that should be lovely (if I can keep my gauge consistent, that is)! I also love cooking, hiking, and reading. My partner and I also recently added a new puppy named Hondo to our family of three cats, so chasing him and him chasing them have been quite the adventure. We also look forward to the Texas Renaissance Festival every year (picture provided is your friendly neighborhood Garden Fae!).
What do you see as the hottest trends in research today?
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding foreign influence and how that is affecting international collaborations. Institutions everywhere are trying to reconcile the benefits of international collaboration with compliance and research integrity, and finding that balance has proven to be a bit tricky to navigate and the solutions vary from institution to institution perhaps based on risk assessment or other factors depending on the institution type. This might just be “hot” and not necessarily “trendy”!
What do you consider most promising in the era of big data?
I would say an increase in metric accuracy, even if a bit obvious. The growth in amount and type of data can serve to provide metrics that were otherwise unattainable, offering insights into aspects that were previously invisible to us. This leads to more informed decisions in process mapping, organization efficiency, and other items that could actually affect positive change and growth on an organizational level.
How can an organization stay relevant five years from now?
Keeping business practices running efficiently and effectively, evaluating when they are not, and making the adjustments and changes necessary to address when they are not. Cross-institutional collaboration is huge in interdisciplinary work, and institutional business practices can really affect the relationships between offices and individuals, and consequently the organization itself, particularly if a particular step or practice is bottle-necking the process.
What app would be hard for you to live without?
I don’t know if there is an app that would be hard for me to live without, but if I could redirect the question just a little bit, I can definitely name a video game it would be hard for me to live without: Skyrim. I have been playing for nearly a decade, and would find it very hard to never be able to start a new character just to default to sneak and bow/arrow again. It’s my comfort game and makes me happy, and it’s a comfort to know that it makes me happy (which is why I am hesitant to start new games).
If you could meet any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
This one is so hard! I’ll go with my initial gut response and say William Shakespeare. I’ve always been in love with his work, and I’m exceedingly curious about his life, loves, and where he drew his inspiration. I also just think he’d be a very interesting and fun guy.
Thank you, Lyndal, for being a Cayuse Champion and sharing your thoughts!