all employees

Say Hello to HR (Part 3 of 10)

Dr. Blanchard announced some exciting changes regarding the Office of Human Resources at the beginning of the fiscal year. We’ll be periodically posting updates in The Source about those changes!


The Office of Human Resources is a full-service Human Resources department that is comprised of the following teams: Benefits and Compensation; Talent Acquisition, Development, Management, and Employee Relations; Payroll and Records; and Administrative. We’ll be featuring each team individually over the next few months so you can learn more about how our teams support student success through service excellence. Navigate to the end of this article to read previous installments in the “Say Hello to HR” series.

The next team we will feature is the Payroll and Records Team. This team works to ensure that employees are paid accurately and in a timely manner, and supports employees and UHD in maintaining employee records that are accurate and up-to-date.

By doing everything they can to ensure UHD employees receive accurate pay and making it easy for UHD employees to access, review, and make necessary changes to their employee records, the HR Payroll and Records Team contributes to UHD’s strategic goal 4: being the employer of choice that supports a diverse and inclusive faculty and staff.

You can learn more about the Payroll and Records Team by reading the profiles included in this article or by visiting the UHD Payroll and Records webpages. You can easily contact the Payroll and Records Team by sending a message to their shared email inboxes: payroll@uhd.edu for payroll requests and HRrecords@uhd.edu for employee records requests. You may also schedule an appointment with this team by calling x8060 or by visiting the Office of Human Resources in OMB S910.


Jackie Batiste

Payroll Specialist

How long have you served at UHD? What roles have you served in that time?
I have served at UHD for 18 years, and I have held only three titles in that time, all in the Payroll Department: Payroll Technician, ESO Technician, and Payroll Specialist.

Do you have any other connections to UHD?
I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I am also a first-generation UHD graduate among 10 siblings, in receiving my bachelor’s degree.

What’s an interesting fact that people should know about you?
I am a fraternal twin.

How does your role contribute to employee and student success?
One of the ways my role contributes to the employees’ and students’ success as a Payroll Specialist is by assisting them with any payroll issues such as direct deposit, w-4, name change, and paychecks (if someone is not being paid correctly).

What is something you enjoy about your position/responsibilities?
I interact with employees to assist them with any payroll issues ask any questions and help departments with guiding them through any steps they may need with timesheets and leave absences.

What advice would you give to a new employee just starting their journey at UHD?
Become a proud UHD Gator, and don’t be afraid to better yourself in education. It’s never too late to start anything you want to accomplish in life.


Katalina Castillo

Records Specialist

How long have you served at UHD? What roles have you served in that time?
I have served at UHD as a student worker for 4 years then as the HR Records Specialist for a little over a year now.

Do you have any other connections to UHD?
I graduated from UHD with a bachelors degree in Fine Arts. I am a native Houstonian familiar with Downtown as I do live close to the city. My best friend and I both attended UHD at the same time which helped us motivate each other to graduate.

What’s something people should know about you?
I of course love art but also collecting and wearing Jordan and Nike shoes, working on online business such as selling products on eBay, cooking, and running.

What are some common things people could reach out to you/your team for?
Employees commonly reach out to me regarding:

  • Alternative Work Arrangements/Agreement Form (AWA)
  • Directory information (Office phone number, room number, email address, and title)
  • Education level (Must submit a transcript)
  • Employment verification (Employment verification letter, PSLF, VOE, WVOE)
  • Preferred name
  • Prior State Service
  • Your personnel file

How does your role contribute to employee and student success?
I assist all employees at UHD including student workers, faculty, and staff. I strongly believe that as staff it is our job collectively to support the faculty and students because without them we would all not be here.

What is something you enjoy about your position/responsibilities?
Although I work with record keeping mainly, I really enjoy being able to put a face with a name when I do actually meet new and current employees in person since we have only communicated via email and phone.

What advice would you give to a new employee just starting their journey at UHD?
Being a small university in the heart of Downtown comes with so many advantages such as feeling a sense of belonging because we are a community helping each other in student success.


Previous Installments of the “Say Hello to HR” Series