Voices: Sara Williams, MBA

Meet Change Agent Sara Williams, MBA, Human Resources Manager at the UF International Center

UF International Center staff administer the programs that made it possible for nearly 6,600 international students to be on campus or pursue practical training this past year, with about 3,000 UF students participating in study abroad, that manage hundreds of collaborative agreements with partner institutions across the world, and that support thousands of international trips for research, teaching, and collaboration.

As you learn more about UF’s journey to Workday, how do you feel about the changes to come? 
I am very excited about the transition to Workday! Many of our business processes will improve and become more efficient, which will be a significant benefit to all users.

What Empowering UF resources have you found helpful?
I’ve explored the Empowering UF website extensively, and it’s fantastic! One of my favorite features is how the team organized and presented the key terminology. I used that information to create a spreadsheet with separate tabs for each category, cross-referencing the legacy terms with the new terminology so our staff can easily reference them. It’s been a really valuable exercise for becoming more familiar with the updated language. Overall, everything about the Empowering UF website has been incredibly helpful! Check it out!

Have you had prior experience adapting to technology changes?
I was working at UF when the Compass project was rolled out, and I can already tell based on the outreach the team is doing that this will be a smoother transition. UF has done a fantastic job preparing us for this change.

What tips can you give to other staff and faculty about preparing for Workday?
Most definitely explore the Empowering UF website, attend sessions and events as they are offered, and watch prior workshops and demos that are posted online. Familiarize yourself with it now because July 2027 will be here before we know it!

Pictured below: Sara and her colleague Sebastian Rodriguez-Natali, Finance Manager for the UFIC.