Mika Boyd is an expert at printing, but she can’t print money.

Of course, the UO Classified Staff Training & Development Advisory Committee can’t print currency either. However, through a scholarship, they can – and did – help fund Boyd’s dream to learn new skills in a nationally recognized print shop.

The scholarship aims to help its recipients better understand their field of work by funding training, classes and workshops related to their jobs. It is part of ongoing efforts by the committee to ensure UO staff members enjoy and excel at their occupations.

Boyd, a printmaking and fiber technician in the UO School of Architecture and Allied Arts, is the most recent recipient of the award,  along with Jennifer Smith of the Labor Education and Research Center and Megan Miller of University Advancement.

Because of the scholarship, Boyd was able to participate in a workshop in San Francisco last summer, where she learned new printmaking skills and developed etching techniques. The week-long workshop was held at the Crown Point Press studio, one of the most well-known fine art print shops in the country.

“I was always interested in their studio setup, work flow and the materials and processes they used,” Boyd said. “It was inspiring, and I’m very happy I had the chance to do it.”

After the workshop, she was able to apply the concepts she learned to her position in the art department. Her experience fundamentally changed the way she runs the campus print shop.

“I learned a lot from it,” she said. “I made some changes in our studio based on what I saw there, things like which materials work best for certain projects.”

The committee is currently accepting applications for 2014-2015. The scholarship is available to all members of UO classified staff.

Questions about the process and application requests can be sent to cstdac@uoregon.edu.

—By Nathaniel Brown, Public Affairs Communications intern