By MARTY LEVINE

Yoga on the Cathedral of Learning lawn, a visit from therapy dogs and a pair of brown bag seminars were announced at Staff Council’s latest meeting on May 15.

While the therapy-dog visit still awaits an official date and details, the yoga session will be July 25. Laurel Chiappetta, Oakland’s Yoga U studio owner and instructor, will lead the hour-long session, open to all University staff. It will focus on the basics of yoga and include a short, guided meditation. Bring your block, chair or mat if you have one, although a limited number of mats will be available at the event.

From noon to 1 p.m. June 18 in the O’Hara Student Center ballroom, Staff Council is sponsoring a brown bag seminar on Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Incentive Accounts (HIAs) by UPMC’s Candice Oberman and Christopher Galiardi. They will explain the difference between the two accounts and how to use them most effectively.

Angela Bedford-Jack, digital accessibility coordinator in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, will present a brown bag seminar on digital accessibility from noon to 1 p.m. July 16 in the O’Hara Student Center ballroom. The focus will be on reducing barriers for access to Pitt technology, websites and documents, and why this is important for people with a variety of disabilities.

Executive office candidates

Staff Council also announced the slate of candidates nominated for its executive offices, with elections taking place online among Staff Council members throughout June.

Members may run simultaneously for more than one office, and voting takes place for one office at a time, beginning with the highest office of president. If a candidate for multiple offices is elected to one, he or she is removed from further balloting.

All the candidates are familiar faces — either incumbents, recent officers or current committee members:

President: Andy Stephany (incumbent, unopposed)

Executive vice president: Deb Whitfield (currently parliamentarian), Kenny Doty (currently committee chair), Lindsay Rodzwicz (recent officer), Tammeka Banks (currently vice president of finance). Incumbent Clayton Steup is not running again.

Vice president, finance: Tammeka Banks (incumbent), Yvonne Brewster (currently committee member)

Vice president, public relations: Amy Kleebank (currently committee chair), Rodzwicz. Incumbent Alex Toner is not running again.

Parliamentarian: Whitfield (incumbent), Rodzwicz

Marty Levine is a staff writer for the University Times. Reach him at martyl@pitt.edu or 412-758-4859.