Skip to main content

Office of Administration

Emily A. Messa, Ph.D., CASP
Senior Associate Vice Chancellor & Senior Associate Vice President Administration

Supported by a dedicated staff, student employees and 300-plus contractors, the Office of Administration provides a foundational infrastructure of services for the campus community and also cultivates ongoing growth and proactive master planning of fundamental UH initiatives in collaboration with campus community partners in support of the UH mission and transformation as an innovative pacesetter for future success.

  • Being Green Tops Job at Copy and Print

    Being Green Tops Job at Copy and Print

    While April 22 is when Earth Day is celebrated each year, at Copy and Print Services — every workday is a green day. The recycling team has commented that Copy and Print is one of the biggest recyclers on campus. Discover the ways Copy and Print keeps being green every day. 
  • CPH Has Aid for Hearing-Impaired Guests 

    CPH Has Aid for Hearing-Impaired Guests

    New technology has made going to a comedy show or event at Cullen Performance Hall even easier and more enjoyable for individuals with hearing loss with the venue’s introduction of its ListenWIFI service. Learn more about this initiative from Cullen Performance Hall.
  • Cougar Card Team wins award at NACCAS Confrence

    Cougar Card Team Attends NACCU Event

    Cougar Card Services’ Cassie Bruner, Ph.D., director, and Daisy Del Fierro, assistant director, recently attended the National Association of Campus Card Users Annual Conference in Henderson, Nevada, April 6-9. The pair arrived early to participate in the two-day NACCU Preconference Data Summit, where they learned how to better utilize information that’s collected to generate insights to assist in data-driven decision-making. 
  • Teaching Kitchen Serves Fresh Food Fun 

    Teaching Kitchen Serves Fresh Food Fun

    The University of Houston’s Dining Services department hosted the Plant-Forward Teaching Kitchen event in the Multipurpose room in the Student Center – South in April. A dozen attendees took part in a learning experience led by Moody Tower’s Executive Chef Benito Gavirio on how to prepare Mexican sopes with delicious, plant-based filling using fresh and readily available ingredients. Find out more about this semester's Teaching Kitchen. 

  • First Fiesta, the Pregame to Frontier Fiesta 

    First Fiesta, the Pregame to Frontier Fiesta

    Frontier Fiesta, a University of Houston tradition dating to 1939, is a long-awaited event for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. To give students a pregame to Frontier Fiesta, University of Houston Dining Services created, and hosted, a new event, First Fiesta, at Cougar Woods Dining Commons. Check out the First Fiesta festivities.

  • A&F Team Connects at NACAS South CX

    A&F Team Connects at NACAS South CX

    Division of Administration and Finance team members from Auxiliary Services enjoyed the fanfare and the camaraderie of the 2025 NACAS South CX Conference. The group met and connected with colleagues from other institutions within their region. Read more about A&F at the NACAS South CX conference. 

Resources

  • Live Agent Available Through Chatbot

    Auxillary Services, Cougar Card Services, and Cullen Performance Hall have a "Live Agent" feature available through the website Chatbot. Users can chat directly with customer service staff in real time by simply typing a question into the chatbot and requesting to speak to a live person.

  • Pay With Your Digital Cougar Card

    Exciting News from Cougar Card! You can even pay for your meals at Cougar Woods with your digital Cougar Card. It’s easy. Open your digital cougar card in the UH Go app. Use the QR code for meal swipe, Cougar Cash and ShastaBucks transactions!

  • Sign Up for Text Updates From Parking

    You can sign up for text messege alerts from Parking and Transportation by Texting COOGPARK to 55744.

Office of Admibistration departmental progress Numbers

Awards and Recognitions

  • ValdezLifetime2025

    Valdez Earns Lifetime Award at South CX

    Esmeralda Valdez, Ph.D., CASP, executive director, University Services, received the NACAS South Lifetime Achievement Award for her excellence in the field of auxiliary services, being a role model for aspiring auxiliary service professionals, and her actions that benefited both the University and higher education. Valdez, who also serves as the NACAS South regional representative on the board of directors, has been a NACAS member since 2006. 

  • AllenAFAward2025

    Allen Receives Star Performer Award

    DaNesha Allen, MBA, SHRM-CP, CASP, senior director, Auxiliary Services, was named as the recipient of a Star Performer Award during the 2025 Administration and Finance Staff Appreciation Event in April. Allen also was chosen for the NACAS South Regional Rising Star Award for her innovative and meaningful contributions to improving the efficiency of the University’s campus experience for students and excelling professionally in auxiliary services.

  • IPMI2025

    P&T Approved as APO With Distinction

    Parking & Transportation was approved as an Accredited Parking Organization with Distinction through Dec. 31, 2027, by the International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI). The accreditation recognizes best practices in responsible parking management and operations, access management, customer service, professional development, security, sustainability and more. Parking & Transportation will be recognized on stage at the 2025 IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo in June. 

Departments