Amber and Darius Melvin, assistant director for admissions for the School of Law and academic adviser with the Honors College, respectively, with their 11-month-old son Mateo, mainly work in the living and dining areas of their North Buffalo home. Their last day on campus was March 16.

Mateo has a playpen near Amber’s work area. The Melvins say he loves playing with anything that is not a toy. They also take breaks to look out their front window and spot dogs on walks.

Amber says Mateo has made a few appearances on camera, but she tries to schedule video calls during his nap times. “Everyone has really loved to see him on screen,” Amber says. “It’s been, actually, a very personable touch when communicating with people.”

Darius says he's excited to be at home for many of his son’s first milestones. He was on a videoconference when Mateo pulled himself up to standing for the first time recently. “When he pulled himself up and [Amber] was freaking out, I started freaking out. I had to explain to my colleagues this is what happened,” Darius says.

“It would be really cool if we got to see him walk for the first time while we’re home.” Amber says. “We might be close, and that is just something that is so special.”

Tim and Noelle Matthews, with sons Mason and Carter. Tim Matthews is assistant director with the University Honors College; Noelle is an undergraduate academic adviser with the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Tim says he finds balancing teaching, doing his work for UB and parenting a challenge. But he and Noelle are starting to figure out ways to make it go more smoothly, like staggering appointments. Both say UB has been very supportive of the transition to working from home and understanding they have kids to take care of, too.

“I find Carter sitting on my lap a lot using my one screen to watch a show, and I’m actually doing work on the other screen, which keeps him happy and the other older one involved with his school work,” Noelle says. “So, it’s been nice to have that option.”

“My supervisor, Karyn St. George, has been excellent in supporting us,” Tim says. “She understands we have children at home, and is very supportive of the time that we need to put into them. And then knows that we will get our work done, too, at the same time,” Tim says.

Chemistry professor Diana Aga, and her daughter, Renee, 16, still spend most of their day on their respective learning tasks. Renee, a junior at Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart, is taking online classes from 8 a.m. until nearly 3 p.m. Diana is still holding her regular Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes via Zoom, as well as meeting weekly with her 10 PhD students.

They generally work in their respective bedrooms in their Snyder home, but have been venturing out more to the screened-in back porch as the weather gets warmer.

“It’s actually fun,” Diana says with a laugh, about maintaining their full schedules at home together. And there are a lot of distractions, Renee says, like their two cats.