You are a Senior Research Administrator for the Pediatrics Research Office. What does this position entail?
This role entails all aspects of pre-award, working with Peds faculty and other researchers on their grant proposals. We manage the application process & obtain the required Med School and ORSP approvals before submission to the sponsor. My speciality areas within our PRO team include managing all sponsor required annual and final reports, managing training grant applications and reports, and also, resolving publication compliance issue with the NIH Public Access Policy.
What made you interested in this position and pediatrics?
I joined the university in 1998 when I was hired into the Nephrology Department in the Medical School and have since worked at the Schools of Nursing and Public Health (Dept of Epidemiology), then back to the Medical School Depts of Dermatology and now Pediatrics. My career here has developed primarily in the area of research administration, pre and post award. While I have fond memories of coordinating training grants (Fogarty and T32’s), getting to know and support many US and international trainees, pre-award is now my career focus and I feel very much at home working in the Dept of Pediatrics, such a fantastic place to work.
What is your most memorable experience with the Department so far?
There have been many memorable moments with my wonderful Pediatrics Research Office (PRO) team! One in particular occurred at the beginning of my interview with the PRO team when I was introduced to Jackie Torres. That’s when I learned that Jackie, like me, had dedicated the early part of her career to secondary education, in the role of high school Spanish teacher. It’s a rare occurrence to connect with a former language teacher. I was thrilled to land such an opportunity to work closely with someone who could relate to my career background and love for all things Spanish. That and other surprise connections with the PRO team were signs that Pediatrics would be an ideal setting for someone like me.
What else should we know about your roles and interests?
Working at the University of Michigan in varying capacities and in several departments has provided numerous opportunities to not only build a second career and deepen my skillset but also to establish meaningful connections with colleagues across the campus. This has had a profound impact on my life.
What else do you like to do outside of work?
Spanish is a huge love for me, as are the fiber arts, travel and Zumba. For the last 20+ years, I’ve run a monthly readers group that discusses original text novels in Spanish. My husband and I enjoy traveling and going to musicals together. While Guatemala is one of my favorite destinations Spain is very close to my heart, having studied abroad there, then returned to live in Madrid in the early 90’s for nearly a year, teaching ESL. My husband and I traveled to Spain last year to visit our daughter who was on a study abroad experience in Madrid. It was amazing to be back and share being in such a fabulous country with my family.
Tell me something about you that most people don’t know.
My husband and I have developed a strong interest in visiting and learning about places in the U.S. with significant examples of mid-century modern architecture. In the last year we have toured Palm Springs, California and Columbus, Indiana.I love to discover and delve into new areas of interest!
To learn more about the Pediatric Research Office, visit their Intranet.
