Basics of Research Administration Intensive

I love research administration and have found it to be a rewarding career. I have worked within our profession for over 25 years, starting at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSCH) and moving to Temple University in 2014 as Director of Pre-award administration, rising to Assistant Vice President in the summer of 2018. I currently assist in the administration of sponsored projects, specifically pre-and post-award as well as supporting audits and sponsor reporting. During my tenure, Temple has advanced to a tier one University and currently has over $280 million in grants and contracts.

My passion for SRAI can be seen through my long history learning from members and contributing to our community, including serving as the Texas Chapter President (1994-95), Governance Committee member (2020 – present), and Chair of the Engagement and Diversity Committee (2020 – present) and most recently SRAI Distinguished Faculty.

Dominic Esposito, M.S., CRA, has been in the field of research administration since 1997 and currently serves as the Director of Sponsored Programs Administration at Farmingdale State College. Dominic received a Master of Science in Computer Science from Lehman College, CUNY and met the requirements to become a Certified Research Administrator in 2009. Prior to his arrival at the Farmingdale State, he served as the Director of Corporate, Foundation and Government Relations at The College of New Rochelle, Director of Sponsored Programs and Research (SPAR) at Baruch College of the City University of New York (CUNY), Inaugural Director of Grants Administration at Manhattan College, Director of Operations and Research at the CUNY Institute for Demographic Research, Project Associate on a U.S. Department of Education GEAR UP grant and Electronic Research Administration Specialist and Associate Director at Lehman College. He regularly attends and presents at SRA regional and national meetings and is always seeking to enhance the research administration profession by sharing information with his peers and inviting them to participate in professional development activities. Dominic regularly explores collaborative efforts with his SRA colleagues strongly believes that SRA is the industry standard in delivering top-quality educational material to a national network of research administration professionals.

Jennifer is the Associate Vice President for Research Administration at the University of Alabama (UA) with responsibility for leading all sponsored activities in support of the University's research mission. Oversight includes the Research ASSIST Office (proposal development), Office of Sponsored Programs, Contract & Grant Accounting, and electronic research administration. Roll Tide!

In addition to her research administration responsibilities, Jennifer serves on the senior leadership team within the Office for Research & Economic Development, represents UA as the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) administrative representative, and presents at national conferences on various topics within the field of research administration. Prior to her most recent position, she worked in both pre-award and post-award research administration for multiple organizations and supported the research enterprise for diverse clients while working for the Huron Consulting Group.

Jennifer obtained an MBA and a BBA in Corporate Finance from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. In 2007, she earned the designation of Certified Research Administrator (CRA) and maintains an active CRA certification. On a personal note, Jennifer loves spending time with her husband and two sons and listening to podcasts (check out Business Wars!). They recently traveled to Alaska, Canada, and Washington on a fun outdoor adventure.

Zoya Davis-Hamilton, Ed.D., CRA, is the Associate Vice Provost for Research Administration at Tufts University Office of the Vice Provost for Research. She has a BS in secondary education, an MS in psychology, and an Ed.D. in administrative leadership, as well as graduate training in sociology, law, and accounting.