Post-Award Intensive

Debra Y. Murray is the Assistant Vice President for the Sponsored Programs Accounting and Compliance Office at the University of Maryland College Park. She is primarily responsible for overseeing the functions of the designated Post Award office which includes Sponsored Programs Accounting, Cost Analysis and Financial Compliance. She is the former Associate Director of Compliance and Cost Analysis at the University of Maryland and former Director of the Sponsored Accounting Office at Georgetown University. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and has over 25 years of experience in Research Administration.

Laura Scarantino is the Assistant Vice President for Sponsored Project Accounting (SPAC) at the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB). A proven professional, she has over 25 years of experience managing grants and contracts in private, NGO, and university environments. Currently, she partners with the Office of Research and Development and organizations within the schools to improve processes and relationships. She oversees the personnel, systems, policies, and procedures necessary to efficiently manage post-award accounting functions at UMB, ensuring financial compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and sponsor regulations for a portfolio valued over $600M annually.

Laura is a past president of the SRAI Chesapeake Chapter and is involved with UMB’s leadership programs, including the Research Compliance Council (RCC), SPAC Advisory Council (SAC), System Research Administrators Group (SRAG), Funding Model Work Group (FMWG), President's University Leadership Program (PULP), President's Council for Women (PCW), COVID Recovery Task Force, and Maryland Global Initiatives Corporation (MGIC).