2024 Award Recipients

Winning the Herbert B. Chermside Lifetime Achievement Award is quite humbling. After a 22-year career in Research Administration and Compliance it symbolizes acceptance and validation on a global scale. It also signifies appreciation from peers and colleagues. I have often remarked that I owe my career success to SRAI. I was a Fine Arts major as an undergrad and knew nothing about research, science, or medicine. Everything I now know; I learned through being receptive and open to networking and professional development. To receive this level of recognition is the cherry on top of the most luscious cake. I will be forever grateful for the bosses who set me on the path and supported my participation internationally, the invaluable knowledge gained, the lifetime friends I have made, and knowing that perhaps I helped others to achieve as well.

What accomplishment are you most proud of? It is almost impossible for me to say I am the proudest of any single accomplishment. Perhaps the fact that I became a research administrator at all and then went on to grow in the field to the extent that I have is unto itself the accomplishment. But here are a few accomplishments that stand out: serving as SRAI's President, creating the Research Leadership Intensive with my dear friend and colleague Mark Hochman and delivering those workshops over a ten year span, presenting at various conferences all over the world, authoring an RCR book chapter for a Research Compliance textbook, teaching in CUNY's online Research Administration and Compliance graduate program, and being able to reboot my career at NYU after my position as Vice President of Research Outreach and Compliance was eliminated at MSK. It has been a fabulous journey so far, and despite receiving a "lifetime" achievement award, I hope I still have a bit more to contribute... having too much fun to stop now.

Receiving the Hartford-Nicholsen Award is a profound honor for me. This accolade is not merely a personal milestone; it symbolizes the collaborative spirit of my colleagues at SRAI, my mentors, and the broader research administration community. SRAI has played a pivotal role throughout my career in research administration, and I, along with many peers, am thankful to consider SRAI our "home." My dedication to advancing the objectives signified by this award remains steadfast. Research administration is a field that prospers on mutual cooperation, pioneering ideas, and ethical conduct. I am eager to continue challenging the status quo and contributing to the advancement and prosperity of our collective endeavor. For me, research administration is more than a profession—it's a fervent passion.

What accomplishment are you most proud of? I take pride in all my achievements in research administration, but some highlights truly stand out. Earning the CRA certification boosted my confidence, inspiring me to make meaningful contributions to the research administration community. Being honored as Distinguished Faculty was the realization of a lifelong ambition. However, my tenure on the Board of Directors is my proudest accomplishment, as it is a role bestowed by peers to serve the greater good of the society. I've been privileged to hold various positions within SRAI, including mentor, committee member, section leader, reviewer, and presenter. Above all, engaging with newcomers to SRAI or the field itself is my greatest joy. I am dedicated to fostering their involvement in SRAI activities and nurturing their pride and passion for the field of research administration.

It is truly an honor to be recognized by my fellow professionals and friends at SRAI with this great award! I will continue to work hard in assuring that our profession is respected and well regarded among all that we serve!

What accomplishment are you most proud of? The biggest accomplishment during my 20+ years of service in our profession is to give back by being a mentor, speaker or friend since so many had taken their time and efforts to help shape my career and pathway to success. Whether it's through being a Distinguished Faculty, a mentor in the Odyssey program, speaking during Annual/Section meetings, presenting posters, or jumping on a quick call from a colleague that needs help through a situation. A small thank you to those who have supported me!

Peer recognition validates professional competencies and contributions. I am deeply honored and grateful to receive the SRAI Excellent Award. This recognition reflects my dedication and contributions to the research administration profession, demonstrated through my presentations, teaching, mentoring, and service to my institution and international organizations, including SRAI, the Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS), and the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA). This award not only acknowledges my past efforts and but also motivates me to continue advancing the field and inspiring new members of our profession.


What accomplishment are you most proud of? I am proud to have contributed to the research administration in diverse ways at the institutional and international levels, streamlining administrative processes and building and strengthening the profession. As a Research Integrity Coordinator, I spearheaded the simplification of the content for a new Research Integrity module and received university management approval to make the module compulsory for all researchers associated with the institution every two years thereby significantly increasing completion rates. I also co-developed a Standard Operating Procedure for the management of research integrity matters. Furthermore, I curated a decade's worth of research integrity case data for university-wide education, fostering a culture of ethical and responsible research conduct. Additionally, I developed a comprehensive workflow flowchart for research integrity concerns, ensuring clarity and efficiency across all stakeholders. These innovations have streamlined reporting to key government agencies and other stakeholders, ensuring prompt and transparent resolution of ethical concerns. As a Research Administration Officer, I reduced the internal approval time for grant applications by 87%, from 8 weeks to just 1 week. Furthermore, I developed a robust research grant database, facilitating easier identification of funding opportunities and enhancing forecasting accuracy. These initiatives have elevated the effectiveness of research administration at my institution. My contributions extend beyond institutional boundaries to strengthen the research administration profession. Notably, I developed a database for research administration career pathways in Australia. All these contributions and accomplishments underscore my commitment to advancing the profession.

I am incredibly honored to be recognized for the SRAI Excellence Award.  This award acknowledges my dedication and contributions to the field of Research Administration. Sharing my knowledge and experience with others has always been incredibly important to me.  I am grateful to my colleagues and friends in the field who have made an impact on my career and hope that I can continue to do the same for others.

What accomplishment are you most proud of? I am proud of my contributions to the field of Research Administration as a mentor, speaker, ambassador and colleague. The professional development I have received from SRAI over the years has shaped my career and provided me with the necessary tools to mentor, train and help others in our great profession. I am also incredibly proud of the role I have played in the creation and development of the financial, contractual and regulatory infrastructure of a successful cancer consortium, the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC). In my career, I have been honored to serve in a variety of leadership roles and participate on various working groups and committees within SRAI, Johns Hopkins University and the TBCRC.  Thank you to everyone who has supported my career along the way!

Winning this award is incredibly rewarding, and I am deeply honored by this recognition. I poured my heart and energy into this project alongside an amazing team, so having our efforts recognized by the Society of Research Administrators International on such a prominent stage means a great deal to me.

Our focus has always been, and continues to be, on creating solutions that make a real impact in our field. From streamlining processes to improving access to critical information, our goal is to make research administration more efficient and effective. Robert Nobles, Vice President of Research Administration at Emory, once said to me, “When you figure out ways to make the workload easier, it will be a big win for everyone!” That sentiment has stayed with me, and this achievement feels like a celebration of the hard work and dedication that went into making that vision a reality.

SRA’s acknowledgment motivates me to continue exploring new possibilities, innovating, and sharing what we’ve learned with others in the field. I hope our Proof-of-Concept inspires others to explore how technology can transform research administration. I look forward to the opportunities ahead to contribute further to our profession. I am genuinely grateful to SRAI for this recognition and its ongoing support of the research administration community, and I sincerely thank you for this honor.

What accomplishment are you most proud of? I am most proud of my ability to balance family life and a very busy work schedule.

Additionally, I am also proud to have been able to successfully lead a clinical trial team as a project manager, recruiting about 20,000 participants in the Ashanti region, Ghana. That not only achieved its objectives but also had a positive impact on the community. Another accomplishment that stands out is my commitment to continuous learning and development. In whatever I do, I have always sought to deepen my knowledge and skills and constantly strive to be among the best, which has been instrumental in my professional growth.

One thing I value deeply is being recognized whether it's a compliment on my work or even gratitude on my collaboration on a project or task. It's an honor to be an award recipient of the SRAI 2024 Annual Meeting Scholarship as it allows me to pause and reflect on the history of my career growth that has led me to this point today. I look forward to continuing on this career path with the expanded opportunities that SRAI will bring.

What accomplishment are you most proud of? As a recently promoted Director, I am very proud of my advancement from different roles which has led me to where I am today. I've been selected to lead, provide guidance, and collaborate with different teams to achieve common goals. I've received valuable support along the way from superiors and colleagues which has contributed to my professional development. I am proud to have become a new SRAI member and I am excited for the upcoming opportunities I get to experience in this new chapter of my career.

Winning this award is an acknowledgement of the value of an innovative tool we brought to our research community.  The tool has fundamentally changed how we communicate with thousands of people.  JRA's recognition of the article provides an objective/outsider's view of how myRESEARCHpath has contributed to improving our research ecosystem.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?  The development of this tool required so many research support offices, faculty, departmental administrators and institutional leaders to take a risk and coalesce around an idea.  The success of the tool is a shining example of how, when we work together, we can accomplish bold things. 

myRESEARCHpath is the result of many years of work that started out with the concept of ""how a bill becomes a law"". As a research investigator myself, I wanted to make understanding how to get your research from start to finish as simple and straightforward as the School House Rock vignette of lawmaking. Our team took that idea and ran with it, making myRESEARCHpath the one source of truth on how to navigate complex regulatory pathways as well as how to find tools and templates to write a grant to how to disseminate and share your research and results. While the team has received praise and positive feedback within our institution, receiving the Rod Rose Award is an honor and further recognition for how a simple idea can make a substantial contribution to supporting our research mission. 

What accomplishment are you most proud of?  I am most proud of the teamwork that went into this effort. myRESEARCHpath is a clear demonstration of what can be done when we band together with a common objective, overcoming our territorial silos and individual interests to create a solution that benefits the entire research community. 

It is an honor to be selected and means a great deal that our work is seen as an outstanding contribution to the field. I hope that our approach and lessons learned inspire creative and valuable solutions at other institutions.

What accomplishment are you most proud of? The teamwork and collaboration embodied in this project is a source of great pride and enjoyment! I find it very meaningful to help coordinate the resources of a large organization to improve support for a variety of researchers and contribute to the acceleration of quality, compliant research.

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I've been in the research administration profession for over twenty years.  Over the years, I've held roles at the department, service center, and central office, including being an auditor.  I truly enjoy learning the many areas in RA (with many more areas to go!).  It's important for me to make contributions back to our community, by providing presentations, attending and volunteering at conferences, and contributing publications.  SRAI provides all of these platforms and so many more!  Being recognized for this presentation with Carly Pigg is priceless to me!

What accomplishment are you most proud of?  I am grateful to be recognized with Carly Pigg for our presentation at the 2024 SRAI Virtual Conference.  SRAI has provided countless learning opportunities for me over the years, and it's such a pleasure to make a contribution back to our RA community.  SRAI provides a wonderful platform of opportunities to volunteer, serve, and learn.  

What accomplishment are you most proud of?  My greatest accomplishments, by far, are overcoming adversity to be the first in my family to graduate with a master's degree, developing a meaningful and fulfilling career, and building a life together for the past 27 years with my incredible husband.

It is always humbling, and an honor, to be recognized by your peers.  It is also gratifying to know that information that I provided was useful and interesting to them.  Online presentations can be a bit frustrating for the presenter since there is not that level of personal interaction that occurs during live events - so this sort of feedback is greatly appreciated. 

What accomplishment are you most proud of?  It is difficult to assess accomplishments in the field of research security, since the primary goal is to prevent security events from happening.  However, I take pride in knowing that people found our presentation to be useful, and hope that they will be able to apply the lessons they learned to their own research environments to protect their proprietary information and intellectual property.

I'm so happy to I could be part of the Coffee Talk to help provide information to the greater research administration community. 

What accomplishment are you most proud of? I am most proud of my contributions as an attorney to higher education and pushing research forward in higher education. 

I am grateful for the recognition of my peers. SRA International has an impressive roster of research administrators who freely and willingly share their expertise. Being recognized for this Coffee Talk not only validates the work done by this presentation team but will also motivate us to participate in future Coffee Talks and other SRAI events. 

What accomplishment are you most proud of?  Active learning should be a part of any research administrator’s professional life. When we tackle difficult subjects or are challenged by required compliance, it presents an opportunity for us to come together to understand the new rules and to build ways to compliantly abide by them. The Coffee Talk sessions bring experts together to discuss the issues and to share solutions. These events are fantastic member benefits that offer SRAI members the chance not only to learn from presenters but to also engage and learn dynamically. 

It is an honor to be recognized for awards in professional knowledge areas. It affirms that you are educated and have experience regarding the topic, staying up to date, and you are sharing the knowledge to build up the community. It also shows that the selection committee took the time to review candidates, and they selected you as the winner of the award (over all others).

What accomplishment are you most proud of?  Throughout my career, some of my best accomplishments have been based on training and supporting individuals on their journey learning about cybersecurity. In past jobs, I have had the ability to mentor junior staff, including student interns, to advance their knowledge and abilities. This has led to more balanced teams that overcome obstacles together. 

This award is a testament of my hard work and commitment to the field of research management. I am extremely honoured and grateful to be recognised in such a prestigious capacity. This is a nod to my journey as a research manager and the years of sacrifice to this field. I am encouraged and motivated to push further and strive for excellence in the delivery of my service.

What accomplishment are you most proud of? I am always eager to inspire and train my younger colleagues. It gives me such pleasure and pride to see my mentees achieve their goals and become a better version of themselves. I enjoy helping my Institute increase its research portfolio through funding. Most importantly, I am proud of every laurel I have achieved as a research manager, and I am motivated to keep giving my best.

Such a great honor to have received this amazing recognition. Been associated with SRAI for over 21 years now, I always wanted to reach a level whereby I shall be in a better position to offer my volunteer services to the SRAI and with this award, I shall be able to give back to the Society more. 

What accomplishment are you most proud of? Having served the underprivileged communities of Pakistan for over 20 years, (developing country) by providing transparent, efficient and compliant research administration systems and policies. 
Award of Excellence by the University of Central Florida from where I did my Masters in Research Administration. 
Facilitating US federal institutions and private foundations to conduct meaningful research in Pakistan that is truly compliant with national and international regulations.

When I began my career as a research administrator I was in a research institution identifying funding opportunities and creating a database of venture capitalists for the tech transfer office. I eventually moved into submitting proposals and managing research awards. I never imagined that this would be a lifelong career and that I would meet and work alongside so many great and dynamic individuals. In my 20 plus years of experience I have always and continue to strive to educate and mentor the next generation of research administrators. It is an honor to be recognized as a distinguished faculty for the many years that I have been presenting to and training Research administrators. 

What accomplishment are you most proud of?  My greatest accomplishment throughout my years with SRAI is as someone that can be called upon to teach and, more importantly, show the next generation the exciting career of Research Administration can be transformative.  It is a great honor when a past colleague or mentee reaches out to share what this profession is doing for their lives. I have and will always strive to be the change that motivates and encourages individuals to see the potential of our profession.

Being named an SRAI Distinguished Faculty holds deep significance for me. It aligns perfectly with my mission of imparting education and fostering professional growth among research administrators at all levels. Beyond the books, conferences and workshops, my educational philosophy embraces practical experience, learning from both triumphs and setbacks, and sharing knowledge in an accessible manner. I relish weaving real-world examples into my teaching, cementing concepts and empowering others to thrive. I look forward to continuing my work with SRAI.  

What accomplishment are you most proud of? One of my most significant accomplishments is teaching. It brings me immense satisfaction to witness individuals apply what they’ve learned from workshops, conference sessions, or conversations in practical contexts. As research administrators, we encounter unique challenges that demand critical thinking to resolve or explain to others. When I hear stories or observe research administrators, I’ve taught using creative methods to clarify complex issues, it fills me with joy. To me, this signifies that they’ve truly absorbed everything possible during our time together.

What accomplishment are you most proud of? I am particularly proud of helping to strengthen the international focus of SRAI programming, whether it be through leadership of Canadian section programming; enhancing the Catalyst content to include topics of international interest; and/or co-developing Annual Meeting sessions with international colleagues.  

Being recognized for as a SRAI Distinguished Faculty (DF) recognizes over three decades of contributions to the field of research administration both locally and nationally, as well as providing an opportunity to help move the field forward.  It provides an opportunity to demonstrate that hard work and perseverance, including ongoing education and mentoring, can aid others coming up after me.  It provides a door opening to helping to guide the next generation of research administrators so that their pathway becomes easier and carries farther.  Recognition is not only for me but those that helped guide me in my career, as well as providing an outlet to helping me to guide others in their journey as well.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?  Honestly, my proudest accomplishments are in seeing the light bulb turn on with trainees and mentees and watching them move forward on their pathway.  Everyone has goals and dreams.  It is wonderful to be a part of those, coaching and guiding them along their journey.  Seeing someone achieve what they hadn’t thought possible or exceeding their capabilities is a personal reward.  Knowing my contributions have been part of their story makes me feel as if I have accomplished my mission in paying it forward to the next generation.  

What accomplishment are you most proud of?  The accomplishment I am most proud of is my leadership and mentorship within the Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI) and other professional organizations. Serving as Southern Section President, North Carolina Chapter President, and Board Member (At-Large) for SRAI, I have driven initiatives that promote growth and diversity in the research administration community. My work, including co-developing and leading the "Leading Diverse Teams" training program, has strengthened professional development and fostered inclusive environments in the field.

I am honored to receive this designation of SRAI Distinguished Faculty and to be recognized by peers for my commitment to excellence in research administration. This recognition signifies not only my achievements but also the efforts of so many others to raise the prominence of this field. These contributions do not happen alone, because it really does take a village to make positive changes that advance the field and grow the professionals within it. I am grateful to my institution, colleagues, and collaborators who have supported me in achieving this milestone and have joined me in contributing to research administration, from enhancing operational efficiencies to promoting professional development. This designation represents not only a recognition but also a responsibility to foster the education and professional development of research administrators, and it underscores the importance of continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and the dissemination of best practices. I am proud to be a part of SRAI and committed to leveraging this honor to further advance the profession by educating, advocating, and driving positive change in research administration.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?  The accomplishment I am most proud of was having the courage in 2002 to pivot from a successful full-time research career to following my interests and passion for higher education leadership and research administration; a decision that positively impacted my career and the field of research administration. Also, maintaining my faculty appointment with this transition allowed me to contribute uniquely to research administration by bringing a distinct perspective, bridging the gap between research administrators and faculty researchers, and fostering a partnering atmosphere that enhanced our collective ability to advance research. This dual viewpoint led to impactful operational changes and improvements when addressing institutional challenges and the needs of research administrators, creating a more efficient and supportive environment for both researchers and research administrators. I have leveraged my experiences from this unique position to reach beyond my institution to advance the field of research administration and the professionals within it. What a worthwhile and rewarding ride it continues to be!