Contacts and Research Support

Daniel Scholl - Vice President for Research and Economic Development

• Research Leadership: Provides and enables research, scholarly and creative activitiy to expand institutional impact.
• Approval and Oversight: Holds signature and approval authority for:
  • Research contracts and agreements.
  • UAS (drones) operations and compliance.
  • External employment.
  • Faculty incentive plans.

Dianne Nagy - Assistant Vice President for Research Development and Administration

• Contract and Grant Administration: Holds signature authority for contracts, agreements, amendments and supporting grant documents.
• Proposal Submission Oversight: Manages and submits grant proposals for NASA NSPIRES, SDBOR and other funding organizations.

Jen Kuck - Assistant to the Vice President

• Project Management and Coordination:
  • Leads research for documentation, and materials preparation for projects, events and meetings.
  • lead research for documentation and materials
  • Coordinates and manages events and meetings
  • Preparation for projects
• Communication and Branding: Facilitates strategic communication efforts and ensures branding consistency.
• Executive Support: Manages the Vice President’s schedule and time allocation to optimize efficiency.

Carson Sehr - Grant Development Specialist

• Provides pre-award proposal development and support.
• Conducts research development training.
• Manages InfoReady administration, including limited submissions and internal competitions.
• Holds AOR submission authority for NSF, NIH, Grants.gov, USDA and others as needed.
• Oversees routing approval for grant applications.

Kaitlyn (Katie) Bratberg - Program Assistant

• Provides administrative support for the Division of Research and Economic Development.
• Assists with research integrity and compliance, including IACUC administrative support.

Melody Hall - Program Assistant II

• Provides Administrative support for technology transfer, including invention disclosures, INTEUM and inquiries.
• Provides administrative support for contract and agreement routing.
• Assists with routing forms, technical support and related inquiries.

Keiji Horikoshi - Program Director of Research Integrity and Compliance

• Manages allegations of research misconduct.
• Oversees responsible conduct of research (RCR) training.
• Reviews export controls and technology control plans.
• Administers IRB processes and addresses related inquiries.
• Assists CITI users and provides training on human subjects research.

Dr. Michele Mucciante - University Veterinarian

• Oversees animal welfare policies and procedures.
• Manages vivarium operations.
• Develops policies and procedures for all aspects of veterinary care.
• Addresses IACUC technical questions.

Stephen Gent - Director of the Sun Grant Program

• Directs the Sun Grant Program, a national collaboration of land-grant universities dedicated to advancing the rural biobased economy.
• Facilitates regional research, development and commercialization of biomass-to-bioproducts initiatives.

Jose Gonzelez - Director of Research Core Facilities

• Leads the development and implementation of a strategic plan for research core facilities.
• Coordinates management of existing research core facilities.
• Supports planning and development of new research core facilities.

Esther Gathungu - Graduate Administrative Assistant (USDA)

• Collaborate with researchers and faculty to develop and write compelling grant proposals for USDA funding opportunities.
• Coordinate the development of supplementary documents for USDA related applications
• Originate and complete grant budgets
• Facilite the pre-award internal administrative processes.
• Offer support for preparation of grant application packages
• Seek USDA funding opportunities on behalf of colleges, researchers and faculty
• Offer training opportunities within different USDA agencies that align with research priorities.

Tersoo Hulugh - Graduate Administrative Assistant

• Supports faculty, staff, and researchers in securing NSF grants.
• Coordinates proposal development and funding opportunity searches.
• Prepares documentation and ensures compliance with agency requirements.
• Facilitates communication among stakeholders and tracks proposal progress.
• Provides critical resources to strengthen university research initiatives.

Mercy Odunga - Graduate Administrative Assistant

• Assists faculty and researchers in developing and drafting USDA grant proposals.
• Completes grant budgets and facilitates internal administrative processes.
• Coordinates supplementary document development for USDA applications.
• Supports the preparation of grant application packages.
• Helps faculty and researchers seek funding and training opportunities within USDA agencies.