Johns Hopkins University

I began my career in Research Administration in 1994, started working as the Secretary (front desk), had no clue what this department workstyle was and knew nothing about Grants/Contracts, etc. A colleague of mine went on Maternity leave and the office needed someone to process awards in her absence via Finance department and I stepped up to plate. What a joy and a learning experience for me, this is how my career started with OMB circulars, Grant processing, NCURA conference, etc. Today I am a Sr. Grants Associate and love working in Research Administration for a big University. Have enrolled in the RatPack Staff program to receive a Certificate in Research Administration and hopefully be promoted to a manager within the University.

I began working in my current role as a Grants and Contract Analyst in 2019. Early on one of my responsilities was to analyze budgets and submit to our Research Administration department for further processing. As I began asking questions, attending webinars, and workshops to increase my professional knowledge I come to realize part of my job duties are as a Research Administrator. I submitted a self nomination to further my training as a Research Administrator about 2 years ago. My next step is to further my knowledge to obtain a certification as a Research Administrator soon. I thoroughly enjoy being a part of the process of budgeting, compliance, and auditing.