University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

I got into research administration as a stepping stone to understanding the inner workings of grants. Grants are a major source of funding for our College of Engineering and I felt that it is necessary to know the requirements and processes that are involved with applying for and managing grants. I believe this knowledge will help me be a more valuable asset to the university in the future.

I was looking to move from a job to a career and found that great opportunity in January 2010 as a central post-award research administrator. Research administration has allowed me not only to become a skilled expert in my field, but also be directly involved in activities I enjoy including education, outreach, coaching, and customer service. I love that my role provides mission critical support to my university and that I get to be a part of a research administration community at both my institution and at the national and international level.

My career at the University of Illinois began in 2000 in the accounting area. The direction toward Research Administration didn’t really take off for me until a colleague of mine thought that I should take some classes in September of 2021. From taking the courses at my University to being an Interim Grants and Contracts Coordinator to being promoted to a permanent one, my journey has been a whirlwind.

I have previous experience in law enforcement, including certification as a “Criminal Intelligence Analyst”. I was an asset seizure & forfeiture clerk. My job responsibilities included filing the proper documents with the appropriate agencies (FBI, DEA, State’s Attorney Offices, etc., when assets were seized during police seizures. I was responsible for the assets from the time of seizure through the full life cycle of the process. Due to a contractual position, losing both of my parents within months of each other and changes within the State Police, I chose to find employment at the University.

I began at the University of Illinois in 2006 as a secretary. I continued testing and trying to find something that was similar to the type of work that I truly enjoyed. During this time, I also worked on obtaining my bachelor’s degree. I began a Grant & Contract Specialist position for Extension in 2017 and moved up to Grants Coordinator in 2018. In May 2023, I began working at Sponsored Programs Administration as an Award Management Coordinator. Instead of managing grants for a department, I will now assist departments across campus with their grants/awards. I will be working on the post award side for state and private awards. I am looking forward to this new journey and hope to become the “Research Administrator” that departments can depend on and one who makes the process less painful.