Posted January 9, 2026 by Ashley Washburn
Three members of the Office of Research and Innovation team have been appointed to updated roles and responsibilities that support the ethical conduct of research at UNL. Their appointments became effective Jan. 4.
- Sara Quinn, director of Research Compliance, Integrity and Security, is taking on additional duties as research integrity officer. As RIO, Quinn oversees responsible conduct of research and research misconduct. She also has been appointed to serve as the university’s research security officer.
- Jordan Soliz, professor and Leland and Dorothy Olson Chair of Communication Studies, continues his role as the institutional official responsible for the protection of human research participants, and for conflicts of interest. He previously held the RIO role in addition to serving as IO.
- Rachel Wenzl, RCIS associate director, is serving as deputy research integrity officer alongside Quinn. She also continues to serve as director of the Human Research Protection Program.
“Research integrity is central to everything we do to fulfill the university’s research mission,” said Jen Nelson, interim vice chancellor for research and innovation. “UNL’s research responsibility efforts are in excellent hands with these individuals’ strong and capable leadership. They are a collaborative, highly effective team that ensures UNL remains in compliance with the continually changing regulations that impact research activities.”
