Staff Directory

Sam leads the Sponsored Programs team, the largest unit in the Office of Research and Economic Development. He and his team oversee the administration of research grants and contracts, from proposal submission to award negotiation, closeout and audit. This includes facilitating the review and submission of grant proposals, ensuring compliance with funding agency regulations, negotiating research agreements and managing post-award processes. He also fosters partnerships with external stakeholders, negotiates contract terms and ensures ethical research practices. Sam serves as the university’s authorized official in signing research agreements, contracts and related financial reports.

Prior to joining Nebraska in 2023, Sam gained significant experience in university research administration at multiple institutions, most recently Northwestern University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration in Lomé, Togo, West Africa; holds a Master of Business Administration from Northern Illinois University; and is a certified research administrator. He also is a doctoral candidate in higher education at Purdue University.

Suzan brings nearly three decades of research administration experience to her role, which requires strategic leadership in all Sponsored Programs functions. She engages and collaborates across all areas in OSP, including policy development, proposal review and submission, award negotiation, financial oversight and project closeout to ensure efficiency and consistency. Suzan leads the Pre-Award Team and has played a pivotal role in directing that unit toward operational excellence.

Suzan is both a certified research administrator and a certified pre-award research administrator. Prior to joining UNL in 2004, she gained a wealth of experience in contracts and grants administration at the University of Georgia, the University of Southern California and the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Suzan holds a bachelor’s degree in theater arts from the University of Minnesota.

Andrea’s role harnesses her expertise in electronic research administration and love of all things technology, tasking her with supporting NuRamp, the University of Nebraska’s electronic research administration portal; managing access to federal and non-federal sponsor systems; maintaining the Sponsored Programs website; and performing reporting as needed. She’s also collaborating with OSP team members to improve processes across the office and implement automation where possible.   

Across her career, Andrea has worked in academic and private business settings in a variety of roles, from academic researcher to accounts payable/receivable. She came to Nebraska in 2014 as a grants specialist in the College of Engineering, then spent seven years on OSP’s Pre-Award Team before assuming her current role in 2021. Andrea has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.     

Brian brings legal and contracts expertise to his role as leader of the Award Acceptance and Contract Negotiation Team, which manages the acceptance and negotiation processes for grants, contracts and other sponsored awards. This involves reviewing award terms, ensuring compliance with regulations and policies, negotiating terms and conditions with sponsors, and coordinating with internal stakeholders. Brian provides guidance and support to faculty and staff regarding award acceptance procedures, legal considerations and other requirements. He also provides strategic direction in optimizing award terms, facilitates communication between sponsors and university personnel, and contributes to the overall success of sponsored projects by fostering efficient and effective award management practices.

Brian earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Nebraska and a law degree from the Nebraska College of Law. Prior to joining the university, he was a business affairs manager in Los Angeles focused on reviewing, drafting and negotiating domestic and international film production and distribution agreements.

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Hannah oversees the Post-Award Team, guiding team members in communicating with principal investigators and other staff related to the final phases of the grant life cycle. She is responsible for implementing efficient and compliant processes related to billing, invoicing, financial reporting and accounts receivable. Hannah collaborates closely with the Bursar’s Office and the Nebraska state treasurer to manage receipts and ACH payment transfers and resolve sponsor payment issues. She also manages all OSP audit functions, including internal spot audits, as well as Project Verification Statements and effort reporting.

Hannah joined UNL in 2011 and has held various positions on campus since then, including financial specialist and assistant business manager of the Natural Resources Business Center and business manager for the Great Plains Business Center Group. She has a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from UNL.

Kate, a certified research administrator, co-leads the daily activities of the Pre-Award Team. This includes the review and submission of proposals, including large, complex proposals and defense-related submissions. Kate also works on post-award non-financial activities. She has served as a trainer, creating onboarding and training plans for new pre-award staff.

Before joining Nebraska in 2012, Kate was a consultant with the Nebraska Business Development Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She helped small businesses interested in contracting with the government by assisting with organizational registrations in federal systems, finding bidding opportunities, and reviewing prepared bids and proposals for compliance with agency requirements. Kate holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Northwest Missouri State University and a Master of Business Administration from UNO.  

Paul’s work focuses on helping principal investigators and departmental liaisons submit proposals for external funding, ensuring that applications adhere to university and sponsor guidelines. As an authorized signatory, Paul submits proposals directly to sponsors, streamlining the submission process. He also assists with no-cost extensions, facilities and administrative cost waiver approvals, project transfers, progress reporting and more. 

Paul entered the research administration field in 2005 after a lengthy career in landscape contracting. He worked in various sponsored programs offices before joining Nebraska, including at Virginia Tech, Drexel University, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Georgia. He has a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech, a master’s degree in education from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is a certified research administrator. Paul is a member of the National Council of University Research Administrators. 

Craig helps lead the Pre-Award Team and advances its daily work, which includes reviewing and submitting proposals, maintaining records and processing non-financial post-award transactions. He’s served the pre-award team since 2015. 

Prior to joining Nebraska, Craig gained grants and contracts experience at the U.S. Air Force and Honeywell. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from UNL and previously earned a Level 2 certificate from the Defense Acquisition University.    

Melina’s role includes interpreting grant agency policy and funding announcement guidelines, reviewing proposal documents, communicating with funding agencies and university units, and submitting proposals. She also supports various post-award transactions.

Prior to entering the research administration field, Melina held various research and teaching positions, including teaching geology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha from 2020 to 2023. She holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in geology from Marietta College in Ohio, Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and Nebraska, respectively. As a graduate student, she conducted research funded by the National Science Foundation, the Geological Society of America and National Geographic. In 2023, Melina earned a Pre-Award Intensive Training Certificate from the Society of Research Administrators International. She’s also earned various certifications through SRAI’s LevelUP Micro-credential Program.

Suzan brings nearly three decades of research administration experience to her role, which requires strategic leadership in all Sponsored Programs functions. She engages and collaborates across all areas in OSP, including policy development, proposal review and submission, award negotiation, financial oversight and project closeout to ensure efficiency and consistency. Suzan leads the Pre-Award Team and has played a pivotal role in directing that unit toward operational excellence.

Suzan is both a certified research administrator and a certified pre-award research administrator. Prior to joining UNL in 2004, she gained a wealth of experience in contracts and grants administration at the University of Georgia, the University of Southern California and the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Suzan holds a bachelor’s degree in theater arts from the University of Minnesota.

With more than 20 years of experience, Dennis is a veteran in the research administration field. His day-to-day work includes reviewing and submitting proposals and assisting with post-award transactions including no-cost extensions, prior approvals and progress reporting, among others.

Dennis started his career at Nebraska as a grants specialist with the North Central Region-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, then moved to the role of financial specialist in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Finance and Personnel Office for nearly eight years. He then did contracts and post-award work at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio for seven years before returning to UNL in 2019. Dennis has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Nebraska.

Charlotte provides administrative review for proposals before submission, ensuring they are compliant with university and sponsor guidelines. She also manages non-financial post-award transactions, such as no-cost extensions and prior approval requests. Charlotte maintains and updates Sponsored Programs’ budget templates. 

Charlotte started her career in Sponsored Programs as a student worker on the Pre-Award Team, providing support for colleagues by reviewing budgets and highlighting sponsor guidelines. She joined the team full time after earning her bachelor’s degree in actuarial science at Nebraska.

Renee’s primary responsibilities include ensuring compliance with regulations and policies while preparing and submitting grant proposals. She also manages the submission process, overseeing documentation completion and timely submissions, utilizing electronic systems and coordinating with stakeholders to gather necessary approvals.

Renee is a member of the National Council of University Research Administrators and the Society of Research Administrators International. She has completed NCURA’s Fundamentals of Sponsored Project Administration program and SRAI’s Pre-Award Fundamentals Intensive program. Before joining the university, Renee’s professional work focused on ensuring compliance with child welfare policies in foster care and adoption environments. Renee holds a bachelor’s degree in child, youth and family studies, with a minor in psychology, from Nebraska.  

Calley’s role involves a wide range of post-award activities, including invoicing, reviewing expenditures, ensuring compliance with financial aspects of an award and managing receivables. She collaborates closely with university departmental personnel and principal investigators to ensure efficiency and compliance after the university receives an award.        

Calley was a program coordinator at the Extreme Light Lab in the Department of Physics before joining Sponsored Programs in 2021. She has an associate degree in accounting from the Lincoln School of Commerce and a dual bachelor’s degree in accounting and public administration from Doane University. 

Abbey provides financial management for grants from a diverse range of departments, including mathematics, modern languages and philosophy. She analyzes and prepares financial reports and invoices for these grants and advises business center staff on compliance issues.    

Abbey’s first role at Nebraska was in the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, where she served as a student services associate for three years. She then joined the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center as a finance coordinator before transitioning to Sponsored Programs in 2023. Abbey has a bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in Spanish, from the College of Saint Mary. She is also a notary public in Nebraska.

Charley manages financial activities for gifts, grants and contracts received by the university. This includes processing new awards, reviewing project expenses for compliance, preparing and signing financial reports, ensuring proper project closeout and serving as a Sponsored Programs liaison to funding agencies and departmental administrative staff.

Charley joined the university in 2014 as an administrative support associate for the Department of Statistics. As she gained experience, she took on increasingly complex roles, including financial specialist in both the Natural Resources and Nebraska Innovation Campus business centers within the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, where she focused on pre- and post-award financial management. In 2021, Charley transitioned to IANR’s Finance and Personnel Office, where she focused on U.S. Department of Agriculture and Commodity Board proposals, no-cost extensions, budget reallocations and award management for USDA capacity funds. She joined Sponsored Programs in 2023. Charley has a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Nebraska.   

Belinda leads a team of five other project specialists in handling the post-award requirements of grants and contracts, including efficient financial and administrative management, compliance with regulations and responsible stewardship of funds. She also provides training and guidance to new and veteran members of the Post-Award Team.    

Belinda has worked at the university for 40 years, gaining a wide range of experience in grants and contracts. She’s been at the Southeast Research and Extension Center, the Industrial Agriculture Products Center, the Department of Biological Systems Engineering and the VBI Business Center.    

Hannah oversees the Post-Award Team, guiding team members in communicating with principal investigators and other staff related to the final phases of the grant life cycle. She is responsible for implementing efficient and compliant processes related to billing, invoicing, financial reporting and accounts receivable. Hannah collaborates closely with the Bursar’s Office and the Nebraska state treasurer to manage receipts and ACH payment transfers and resolve sponsor payment issues. She also manages all OSP audit functions, including internal spot audits, as well as Project Verification Statements and effort reporting.

Hannah joined UNL in 2011 and has held various positions on campus since then, including financial specialist and assistant business manager of the Natural Resources Business Center and business manager for the Great Plains Business Center Group. She has a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from UNL.

As a member of the Post-Award Team, Elzbieta manages financial accounts related to grants and contracts received by Nebraska researchers. She processes and closes awards, prepares financial reports and serves as a Sponsored Programs liaison to funding agencies.

Before coming to Nebraska, Elzbieta worked for a company that develops payroll and accounting systems for businesses. She then served as office assistant to a member of Poland’s legislature, participating in many election-related activities as well as the day-to-day operations of the congressional office. She joined Sponsored Programs in 2024. Elzbieta has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in management and marketing from Krakow University of Economics in Poland.  

Cassidy uses her accounting expertise to handle invoicing and reporting for sponsored projects at the university, which includes verifying expenses and ensuring that principal investigators post expenses that align with the terms and conditions of an award. She also completes all project closeout requirements. Beyond these financial management tasks, Cassidy collaborates closely with department liaisons on campus and individual award sponsors.

Cassidy launched her career in government grant management, then transitioned to the university’s College of Engineering as a grants manager. She joined Sponsored Programs in July 2020. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Carroll College in Helena, Montana, where she was a student-athlete in basketball. 

Kathi is a veteran of research administration, having worked with the Post-Award Team at UNL since 2005. Currently, she is responsible for post-award grant management and Payment Management Services federal draws. She also manages and trains colleagues on the Post-Award Team.

Kathi has a bachelor’s degree in business from Kearney State College, now known as the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and an associate degree in accounting from Southeast Community College. She’s a certified research administrator, a designation provided through the Research Administrators Certification Council.   

Craig’s work focuses on the full range of post-award activities, including financial management of gifts, grants and contracts received by Husker researchers and lending expertise on compliance issues. He also offers specialized guidance to faculty and staff on managing and closing out projects; leads training sessions for departments; and provides mentoring for Sponsored Programs colleagues. 

Before joining the university in 2024, Craig gained extensive experience in post-award functions at Northern Illinois University, where he held multiple roles, including senior grants and contracts administrator. Craig holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from John Brown University and a master’s degree in management information systems from Northern Illinois University. He also earned a Foundation of Accountancy certificate from Northern Illinois and an associate in risk management designation from the Insurance Institute of America.   

Terri’s post-award work focuses on serving faculty in the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center, the Nebraska Center for Energy Science Research, the School of Computing and the dean’s office of the College of Education and Human Sciences. She also works on select other projects, including the National Science Foundation-funded U.S. CMS Operations Program and grants from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Before joining the Post-Award Team, Terri served as an awards coordinator and helped with pre-award tasks in Sponsored Programs. Before that, she was a faculty service representative with Nebraska’s College of Engineering. Terri has a bachelor’s degree in legal administration from the College of St. Mary-Omaha, as well as certificates from the Society of Research Administrators International in a variety of areas, including financial management, research administration and management, international research, leadership, post-award and research law.           

Ben monitors and manages a portfolio of post-award projects. He is responsible for invoicing, submitting financial reports, handling changes to funding, closing out projects and more.   

Ben served as a finance and grant specialist for the Nebraska Innovation Campus Business Center before transitioning to Sponsored Programs. In that role, he handled pre- and post-award tasks and monitored principal investigators’ cost objects and work breakdown structures. Ben has an associate degree and bachelor’s degree in accounting from Purdue Global.

Jennifer brings business, legal and technology transfer expertise to her role in Sponsored Programs. She provides financial management and monitoring for grants awarded to university researchers, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting to relevant agencies. Jennifer also financially manages subawards; collaborates with campus business centers, principal investigators, and grants and finance staff; and lends expertise on the specific financial requirements and provisions of each award.  

Before coming to the university, Jennifer was an operations manager for Black River Asset Management, a private equity firm, and Trafelet Delta Funds, a hedge fund. Jennifer earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska and an accredited legal professional post-baccalaureate certification from Davenport University. 

Jenny, a certified public accountant, performs financial management activities for gifts, grants and contracts received by the university. She also advises and trains staff on compliance issues; provides guidance in managing and closing out projects; processes and closes awards; prepares and signs financial reports; and serves as a liaison between Sponsored Programs and funding sources.

Before joining Sponsored Programs, Jenny was housed in the BPAC Business Center in the College of Arts and Sciences, which provides business support for the School of Biological Sciences, Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Department of Chemistry. In that role, she was a finance and grants specialist lead, tasked with providing finance and grants support in a timely and accurate manner and in compliance with applicable regulations and policies. Jenny has a bachelor’s degree in advertising from Fudan University and a master’s degree in accounting and information systems from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Heather reviews and processes incoming awards, agreements and contracts, and amendments, communicating with faculty and staff to ensure terms and conditions support each researcher’s goals. She also negotiates terms of complex agreements, drafts agreements for incoming awards and manages incoming material transfer agreements. Her role also includes training incoming awards coordinators and developing processes, standard operating procedures and training manuals for her team’s tasks. 

Heather joined the university in 2010 and held various roles related to grants and finance before joining Sponsored Programs in 2022. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a minor in anthropology, from Nebraska. 

Aurora drafts, reviews and negotiates awards between the university and government entities, nonprofits and other educational institutions. She ensures the terms and conditions of awards adhere to state and federal law, university policies and the needs of Husker researchers. Aurora collaborates with sponsors and colleagues across the university to facilitate agreements that foster productive partnerships and support university researchers.

Before joining Sponsored Programs, Aurora was a research assistant and research fellow at the Nebraska College of Law, where she earned a Juris Doctor degree. Aurora also has a bachelor’s degree in history from Nebraska.  

Kristen is responsible for processing awards, amendments and agreements and setting up Work Breakdown Structure, or WBS, numbers for projects, a process that helps organize and categorize project tasks.  

Before starting her current role, Kristen was a finance and grants specialist in the Filley Hall Business Center, a unit within the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Prior to that, she was a financial specialist on the Research Finance team in the Office of Research and Economic Development. Kristen holds an associate degree in criminal justice from Hamilton College.

Bailey negotiates, reviews and processes awards, material transfer agreements and data transfer agreements. She negotiates contract terms with involved parties and resolves any contractual disputes that arise. 

Bailey’s previous work experience includes reviewing legal contracts at law firms, including Bartle & Geier in Lincoln. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Nebraska and a Juris Doctor degree from the Nebraska College of Law.   

Brian brings legal and contracts expertise to his role as leader of the Award Acceptance and Contract Negotiation Team, which manages the acceptance and negotiation processes for grants, contracts and other sponsored awards. This involves reviewing award terms, ensuring compliance with regulations and policies, negotiating terms and conditions with sponsors, and coordinating with internal stakeholders. Brian provides guidance and support to faculty and staff regarding award acceptance procedures, legal considerations and other requirements. He also provides strategic direction in optimizing award terms, facilitates communication between sponsors and university personnel, and contributes to the overall success of sponsored projects by fostering efficient and effective award management practices.

Brian earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Nebraska and a law degree from the Nebraska College of Law. Prior to joining the university, he was a business affairs manager in Los Angeles focused on reviewing, drafting and negotiating domestic and international film production and distribution agreements.

Samantha is responsible for subaward administration, which includes risk assessments, subrecipient monitoring, and drafting and processing outgoing subawards. Her work requires collaboration with a variety of people, including researchers, department personnel and the OSP Award Acceptance and Contract Negotiation Team. She also partners with post-award colleagues to manage the financial aspects of subawards.

Samantha started in Sponsored Programs as a student worker, gaining experience in pre- and post-award functions. After graduating from Nebraska with a bachelor’s degree in English, she took a full-time role in OSP focused on transferring paper files to electronic files and managing Personnel Activity Reports. She progressed to processing subawards and negotiating awards, which led to her current position. She worked at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Sponsored Programs office from 2022 to 2024, then returned to UNL. She also holds a master’s degree in English from Nebraska.

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Nathan is responsible for managing and negotiating university contracts with industry partners, including research, service, material transfer, confidentiality and data use agreements.

Before joining Sponsored Programs in 2023, Nathan was a real estate specialist in the University of Nebraska Office of the President, where he gained experience managing real estate transactions and negotiations. Nathan holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a minor in biology, from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and a Juris Doctor from the Nebraska College of Law. He also has a Public Sector Leadership Certificate from Cornell University.

Connie has a wide range of responsibilities in Sponsored Programs, including handling receipts and processing checks, managing key access and parking permits, supporting new hires, managing meeting spaces, and processing mail and deliveries. She also maintains Whittier’s copy and vending machines and other equipment and serves as the custodial contact and building maintenance reporter. Connie supports Research Compliance Services, Research Communications and other ORED units as needed.  

Connie brings a wealth of university operations experience to her role, including nine years in the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences and four years as the staff assistant to the dean of enrollment in Academic Services and Enrollment Management. In total, she’s gained 20 years of institutional knowledge at Nebraska. Connie has an Accounting and Computer Programming Certificate from the Lincoln School of Commerce and has completed coursework toward an associate degree in business and accounting.