Dania Diaz, Research Administrator for the Office of Research Support in the College of Natural Science and Joyce Foley, Research Administrator for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering are the recipients of the Spring 2019 Unit Research Administrator Spotlight Awards.
MSU’s research administration offices, Sponsored Programs Administration, the Office of Sponsored Programs, and Contract and Grant Administration sponsor the award, which was established in the Fall of 2017.
The award recognizes the professional contributions and quality of service of MSU’s unit research administrators and encourages excellence and exemplary service through the model of The Spartan Experience. Recipients of the award play an integral role in advancing MSU’s research mission and lead by example. The Research Administrator Spotlight serves as recognition of such MSU Employees and inspiration to others who aspire to the same level of service.
Diaz, who has 24 years of experience in the research administration field, with 11 years at MSU, shares what she likes about being a research administrator; “I enjoy helping the faculty secure the funding that enables them to continue performing important scientific research. I also appreciate the supportive work environment in my division and in the NatSci Dean’s office as a whole.” An excerpt from Diaz’s nomination states that she is “completely reliable, responsible, mature and competent. She is a major contributor to the success and efficiency of the NatSci research support office, and a pleasure to work with.”
Foley, with 44 years of service at MSU and 16 in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, shares that “it is my hope that my assistance frees up some of their time so they [Faculty] can focus more on research and teaching…there are always new challenges and new problems to solve. Even with sixteen years of experience, I still encounter situations that I haven't dealt with and are new to me. This keeps my job fresh and interesting.” Foley’s nomination was supported by letters from five faculty members.
One such letter states that she “is a person of outstanding ability, real dedication to doing excellent work, and a very helpful attitude…Her contributions…reflect an entire career of dedicated and distinguished service to the department, college and university.”
Diaz encourages research administrators new to the field to “be willing and eager to learn, all the time. If you have not encountered something before, tackle it head on. This field is full of variations and nuances, and it’s important to have as broad a knowledge base as possible.”
Foley’s advice for new research administrators is “be proactive. It's easier to prevent a problem versus solving one after the fact. For example, If you see that a project is ending soon and has a large unspent balance, contact the professor asking what his/her plans are. Don't wait until later when it becomes problematic to request an extension.”