Frederic Majnoun
Director of Finance and Administration
Arthritis Center in the Boston University School of Medicine
On behalf of the Region I Advisory Committee and the Region I
Volunteer and Membership Committee, I'd like to nominate Fredric
Majnoun, Director of Finance and Administration, at the Arthritis
Center in the Boston University School of Medicineto be featured on the
National Volunteer of the Month Page. Fredric has volunteered on our
Region 1 Curriculum Committee for two years now and last year he created
a half-day workshop on using excel for budgeting which has proven so
popular that we have added it to our regular roster of Region 1
workshops. Fredric is relatively new to volunteering but is always
ready with a suggestion or new idea and is proving to be one of our
Region 1 “go to” people. We are fortunate to have him as a member and
we look forward to working with him more in the future.
Karen Woodward Massey
Director of Education and Outreach, FAS Research Administration Services
2013 Chair, NCURA Region 1
Sally Southwick
Associate Director, Office of Sponsored Projects and Research
Keene State College
It is my pleasure to nominate Sally Southwick as NCURA Volunteer of the Month.
Generosity of spirit is a characteristic of NCURA volunteers,
and Sally Southwick of Keene State College has shown an admirable
generosity in giving her time and talents to the NCURA Predominantly
Undergraduate Institutions (PUI) Neighborhood. In addition to the
articles she has written for the NCURA Magazine and the
sessions and discussion groups she has led at national PRA and annual
meetings, Sally has consistently worked to support and encourage other
research administrators at PUIs.
Sally used the experiences she gained as a mentor in the Region
I program and in informal mentoring of people through private emails
and phone calls to develop and co-manage the PUI Neighborhood mentoring
program, now in its second successful year. “Each one teach one”
could be her motto. Sally describes the PUI mentoring program as
specifically for those who are new to being research administrators at
Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions. The program welcomes not only
those at PUIs who are just learning the research administration
profession, but also those who have moved from research intensive
institutions to PUIs. It is especially helpful to NCURA members who
find themselves working in one or two person offices.
Sally Southwick’s contributions to NCURA and the PUI
Neighborhood are examples of the collaboration that makes NCURA such a
fantastic organization.
Pamela Napier
Director, Office of Sponsored Programs, Agnes Scott College
and Chair, NCURA Predominately Undergraduate Institutions Neighborhood Committee
Matt Berry
Proposal Development Specialist
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
As research administrators, we all know that our jobs are
demanding, frustrating, and often not appreciated. In addition, we
have very little free time. On that note, I’d like to nominate Matt
Berry as Volunteer of the Month. Matt attended the recent PRA Meeting
during his vacation and volunteered at the registration area during
his own “free time”, paying his registration fee himself for the one
day he attended the meeting. Matt has an extensive history in serving
as an NCURA volunteer over the years at both the regional and
national level. His volunteerism includes (but is not limited to)
serving as the Region V Elected Board member, Chair of our Regional
Nominating Committee (several times), Region V Program Committee
(several times), and as member of the Region V Executive Committee.
He has also volunteered his time at the national meeting registration
area, new member breakfast, and in other ‘untitled’ capacities. He
has served as a mentor to many of our members and sets an example in
giving of his time freely. In a volunteer organization like NCURA,
members such as Matt are what keep the “machine” moving.
Debbie Newton
Director of Pre-Award Services
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
The University of Tulsa
Gigi Beaird
Grants & Contracts Administrator
Northern Illinois University
We all know that it takes a host of volunteers to make NCURA the
organization that it has become, and that’s true on both the National
and the Regional level. With the amount of volunteerism in our
organization, recruiting and coordinating this small army of helpers is a
key task. Gigi Beaird pioneered this effort in Region IV, and we are
all grateful for her work.
Starting in 2007 with a stack of index cards, Gigi brought us
into the 21st century by creating a web-based volunteer sign-up portal,
and she used Zoomerang to reach out to more volunteers for service to
the Region beyond just helping out at the spring meeting. Current and
future Volunteer Coordinators will benefit from her hard work and
innovation.
Of course, being the Volunteer Coordinator is about more than
just technology. Convincing people to volunteer requires a personal
touch that Gigi brought to the job from Day One; many of our members
volunteered for the first time after being asked personally by Gigi and
after seeing the example she set herself by serving our Region.
On behalf of the Region IV Board of Directors, it’s my pleasure
to nominate Gigi Beaird as Volunteer of the Month for her dedication to
our organization.
Jeffrey Ritchie
Grants Management Analyst
Aurora Health Care
Linda Patton
Director, Office of Grants and Contracts
California State University Fullerton
Linda has served as the lead of the Education and Professional
Development Committee (EPDC) for the NCURA Region VI since January 1,
2010. Under her leadership, EPDC has successfully established the LEADME
program that manages the recruitment and matching of mentees and
mentors for the program. This program also facilitates the bi-weekly
conference calls for the mentees and mentors. Her leadership for the
program has aided the mentees to develop and showcase their Personal
Best Projects at our Regional Spring Meeting.
Linda has been a pioneer in this LEADME program from the
beginning. She proposed the idea with the Region VI Officers and our
Regional Advisory Group. She was involved in printing the promotional
brochures, in developing the training materials, and in advertising and
soliciting participants for the program.
2010 is the first year of the LEADME Program and some of the
Mentees have been actively working in Region VI committee and
activities. There are many positive outcomes of the LEADME
Program including providing leadership and volunteers for the Region and
recommending to Region VI Officers the LEADME graduates who could
best serve as a member for the National Executive training program.
On behalf of Region VI, I want to thank Linda for her wonderful
leadership, her tireless efforts and contributions not only to the
Education and Professional Development Committee and LEADME program, but
also for the memberships in the NCURA Region VI. She's self-motivated,
eager to learn and grow, and willing to take on additional
responsibilities. We are fortunate to have Linda as part of our team.
Sinh Simmons
Chair, NCURA Region VI
Associate Director
Office of Sponsored Programs
University of Washington
Denise Rouleau (on left)
Research Administration Specialist
New England School of Acupuncture
On behalf of the Region I advisory committee and the Region I
Volunteer and Membership Committee, I'd like to nominate Denise Rouleau
from New England School of Acupuncture to be featured on the National
Volunteer of the Month Page. Recently, Denise was recognized at the
Region I meeting as Outstanding Volunteer. She has not only volunteered
many times regionally but also nationally. She has held many positions
in a leadership capacity such as Chair of many committees including the
Spring Program committee, the Volunteer and Membership Committee, the
Mentor/Mentee Program, Neighborhood Committee and the Website Committee.
In addition she has volunteered numerous times for less visible
positions such as registration table volunteer, packet organizer, dinner
group organizer, discussion group leader, moderator and many others. I
can't think of anyone more deserving for this recognition since she has
volunteered close to 15 years in research administration without being
officially recognized for her outstanding efforts.
What sets Denise apart as an example is her endless enthusiasm
and her pleasant demeanor. She is always willing to investigate a
solution and come up with exciting ideas to benefit the region. She is
someone who makes things happen.
Sincerely,
Kris A. Monahan
Director of Pre-Award Services
Wellesley Centers for Women
Wellesley College
David Ngo
Member-at-Large, Region IV
Effort Administrator And ECRT Manager
Research & Sponsored Programs
University of Wisconsin - Madison
“Yes, yes, and yes” This is the answer I've gotten every time
I've asked David Ngo for help, whether the region needed a speaker for
the regional meeting or help with the Hospitality Suite during the
Annual Meeting, David's answer has always been “Yes.” Then after David
says, “Yes” (in the pleasant way he says it), he gets right to work. In
the short time I've been in Region IV, David is someone I know I can
rely on and who I know will meet my questions and requests with a smile
on his face and a willingness to help. David currently serves Region IV
as Member-at-Large and is Chair of the Awards Committee. He is also
currently participating in NCURA's Leadership Development Institute and
is well on his way to giving back to the organization. Thanks David!
Sincerely Submitted,
Tricia Callahan
Membership Committee Chair, Region IV
William Ploog
Associate Director
Office of Sponsored Projects
Dartmouth College
Bill Ploog is the Evaluation Coordinator on the Professional
Development Committee. Bill is an amazing person -- he rises to all
challenges and occasions and has brought incredible wisdom and advice to
our deliberations. His finely honed evaluation and assessment skills
have given us the ability to craft recommendations and engage in
discussions that would not otherwise be possible. As PDC Chair I feel
very fortunate to have Bill on the team. His generosity of spirit and
time are greatly appreciated.
Denise Wallen (PDC Chair)
Director, Faculty Research Support Services
The University of New Mexico