SUNDRI TEAM

Dr. Dean Gerstein, PI of SUNDRI, is an organizational and medical sociologist with an extensive background and publications in survey research, program evaluation, and science policy studies. Prior to joining Pomona, a small liberal arts college, in 2018 as director of sponsored research, he served as vice provost and research professor of behavioral and organizational sciences at Claremont Graduate University; in senior positions at NORC, a survey research center at the University of Chicago; as a senior study director at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and in academic positions at UCLA and UC San Diego. He is a member of the leadership group at Colleges of Liberal Arts Sponsored Programs and of the affinity group for primarily undergraduate institutions at National Organization for Research Development Professionals, and he has served as a research consultant to Minority-Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Tribal institutions.

“This new project brings together my first career as a young policy analyst devoted to improving science, health, and technology choices in the nation's capital; my middle career as a survey research investigator and biobehavioral program evaluator in a large academic research center in the prairie state; and my third career as a sponsored projects officer at two small institutions, a graduate university and a liberal arts college, on the west coast. Making smart investments to protect, improve, and grow the basic and applied research enterprise has become more complicated and critical than ever. This study has the singular mission of creating and drawing lessons from an accurate, comprehensive, fine-grained data base—the first in what we hope to be a series of periodic data collections--about the bedrock professions of research development and administration, which do so much to steer and attract those investments.”

Dr. Jennifer Glass, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Research Development Manager, SUNDRI PI, Dr. Glass has a background in Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience with publications documenting cognitive function in a variety of patient populations. Since 2014, she has served in research development roles at her current institution and at Eastern Michigan University. She has also served as inaugural Chair of the NORDP PUI Affinity Group and as member of the NORDP Board of Directors. Prior to moving into research development, she was a research scientist at the Institute for Social Research and research professor in Psychiatry at the University of Michigan.

“This project brings together two of my passions: for research and for helping colleges and universities to foster a culture of research. We do not fully understand the “landscape” of research administration and research development as it is instantiated in the large and varied category of “non-R1” institutions. Efforts to improve the research enterprise at these institutions requires knowledge about their current states so that investments can be effective. I am grateful for my colleagues on this project, who bring such a wealth of expertise and personal skills to the table. When I made the pivot to Research Development a decade ago, I did not expect I would find myself the PI of a research project again!”

Dr. Kara Luckey serves as co-PI and Chair of the SUNDRI Advisory Council. She has served in research administration and development roles at two PUIs, currently at Seattle University and previously at the University of Washington, Tacoma. She previously served as Chair of the NORDP PUI Affinity Group.

Josh Pretlow, a Director, Education Research in RTI’s Center for Education Data Integration (CEDI), has more than 14 years of professional experience in higher education, research, and policy. In addition to being a coPI for SUNDRI, he plays a key role in the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study and Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). His research expertise and publications focus on community college students and the transition from high school to college. Before joining RTI, Dr. Pretlow worked in the University of North Carolina System Office where he was responsible for the development and implementation of quantitative performance metrics and policy analysis.

“Two aspects of the SUNDRI project are particularly interesting to me. First, this project has allowed me the opportunity to both learn about a new topic and work with experts in this area. Although I was aware of the concentration of federal funding to a small number of PIs and institutions, it is not a topic to which I had given much thought. However, the more I learn about it – and often through discussions with the other PIs and the Advisory Council members – the more exciting it is. Second, it is proving to be a unique data collection with hurdles that I have not faced in other work. I enjoy the challenges this presents and look forward to overcoming them and delivering a high quality study that can help the field move forward.”

Dr. Amy Chan Hilton has over 25 years of engineering education and research experience at multiple institution types (R1, HBCU, PUI). Before joining University of Southern Indiana, she served as a NSF Program Officer in the Divisions of Undergraduate Education (DUE) and Engineering Education and Centers (EEC). Dr. Chan Hilton was previously a tenured faculty member at the Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering. She is currently PI of an NSF IUSE capacity-building project and an NSF S-STEM workshop grant, as well as co-PI on the NSF GRANTED BANNERS convening grant.

Jason Charland has been involved with advancing research and development for the University of Maine System since 2012. He first served as the grant management coordinator for the College of Education and Human Development and then was recruited by the Vice President for Research to serve as the founding director of research development at the University of Maine. Mr. Charland expanded the scope of RD services to faculty and researchers across the University of Maine System, which comprises five primarily undergraduate institutions, a regional comprehensive university, a law school, and an R1 research university. As senior advisor to the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Jason helps lead federal relations across the System and promotes intercampus collaborations and partnerships.

Throughout her 20-year career at SDSU in a variety of roles - and currently as the university’s first senior administrator focused on research development and administration - Dr. Dianne Nagy has supported faculty in ways that enable them to serve the public good through innovative teaching and research. Dr. Nagy is the PI on an active NSF GRANTED award that convened research support professionals from TCUs, PUIs, R2s and R1s in five EPSCoR jurisdictions to exchange proven practices, share resources and opportunities, and chart a course for future collaboration. She has previously served as PI on a large federally-funded consortium that facilitated competitive subawards to 32 other institutions.

“SUNDRI enables us to learn from each other, advance the profession, and amplify our collective voice.”

Dr. Sarah Robertson has extensive professional background in grants administration and research development, including her current role and previous roles at the University of the Sciences and at grant funding foundations. This includes overseeing research grant portfolios and educational programs at the Susan G. Komen and the American Association for Cancer Research. Dr. Roberston is also an active leader in NORDP, currently serving as Co-Chair of the PUI Affinity Group and as a member of the Conference Program Committee. She is also Co-PI on the NSF GRANTED BANNERS convening grant.