Krista Capps, Scott Ardoin, Carla Hadden and Brandon Rotavera are the newest Office of Research (OoR) Faculty Fellows, a mentorship program designed to prepare faculty for future OoR leadership roles.

“The goals of the Fellows program are to familiarize more faculty with the OoR mission and operations, learn from Faculty Fellows to enhance research support, and offer professional development for faculty interested in research administration,” said Larry Hornak, associate vice president for integrative team initiatives (ITI). “Our Fellows play an essential role in supporting established and developing programs that will benefit research and scholarship at UGA.”

Capps, associate professor in the Odum School of Ecology, will work with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, learning the ins and outs of mentoring and providing professional development for postdoctoral researchers. Responsibilities include working with the Future Faculty for Inclusive Research Excellence (FFIRE) program, planning and coordinating with speakers for professional development events, and overseeing the FFIRE retreat for spring 2025.

“Mentoring is both one of the most rewarding and challenging aspects of my work as a professor and researcher,” Capps said. “I am continually striving to enhance my mentoring practices to increase the capacity and impact of my research, as well as the work of my students and postdocs.”

Through this program, Capps hopes to develop a professional development curriculum to support postdoctoral researchers interested in pursuing careers in academia, industry, government and nonprofit sectors.

Ardoin, professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education as well as its associate dean for research and graduate education, will work with the Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) and the Office of Research Integrity and Safety (ORIS).

“Over the past two years, I have had the privilege of working closely with both units,” Ardoin said. “Through the fellowship, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of how they collaborate to facilitate the awarding of grants and explore ways to enhance their collaboration so that grantees are able to access their funds in a timelier fashion.”

Ardoin will get a behind-the-scenes look at grant processing and management of sponsored projects, help strengthen communication between SPA and ORIS, expand faculty and staff awareness and understanding of SPA, and enhance the user-friendliness of the IRB system.

Hadden, director of the Center for Applied Isotope Studies, and Rotavera, associate professor with a joint appointment in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences chemistry department and the College of Engineering, will also serve as Associate Fellows in the OoR Office of Finance & Human Resources and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, respectively.

In addition, 2023-24 Fellows Katie Ehrlich and Beshoy Morkos are returning to the program for their second year. As senior fellows, Ehrlich, associate professor of psychology, and Morkos, associate professor of engineering, work with ITI and the Office of Business Engagement, respectively.