Georgia Institute of Technology

Rhea Austin brings more than two decades of professional experience to Georgia Tech, including office operations, administration, and customer service. Rhea provides technical, logistical, and administrative support for our Office of Sponsored Programs teams.

Diane Barney is the Manager of the DOD Prime Team supporting awards for the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). Diane has a Graduate Certificate from the University of Virginia in Government Contracts and Procurement and an undergraduate degree in Finance from George Mason University.

Lauren Beebe is an associate on the Exchange Agreements team. Lauren has an undergraduate degree in business management and operations from Georgia State University. She earned a Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law.

Crystal Blackman-Philbert is a Contracting Specialist providing post-award support for the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTARC Awards). She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and has research administration experience that includes closeout and other areas of sponsored programs.

Marisela Bravo manages incoming requests for Non-Disclosure Agreements, Material Transfer Agreements and Data Use Agreements. Marisela brings more than a decade of experience in state and federal grants and contracts administration to her role and holds a bachelor's degree from Florida State University.

Lea Brooks is a Contracting Officer supporting awards for Academic Grants and Contracts Administration (GTRC Awards). Prior to joining OSP, Lea was part of the research administration team for the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. She also brings experience from Morehouse College and the public sector. Lea received a Bachelors's in Psychology from the University of Phoenix.

Roberta Burke’s team manages sponsored research agreements with government and not-for-profit entities on behalf of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), an applied research business division of Georgia Tech. Roberta has served the Office of Sponsored Programs since 2005. She previously served in the military for 22 years.  She has a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from California State University and is a Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM).

Tom Capitano is a Contracting Officer supporting awards for Academic Grants and Contracts Administration (GTRC Awards). Tom has a Master’s degree in Science Management with an emphasis in Research Administration from Emmanuel College, Boston.

Kim Carter is a Financial Analyst on the subawards team. Kim earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a degree in Computer Information Systems from Midway University in Kentucky.

Kamie Cunningham is a Grants Administrator on the closeout team. Kamie manages all deliverables in the Contract Information System (CIS) and coordinates with faculty and staff to ensure compliance. She has more than 20 years of experience supporting research administration.

Vannessa Daniels is the Manager of Grants and Contracts Administration for Colleges of Sciences and Liberal Arts. She has nearly three decades of experience in research administration, including over 20 years of service as a Contracting Officer and Manager at Georgia Tech. She has a Master’s in Applied Social Sciences and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Vannessa is a Certified Research Administrator.

Chris D’Urbano is the Manager for Grants and Contracts Administration for the College of Engineering. He has over 27 years of experience at Georgia Tech including management of government contracting teams and oversight of data operations. Prior to Georgia Tech, Chris worked for Westinghouse (now Northrop Grumman) in project management and contracting. Chris is an alumnus of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, where he earned a degree in Political Science.

Jarrett Ellis is responsible for negotiating industry-sponsored research agreements, managing strategic relationships with collaborating organizations, supervising industry contracts administration, and team training. Before joining Georgia Tech Research Corp., Jarrett practiced law at Alston & Bird, LLP. He has a degree in English literature from Oral Roberts University and a master’s degree and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgia State University.

Melinda Francis is the Administrative Professional for the Subaward team, supporting the Contract Officers and Specialists. Melinda manages all subawards in the Contract Information System (CIS) and manages supplier contracts in Workday.

Karon Gray is a Contracting Specialist for the Closeout Team. Karon earned a Master of Public Administration from Georgia State University and completed undergraduate studies at Georgia Southern University earning a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Journalism. She is a Certified Research Administrator, awarded by the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC) and has more than 15 years of experience in sponsored programs as well as research and governmental administration.

Yathurshi (Yadu) Haase is an associate on the Industry and International Contracting team. She has a legal background and previously worked in real estate for a telecommunications firm before joining Georgia Tech in 2018. Yadu earned her JD in 2016 from Georgia State University College of Law, and she holds a bachelor of science in psychology with a minor in religion from the University of Georgia.

Teri Hansen is the Manager for GTRI Other Sponsored Contracts. She has over three decades of experience in subcontract administration and research contracting including Georgia Tech and Boeing . Teri holds a Master of Science in Contract and Acquisition Management from Florida Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Auburn University.

Deanna Hendrickson is the Manager of Research Education and Outreach, responsible for training development, assessment, and outreach for the Office of Sponsored Programs. She has over 20 years of experience in research administration. Deanna earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Kennesaw State University and is a Certified Research Administrator.

Sophia is responsible for managing and training the corporate and international contracting team, leading and facilitating complex transactions with sponsors, and developing and implementing policies and procedures in support of the research collaboration process. Prior to joining Georgia Tech in 2006, she practiced at an Atlanta law firm and served as in-house counsel for two Fortune 500 corporations. Sophia holds a BA in international studies and Spanish literature from Manhattan College and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Steffanie Kruzan is a Contracting Specialist supporting Georgia Tech Research Institute grants and contracts (GTARC Awards). She brings previous experience from Western Connecticut State University and the University of Washington, including research administration, database management, compliance and program support. Steffanie holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Photography from the University of Washington.

Kadian Leslie is a Contracting Officer supporting awards for Academic Grants and Contracts Administration (GTRC Awards). She has more than 11 years of experience in Grants Administration in governmental and nonprofit organizations as well as institutions of higher education. Kadian has a Master of Public Administration from Binghamton University and is a Certified Research Administrator.

Michael Little, GCPA, is the Small Business Administrator for the Office of Sponsored Programs. Michael worked for Georgia’s Tech’s Office of Business and Procurement Services for 18 years before joining OSP. The Small Business Administrator (SBA) is responsible for preparing subcontracting plans on federal contracts that are expected to total an estimated cost of $700,000. The Small Business Administrator also has the oversight responsibility for preparing and submitting the data that documents actual performance in terms of dollars paid to small/disadvantaged business concerns.

Sarah Mills is a contracting officer supporting awards for the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTARC Awards). Sarah earned her JD and MPA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as undergraduate degrees in biology and psychology from the University of Kentucky. She has previously worked in research administration at the University of Kentucky and under industry contracting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Brenna Muldrow is a Contracting Officer supporting Department of Defense awards for the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).  Brenna has an undergraduate degree in Management, Leadership, and Innovation from Georgetown University.

Morganne Norwood is the assistant to the executive director. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Alabama. Morganne brings previous higher education experience to her role, including the Office of the Provost at Emory University.

Amelia Parr is a senior contracting officer responsible for the negotiation and administration of sponsored research agreements. She has a legal background and previously worked in private practice mass tort litigation before joining Georgia Tech Research Corp. in 2016. Amelia holds a BFA from Winthrop University and a JD from Emory University, with a certificate in transactional law.

Steven Pilcher is the Manager for the OSP team that supports Subawards, including the pre- and post-award support for grants and contracts to subawardees. Additionally, Steven's team supports sponsored program consulting agreements. Steve has a Master of Business Administration from Webster University and an undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of Central Florida.

Marcia Scott is the Executive Assistant supporting Rebecca Caravati and the Office of Sponsored Programs. She has more than 15 years of executive support experience from professional organizations.

Dana Simpson has more than 25 years of service to Georgia Tech’s Office of Sponsored Programs. As the Director for Operations, she oversees the Institute’s research subawards operations and monitoring, as well as data and enterprise systems and administrative support. Dana has a Master of Public Administration from Kennesaw State University and is a Certified Research Administrator and Certified Federal Contract Manager.

Claire Stamm is a contracting officer and is responsible for the negotiation and administration of sponsored research agreements. Before joining Georgia Tech, Claire practiced insurance defense and clerked for two different judges. Claire has an English degree from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi and a JD from the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Allison Tapp is a Contracting Officer supporting Department of Defense Prime Awards for the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTARC Awards). Allison brings over eight years of professional defense contracting experience to Georgia Tech. She holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Winthrop University.

David Walker is a Contracting Officer supporting Academic Grants and Contracts Administration (GTRC Awards). Prior to joining Georgia Tech, David developed private sector management experience followed by a position as Assistant Director for Proposal and Award Management with The University of Southern Mississippi, which is also his alma mater. 

Shuntá Willis-Johnson is an associate with the Exchange Agreements team. She has a strong background in process management, improvement, and development, contracts administration, and professional writing. Shuntá has a B.A. degree in English as well as an M.Ed. in education management.