Georgia Institute of Technology

Rochelle Barry is the Manager for the Office of Sponsored Program’s closeout team. Rochelle earned her Master of Social Work from Georgia State University and completed undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Prior to Georgia Tech, Rochelle worked for the federal government for 15 years as State Director for National Services in Georgia.

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 post award administration and closeout.

Lakita Brooks is Manager of Grants and Contracts Administration for Colleges of Computing, Business, and Design. She has more than 20 years of grants and contracts experience at Georgia Tech and Georgia State University. Lakita is a Certified Professional Contracts Manager and Certified Research Administrator. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree 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.

Victoria Custodio is a Contracting Officer on the subawards team. She has a Master of Business Administration from Georgia Tech. Her undergraduate studies in Biology were completed at Mercer University.

Naranja Davis is a Contracting Specialist with the Office of Sponsored Programs. Naranja has a Master of Business Administration from Florida Institute of Technology and completed undergraduate studies in communication at Kennesaw 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.

Tia Haines is a Contracting Specialist on OSP's Closeout Team. She joined Georgia Tech, bringing private sector experience in business operations and financial analysis. Tia holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Project Management from Keller Graduate School of Management, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing from Albany State University.

Patricia Head is the Data Architect for the OSP Data and Enterprise Systems Team. She has over two decades of project management, database and systems experience at Georgia Tech, including previous service as an Accountant for the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). She holds a bachelors degree in Computer Science from Albany State University.

Bruce Henry is the Senior Assistant General Manager for Finance and Audit. His team oversees Closeout for sponsored projects and supports small business administration. Bruce has served financial operations at Georgia Tech for over two decades. He is an active member of the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NCUBO).

Cynthia (Cindy) Hope’s team manages sponsored research agreements with government and not-for-profit entities on behalf of Georgia Tech’s colleges, interdisciplinary research institutes, centers, professional education, and other non-GTRI units. Previously, Cindy was Assistant Vice President for Research and Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs at the University of Alabama.

Coming soon.

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.

Bhupen (Ben) Mistry is a Business Analyst for the OSP Data and Enterprise Systems Team. He has more than two decades of experience with database and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, including Workday and PeopleSoft. Ben holds a Bachelor’s in business from Lamar University in Texas and is certified in Workday Financials.

Scott Niles is a Contracting Officer supporting awards for Academic Grants and Contracts Administration (GTRC Awards). Scott has a PhD in Interdisciplinary Education Sciences from the University of Kentucky and a Master’s degree in Journalism from Marshall University.

Steven Pilcher is the Manager for the Subaward team supporting the pre- and post-awards for grants and contracts to subawardees. Steve has a Master of Business Administration from Webster University and an undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of Central Florida.

Lucy Shin is a Contracting Officer on the Subaward team. She earned her JD from Emory University School of Law. Her undergraduate studies in Political Science and Korean were completed at The Ohio State University. Prior to joining OSP, Lucy worked as a Contracts Negotiator at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

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.

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.