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 for the Georgia Tech Research Institute, an applied research business division of Georgia Tech that relies on the Georgia Tech Applied Research Corporation (GTARC) as its contracting entity. 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).

Angel Butler is a Contracting Officer supporting the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTARC Awards). She has over a decade of experience in accounting and defense contracting, including the Army and  the Defense Contract Management Agency. She achieved Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) level II certification and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Florida State University.

Rebecca Caravati, CPA, is the Executive Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs. She is an alumna of Wesleyan College and is a certified public accountant. Previously, Rebecca served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the University of Georgia Foundation and served the Georgia Tech Research Institute for 23 years, including service as Deputy Director for Finance and Research Administration.

Catherine Cassidy is a Contracting Officer supporting awards for Academic Grants and Contracts Administration (GTRC Awards). Catherine has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Agnes Scott College. Catherine is also a Certified Research Administrator.

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.

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 for Georgia Tech’s colleges, interdisciplinary research institutes, centers, professional education, and other units that rely on the Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) as their contracting entity. Previously, Cindy was Assistant Vice President for Research and Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs at the University of Alabama.

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.

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.

Stacey Oliver-Johnson is a Contracting Officer supporting Academic Grants and Contracts Administration (GTRC Awards). Stacey has more than two decades of experience in federal and non-federal grants and contracts administration, working at Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, Emory University, and Morehouse School of Medicine. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

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.

Terry Stout has more than three decades of experience in research administration, sponsored programs, and industry relations. Terry currently supports awards from state and local government entities. He has worked at Georgia Tech, Wake Forest University Health Sciences Center, and Emory University. Terry holds a Master of Business Administration from Reinhardt University and completed undergraduate studies in business administration at Mercer University.

Jamie Turner is a Contracting Officer supporting Academic Grants and Contracts Administration (GTRC Awards). He has over a decade of experience in financial analysis, accounting, and grants management. Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Jamie served as a Senior Grants Financial Accountant within the Corporate Finance office at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). Jamie holds a Master of Accountancy from Kennesaw State University.