Lori is the Associate Director for the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), Office of Research & Graduate Education. Lori, joined CFAES in 2009, and provides direction and coordination of sponsored program activities for the college by directing the daily operations of the CFAES Office of Research and Graduate Education. Lori develops and implements strategic initiatives for sponsored programs management and research administration to increase research capacity in support of the college's mission, objectives, and priorities, as set by the Dean and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education. Lori also manages research compliance monitoring for the college to assist researchers in achieving and maintaining transparency. She works extensively with faculty and senior leadership, as well as departmental administrators and administrative offices and was influential in the completion of the NCURA Peer Review. Since its inception in 2010, the Grant Development Support Unit has been instrumental in securing $132 million in new funding to CFAES.
Lori has a very diverse background, including non-profit grant writing, law enforcement, fraud investigation, benefit fundraising, workforce development, social work, and research administration. She has been involved in local, state, and federal grants management at various levels since 1998 and has been in public service since 1990. She has experience in writing requests for proposals, sub-award negotiations, monitoring, and pre- and post-award activities. Lori received her B.A. in Organizational Management from Malone University in Canton, Ohio. She is also a Certified Research Administrator who has led over 150 national, regional, and local presentations and workshops.
She is a member of the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA), the Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI) and the National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP). Lori served on the National Council of Research Administration Region IV Board of Directors from 2014-2016. She currently serves on the OSU Office of Research Administration Research Council (ARC). She has also served on numerous local boards, including the Holmes-Wayne-Ashland Workforce Policy Board, Workforce Investment Act Youth Council, and the Volunteer Guardianship Program of Holmes County. In addition, she had served on multiple task forces for Community Planning and Domestic Violence Prevention. Lori is a graduate of both Holmes and Wayne County Leadership Programs.