On this page:
About the conference
St. Jude Grants and Sponsored Programs is pleased to announce the second year of the research administrators conference at St. Jude. This year we are excited to invite colleagues from Rhodes College, University of Memphis, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and University of Mississippi. The conference will be held on December 9, featuring podium presentations, a poster session, professional development exhibits, keynote speech, and research administrators’ meet & greet.
The conference will highlight the experience and expertise of research administrators at St. Jude and the participating institutions. This event will provide a great opportunity to network, exchange perspectives, and collaborate with one another.
Keynote speaker
Victor Torres, PhD, Chair & Member-Host Microbe Interactions, SJCRH
The Pivotal Role of Research Administration in the Pursuit of Scientific Knowledge
Dr. Torres grew up in Puerto Rico and received a bachelor’s degree in industrial microbiology from the University of Puerto Rico—Mayagüez campus. He completed his doctoral studies on the mechanism of action of the Helicobacter pylori vacuolating cytotoxin under the supervision of Dr. Timothy Cover at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. For his postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Torres studied the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) pathogenesis under the tutelage of Dr. Eric Skaar, also at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He joined the faculty of the Department of Microbiology at New York University Grossman School of Medicine in 2008 where he rose through the rank and became the C.V. Starr Professor of Microbiology and the Director of the Antimicrobial-Resistance Pathogens Program.
In July 2023, Dr. Torres moved to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to become the Albert and Rosemary Joseph Endowed inaugural Chair of the new Department of Host-Microbe Interactions. Together with his team, Dr. Torres has contributed extensively to the field of S. aureus pathogenesis and toxin biology publishing over 150 scientific manuscripts. Dr. Torres has also established a strong translational program to develop novel agents to treat and prevent S. aureus infections.
Dr. Torres contributes extensively to the scientific community by serving as an editor for the American Society for Microbiology journals Infection and Immunity, an associate editor for the American Association for the Advancement of Science journal Science Advances, and as an advisor editor for Journal of Experimental Medicine. Dr. Torres has been awarded the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease fellowship, and he has been recognized as a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and as a MacArthur Fellow.
Overview
Event title: Research Administrators Conference
Date: December 9, 2026
Location: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Host: St. Jude Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs
Agenda
| Time | Session | ||
|---|---|---|---|
8:00 a.m. |
Registration and Breakfast Meet & Greet |
||
8:45-9:00 a.m. |
Opening Remarks |
||
9:00-9:45 a.m. |
Director’s Roundtable: Strategies for the New Horizons in Research Administration and Inter-institutional Collaboration Moderator: Suzanne Wiltgen |
||
|
Track 1: Pre-Award |
Track 2: Post Award |
Track 3: Departmental |
10:00-10:45 a.m. |
Mastering NIH Multi-Project Applications: Strategies, Structures & Submission Success Presenter: Kathryn Simpson, MPH, CRA |
Promoting Informed, Compliant Cost Allocation Practices in Sponsored Research
Presenter: Alexandra Talley, MA |
Small Team, Big Reach: Modernizing Opportunity Promotion with Curation and Automated Workflows
Presenter: Kendra Sampey, MBA, CRA |
10:45-11:30 a.m. |
From Transactional Support to Strategic Partnerships: The Evolving Role of Research Administrators
Presenter: Prabhu Kiran Namburu |
Research Administration in Motion: Key Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance Developments for 2026
Presenter: Matthew Schwimmer, JD |
Financial Planning as a Compliance Tool: A Research Administration Case Study
Presenter: Christian Toney |
11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. |
From Complexity to Clarity: Streamlining ARPA Agency Proposal Budgets
Presenters: Yogesh R. Suryawanshi, MD, PhD, Blair Nieman |
From Award to Subaward: Implementing Flowdown Terms and Conditions
Presenters: Julienne Watkins, MPA, Taylar E. Robinson |
From Regulation to Resource: Supporting Research Security, Export Controls, and Conflict of Interest Across St. Jude Research Enterprise
Presenters: Ida Annunziata, PHD, Christos Linardakis, JD, LLM, Jessie Hughes, Laura Pruett, JD, CHC, CHRC |
12:15-1:00 p.m. |
Lunch Break |
||
1:00-1:45 p.m. |
Keynote Speech: The Pivotal Role of Research Administration in the Pursuit of Scientific Knowledge
Dr. Victor Torres, Chair-Department of Host Microbe Interactions |
||
2:00-2:45 p.m. |
The Smart Approach to Developing Clinical Trial and Research Grant Budgets
Presenters: René Jooste, PHD, M Pharm, CCRP, Leronda Savage, HMBA, BA, CRA |
Building Sponsored Programs Capacity: A Blueprint for Institutional Research Growth
Presenter: Dr. Jessica Jiles Carwell |
Choose Your Own Adventure: Time Allocation and Priority Shifting in Grants Management
Presenter: Brennan Garza-McMullen |
2:45-3:30 p.m. |
Creating a Proactive Approach to Proposal Development and Submission
Presenters: Alison M. Brown, Med, MPH, Brian C. Evans, PhD |
Data Analytics and Governance in Research Administration
Presenter: Lisa Bowers, MS, CRA |
Connecting with Colleagues: Networking and Research Administration Scavenger Hunt |
3:30-4:15 p.m. |
Navigating the Seas of Sponsored Projects: Roundtable Discussion of RA Expectations, Experiences, and Lessons Learned along the Way. Moderator: Ian Webster |
||
4:15-4:30 p.m. |
Closing Remarks, Paul Below |
||
Conference committees
Planning committee:
Paul Below, MBA, CRA, Senior Director, Grants & Sponsored Programs Office-SJCRH
René Jooste, PhD, M Pharm, CCRP, Vice President, Research Finance-SJCRH
Saundra Harris, MSA, Principal Research Manager, Grants & Sponsored Programs Office-SJCRH
Taylor Holmes, MA, Senior Administrative Coordinator, Research Finance-SJCRH
Sudina Paungpetch, PhD, Principal Research Administrator, Grants & Sponsored Programs Office-SJCRH
Terrice E. Watson, DBA, CPA, CIA, CRA, Assistant Vice President for Research Administration and Compliance, Division of Research and Innovation-The University of Memphis
Dequebanese Vonsha Norton, Director of Post Award Services-The University of Memphis
Andrea Rich, Director of Sponsored Programs Administration-The University of Mississippi
Brenda Murrell, MBA, CICA, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Office of Sponsored Programs-University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center
Nathan Edward, JD, Assistant Director, Office of Sponsored Programs-University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center
Michelle Lester, CRA, Assistant Director of Pre-Award, Office of Sponsored Programs-University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center
Lydia Spencer, Director of Grants and Foundations-Rhodes College
GG Elmore, Senior Director, Grants Accounting and Reporting-SJCRH
Teresa Franklin, MS, LMSW, MBA, Program Manager, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences-SJCRH
Shemika R. Jones, MBA, CRA, Manager-Grants & Contracts, Oncology-SJCRH
Abstract committee:
Sudina Paungpetch, PhD, Principal Research Administrator, Grants & Sponsored Programs Office-SJCRH
Shobha Lakshmi, PhD, Director, Office of Large Grant Development-SJCRH
Ashley Yacoubian, Program Coordinator, Research Education and Training Grant Office-SJCRH
Terrice E. Watson, DBA, CPA, CIA, CRA, Assistant Vice President for Research Administration and Compliance, Division of Research and Innovation-The University of Memphis
Saundra Harris, MSA, Principal Research Manager, Grants & Sponsored Programs Office-SJCRH
Michelle Lester, CRA, Assistant Director of Pre-Award, Office of Sponsored Programs-University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center