From a Non-traditional Public University Graduate to Director of Research Development at Northern Illinois University.
Kellie Dyslin Director of Research Development, Northern Illinois University
For the November 2025 Career Stories, we interviewed Kellie Dyslin, a name that has been in research development and administration for over 2 decades. Kellie Dyslin’s path into the RD field was not linear; as an undergrad, she found research administration through a role with the Howard Brown Health Center, coordinating multi-site national studies. After earning her Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago, she found the RD/RA field matched her skills more than the social work roles she was aiming to get into. Beginning at Northern Illinois University (NIU) in 2006, Kellie navigated successively responsible positions, eventually arguing to open a dedicated RD office to coordinate existing RD functions. Thanks to her hard work and support from the research division and university leadership, the office opened in 2023. Leadership succession brought changes and exciting challenges. A new VPR provided resources and encouragement to fundamentally shift RD programming to address faculty needs and the evolving funding landscape. With the challenges came growth opportunities, and leveraging all her skills, Kellie was able to build a team of 4.5 FTEs, building capacity for external funding success. Under her leadership, the team now provides one-on-one proposal development support, runs the semester-long University Grants Academy, collaborates with research and advancement colleagues to expand NIU’s funding portfolio, and facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration through Huskie Frontiers—a partnership linking research development, entrepreneurship, and corporate relations to form teams aligned with institutional strengths.
Despite the challenges, struggles, and constant evolution, Kellie finds the RD field exciting as she says, “My whole job is a giant stretch goal.” The constant creation, invention, and reinvention of proposals, looking for people to engage in a space that is unfamiliar or uncomfortable, and getting continual feedback keeps her engaged. She thinks every job can be learned and “you can do it.” Hence, Kellie thinks that as a profession, we should continue to discuss challenges about the roles and responsibilities, collaboration within advancement, and the need to think differently about funding, since things have changed at the federal level. An ever-changing environment can be challenging, but it can be seen as an opportunity to think outside the box.
Kellie is a long-standing member of NORDP. She values the NORDP tight-knit community, which is always there when needed, and she can always connect to someone. As a board member for 2 years, Kellie has held many leadership roles in chaotic times, which has only made her stronger and grow and understand that things are not always as critical as they feel in the moment.
Kellie strives to innovate and improve the fields of research administration and development, having held an NSF GRANTED program conference award and served as the Chair of the Research and Administration and Development subcommittee of the Illinois Innovation Network.
Kellie’s lifelong commitment to her field and NORDP is a perfect example of inspiring and empowering the next generation of RD professionals.
Kellie is happy to answer any questions you have for her, so please feel free to contact her at kdyslin@niu.edu
Contributors: NORDP Mentor Training Team Paula Carney, Loyola University Chicago, and Kristin Boman, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Mentor Training for Research Development Professionals – Registration Open forJanuary/February 2026Workshop
Are you a mentor? A mentee? Do you find yourself formally or informally mentoring staff or faculty? Are you ready to explore mentoring competencies that can be utilized across the work of research development (RD)? This interactive workshop series covers the 9-module Entering Mentoring curriculum, initially developed for mentoring researchers and tailored for RD professionals. A past workshop attendee commented:
“EXCELLENT training! The ideas presented are very applicable both to mentoring within the research development profession and elsewhere in the research enterprise – the things I have learned and practiced in this course are incredibly valuable to me as I provide mentoring to faculty, particularly early stage investigators and junior faculty, in the area of grantsmanship.”
Using evidence-based strategies, participants will build upon competencies crucial to the success of the mentoring relationship and expand mentor training across the research enterprise. Participants who complete the entire curriculum will receive a certificate of completion. The curriculum results from an association between the NORDP Mentoring Committee and the University of Wisconsin Center for Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) in collaboration with the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN), organizations involved in developing and validating the original curriculum. RD professionals at all levels of mentoring will explore how mentoring (shown to improve career outcomes, impact employee engagement and retention, and lead to more inclusive work environments) can benefit mentors and mentees in RD.
Workshops will be presented and facilitated by the NORDP Mentoring Committee; many are certified CIMER Trained Facilitators. Over 120 NORDP members have been trained through this initiative.
Schedule:
Two 1.5-hour sessions each week for 5 weeks (every Tuesday and Thursday*) 1/27/26 – 2/26/26 2–3:30 pm EST / 11 am–12:30 pm PST
As the format is highly interactive, participants must agree to participate in at least 9 of 10 sessions.
From a first-generation college student to Assistant Vice President of Research Development: The Journey of Dr. Angela Jordan
Angela Jordan Assistant Vice President of Research Development
For October’s Career Stories, we were fortunate to host Dr. Jordan, a proud first-generation college student with an undergraduate, master’s, and ABD in English, and a doctorate in instructional design. Like many of us in the field, Dr. Jordan did not plan a career in research development; her path began as a secretary and has taken her to AVP. Before entering the RD world, Dr. Jordan tried her hand at web design but quickly realized it wasn’t for her. After spending several years as a stay-at-home mom, she joined the University of South Alabama, where she accepted a secretarial position, the only open role in one of the colleges. There, she was assigned to her first proposal development project: a $10 million NSF EPSCOR statewide collaboration. From there, she never looked back. The crash course in RD showed her how much she loved it. With the encouragement of strong mentors, she began taking on more responsibilities, moving from departmental support to the university’s central research office. Over a dozen years, Angela worked her way up through the ranks, eventually being promoted to Assistant Vice President for Research Communications, Development, and Learning.
Discussing her day-to-day activities, Dr. Jordan explained that she is currently running an exciting and challenging research strategic planning process as the university plans a transition to Carnegie R1 status. She facilitates meetings with each college, talking to deans and faculty, gathering insights, and strengthening connections, collecting data, listening for priorities, and keeping the overall mission of the university in the forefront.
Dr. Jordan identifies a few key turning points in her journey. One was the moment she realized she could lead. After her colleague, Dr. Kim Littlefield, left the AVP role and encouraged her to think about leadership, Angela realized that to move up at her institution, she needed a Ph.D. Instructional design was tied directly to the faculty development work she was doing. Her degree not only advanced her career, it deepened her understanding of how people learn, collaborate, and innovate together. Dr. Jordan’s leadership philosophy is deeply rooted in mentorship, a value she discovered through her connection with NORDP. In her first few years as a member, she “coasted” along before getting involved in the Mentoring Committee at the 2018 conference, motivated by the idea of giving back. Formal mentoring was something Angela hadn’t experienced before joining NORDP, so by participating in the matched program, the committee, and mentor training, she has learned a lot about best practices in mentoring and is committed to facilitating mentee growth. She also remains engaged in CASSH and other collaborative initiatives that strengthen NORDP’s community of practice.
We congratulate Dr. Angela Jordan on her recent promotion to Assistant Vice President for Research Communications, Development, and Learning at the University of South Alabama, and on her well-deserved 2025 NORDP Mentoring Award.
Her journey reminds us that there’s no single path to success in RD, just the courage to say yes, the wisdom to learn as we go, and the generosity to lift others along the way.
Dr. Angela Jordan is happy to answer any questions you have for her, so please feel free to contact her at ajordan@southalabama.edu
Dr. Carolynn Julien: Leading with Purpose and Mentorship
Carolynn Julien Fairleigh Dickinson University
Dedicated to a life of service and with almost 4 decades of experience in research development, Dr. Carolynn Julien has built her career around nurturing meaningful relationships, mentoring others, and advancing research excellence. As the Associate Provost for Research and Sponsored Projects at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU), Carolynn collaborates with faculty, staff, and students to implement strategies and proactive approaches for securing funding and enhancing institutional competitiveness.
Her journey in RD started at Hunter College of City University of New York (CUNY). Her first position was in research administration and contracts; she saw the job opening in a newspaper, one she still keeps a clipping of today, where she thought, “I think I can do this, and I am going to figure this out….” She felt happy to be in higher education, but didn’t realize until later how lucky she was to be in higher education.
When asked about her move from Hunter College of CUNY to FDU, Dr. Julien describes it as an intentional leap of faith. “You have one life to live, and you have to live it without regrets,” she says. “Trust yourself. The right time, the right place, the right reason—preparation is key.” She feels like no one day is ever the same, and the newness of each day has kept her in RD for almost 4 decades. Her strength as a writer has supported her journey in RD.
Always going back to her parents’ guiding principle to use your life for something bigger than what you are, she uses her mentoring skills to mentor RD professionals across the country. In 2023, she received the NORDP Mentoring Award, recognizing her unique ability to create an engaging, supportive, and inclusive environment that fosters professional and personal growth in the research development community.
During COVID, Carolynn became more invested and more involved with NORDP. She has served as a mentor and mentee, been appointed to, and then elected to, the NORDP Board of Directors, and been a member of the Mentoring Committee, Conference Committee, and the Committee on Inclusive Excellence (CIE), deepening her engagement with the RD community.
“When George Floyd was murdered, CIE created spaces for people to talk and process,” she explains. “A small group of us met monthly throughout COVID. We discussed everything—from our personal experiences to joint presentations. Mentoring and CIE were the vehicles that allowed me to fully engage with NORDP.” One of her contributions to NORDP was to ideate and implement NORDP’s Got Heart—a way for members to contribute to the RD community and to the local community at conferences.
When asked to summarize her leadership philosophy, she emphasizes that the focus is not on what you build but how you build it. Dr. Julien offers a quote of her own creation—one that speaks to her purpose as a leader and mentor: “I lead not to be seen, but so that others may see what is possible.”
Dr. Carolynn Julien is happy to answer any questions you have for her, so please feel free to contact her at c.julien@fdu.edu
The traditional mentoring dyad (1:1 mentor-mentee) program has been a NORDP member feature since 2012. The Cohort Mentoring Group, piloted in July 2022, consists of matching three mentees with similar interests with one shared mentor. Both the dyad and cohorts are matched based on the WisdomShare matching algorithm.
This month, we caught up with a dyad mentee-mentor pair, Brady Liss (Mentee) and Becky Milczarek (Mentor) from the 2024-2025 mentoring program year to share their experiences with NORDP.
Becky Milczarek (she/her), mentor Assistant Director, Office of Research Development University of Illinois Chicago
Rebecca (Becky) Milczarek, Ph.D., University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) • Becky is an Assistant Director in the campus-level Office of Research Development at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Dr. Milczarek’s formal training is in Food Science and Chemical Engineering, and she spent the first decade of her career in the roles of researcher and proposal reviewer in the federal government before pivoting to academic RD in 2021. Becky elevates the UIC research enterprise by connecting investigators with collaborators and funding, managing the limited submissions process for the campus, and guiding early career and seasoned investigators alike toward a reviewer-centric approach to proposal narrative development.
Brady Liss (he/him), mentee Grant Proposal Developer University of Vermont
Brady Liss, PhD, University of Vermont • Brady is a Grant Proposal Developer for the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Vermont. Brady completed his PhD in Anthropological Archaeology at the University of California San Diego, before joining the Research Development team in May 2023. As archaeology is uniquely situated at the intersection of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, he leverages his previous research experiences to best support faculty across a variety of departments and disciplines in the college.
Q1: What influenced you to apply to be a mentor and a mentee for the 2024-2025 NORDP Mentoring Program?
Brady: Like many research development professionals, I didn’t anticipate (or frankly even know about) a career in research development until I applied for my current position as a grant proposal developer at the University of Vermont. In turn, I was looking for opportunities to develop professionally in this new (to me) field. The NORDP Mentoring Program seemed like the perfect opportunity to gain insights from someone with more experience. Further, as I can find networking in larger settings intimidating or overwhelming, the opportunity to join a 1:1 dyad was very appealing!
Becky: I had previous positive experiences as a mentee in a NORDP mentoring dyad in 2022-2023 and a cohort in 2023-2024. Although I’m still relatively new to the field of RD, I felt confident enough to start paying it forward as a mentor in 2024-2025. I still recognize I have a lot to learn, though, and thus also participated as a mentee in 2024-2025 – I really enjoyed being a part of a “mentorship sandwich” and am continuing this approach in the current program year.
Q2: What is your favorite part of your relationship?
Brady: My favorite part about my mentor-mentee relationship with Becky was the open and fluid conversations. We established specific topics for each of our monthly meetings, but allowed the conversation to naturally progress to other subjects. I also enjoyed the opportunity to discuss navigating the current federal funding landscape in a multi-generational NORDP mentor-mentee meeting; Becky’s former mentor joined the conversation.
Becky: For better or worse, it was really “misery loves company” in the 2024-2025 academic year. All in the RD profession will recognize the myriad challenges and upheavals during this period, and it was grounding to have regular, candid conversations with a colleague going through the same experiences.
Q3:How has participation in the Mentoring Program helped broaden your horizons about Research Development in general and/or affected your daily work in particular?
Brady: My participation in the mentoring program certainly broadened my horizons concerning research development. Sometimes as a grant proposal developer, I can become hyper-focused on supporting the individual grant. However, research development is bigger than any one grant. Meeting with Becky helped reiterate this concept. For example, we explored issues of inclusive language and transparency in funding announcements, leveraging LinkedIn to expand resources and connections, engaging with other fields entirely, etc. Based on Becky’s insights and suggestions, I am exploring new avenues to raise awareness about research development careers among archaeologists.
Becky: My discussions with Brady gave me a deeper appreciation for both the diversity of RD activities and the commonalities across the profession. Nominally, Brady and I do not have much overlap in our day-to-day RD responsibilities: Brady primarily supports proposal development within a college, while I focus on campus-wide faculty professional development, funding opportunity discovery, and limited submissions. It was enlightening for me to hear more about the proposal development side of the shop, and I’m hoping Brady learned a bit about some more upstream RD activities. At the same time, we definitely identified and explored common themes, mostly having to do with better understanding and serving our clientele. Enabling productive communication with various stakeholders, offering the right support at the right time, and navigating a rapidly shifting research funding landscape are (I will declare here) universal RD themes that we touched on this past year.
Q4: What surprised you about being a mentor or a mentee?
Brady: I don’t think I was necessarily surprised by any particular aspect of being a mentee, but the program did emphasize the unique collegiality of NORDP members (which was a bit of a surprise compared to previous professional organizations I have participated in). Whenever I have a conversation about NORDP, a primary talking point is always the kindness of the members and their willingness to help. Despite being in a slightly different role and having more experience in the field, Becky exemplified this in her openness to discussing any topic of interest and through dedicating her time to this process.
Becky: I knew the NORDP mentoring program was intended to be mentee-driven, but I was surprised at how graciously Brady took up this mantle. He kept us on track with our discussion topics and was proactive in (re)scheduling our meetings, but he always showed flexibility when new circumstances or opportunities arose. I suppose I should not have been surprised at this!
Q5: What made you decide to maintain a longer-term mentoring relationship, and how has it impacted you?
Brady: I really value the opportunity to learn from others, especially when they have more and/or different experience(s) in a given space; Becky fits both these qualifications. Being fairly new to research development with a background in the humanities, I was grateful for the opportunity to learn from Becky, who has served as an assistant director of research development for over four years with a background in food engineering. Our meetings were also consistently comfortable, open, and insightful, making it an easy decision to maintain a longer-term mentoring relationship to continue learning and sharing.
Becky: It was a pleasure to connect with Brady through this program, so I was happy to suggest we touch base a few times a year as we both progress in our careers. I’m looking forward to hearing about Brady’s accomplishments, challenges, and a-ha! moments.
Q6: Any words of wisdom or encouragement for those wanting to apply next year? Any other thoughts you would like to share?
Brady: In the past, I likely would have avoided this type of opportunity. I decided to go for it based on two factors: 1) my experiences interacting with research development professionals, which were always cordial, collegial, and kind, and 2) the smaller setting (a 1:1 dyad) with low-stakes (open discussion, one-hour meetings, once per month) sounded ideal. Now having “completed” the program, I am grateful I did, and I would encourage others to do the same.
Becky: NORDP has built a wonderful mentorship infrastructure, so I highly recommend getting involved as a mentee, mentor, or both. Having been in both a cohort and a few dyads, I can say both models have their strengths. Dyads offer more customizability and focus for a mentee with clear goals going into the program. Cohorts provide instant networking and a wider variety of perspectives and experiences. I encourage prospective mentees and mentors to try both options at least once and keep in mind that every mentoring relationship will be different, regardless of the number of folks involved.
On a practical note – be aware of the program signup window! In early spring, the start of the mentoring year may seem a long way off, but don’t miss your chance to participate.
Applications for the 2026-2027 mentoring match cycle will open in the spring of 2026 — keep an eye out for NORDP announcements. Additional mentoring opportunities are available through the Peer Mentoring Groups that are open for participation throughout the year via the WisdomShare platform [LINK: https://nordpmentoring.mywisdomshare.com/]. Contact the NORDP Mentoring Committee if you have any questions at mentoringprogram@nordp.org.
An investment in mentoring is an investment in you!
Creating Her Own Path: The Right Time, The Right Place
Jill Jividen
When Jill Jividen, PhD, defended her dissertation just before the Great Recession, she never imagined that her career would lead her to the world of RD. Like many in RD, Jill didn’t plan her RD career but started as a research administrator, where she seized the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of grant solicitation, submissions, and compliance. Her strong background in writing and communication helped her advance quickly, opening doors to opportunities that would shape her career.
Jill Jividen is the Assistant Vice President for Research Development at the University of Michigan (U-M). Jill holds degrees in journalism, English, and American Literature from Michigan State University (BA), New York University (MA), and the University of South Carolina (PhD).
Jill joined U-M in 2010 as a research administrator in the U-M Medical School. Despite being ranked in the top five nationally, U-M largely lacked knowledge of or strategies for Research Development, including long-term planning for sustaining its high ranking, faculty skill-building to increase competitiveness, or cross-campus efforts to activate interdisciplinary collaboration. In 2014, when RD was still “thin on the ground” at U-M, Jill landed her first RD position in a small institute. Connecting with a handful of U-M peers working in RD, Jill says, “turbocharged my interest in the field and helped me develop a vision for what RD could look like at U-M.” This was Jill’s “right time and right place” to build interest in RD, and she successfully lobbied to establish a central office in OVPR in 2019. Her early challenges, however, were convincing faculty across 19 schools and colleges to use central RD services and educating them on the value that RD could bring to their funding efforts. What began as a “solo show” in 2019 has since grown into a team of 15, where Jill oversees proposal development and editing services, the Bold Challenges program for large-scale interdisciplinary science, a new strategic intelligence team, and a new Faculty Honorifics Office. To directly support faculty members, the U-M Office of Research Development pairs funding with project management, logistics support, and research development expertise, as well as offers critical skill-building and training to build research capacity. In her leadership role, Jill’s mission is to help faculty achieve research success and support institutional research strategy, while continually identifying and addressing service gaps.
Jill credits a hospitality background outside of academia for shaping her customer service-driven leadership style. Before graduate school, she worked in fine dining in New York City, in restaurants where staff consistently provided an outstanding experience for customers and took pride in the caliber of their service. She brings that same philosophy to research development: “We need to present ourselves as helping faculty, anticipating their needs, and providing seamless service.”
Her leadership has also been strengthened by NORDP involvement; Jill served on the NORDP board from 2018-2023, including as an executive officer, and she was recognized in 2023 with the Holly Falk-Krzesinski Service Award, the highest honor NORDP bestows on members for outstanding service to the organization, profession, and peers. Currently co-chairing the NORDP Training & Education Working Group, Jill remains active with the organization and is the recipient of the 2025 NORDP Leadership Award. According to Jill, her involvement in NORDP by “learning to be more diplomatic and helping people reach consensus, has really helped me transition to a more effective leadership role at my own university.”
Jill is happy to answer any questions you have for her, so please feel free to contact her at jjgoff@umich.edu.
To listen to her full interview by the career stories/kindling team, please click on this link (you must log in as a NORDP member to access): https://nordp.org/store/viewproduct.aspx?id=24459276; Chapter 50: Jill Jividen
Answering Calls to Answering RD Questions: Kate’s Path to Associate Director in RD
Kate Duggan
The July Career Stories featured Kate Duggan, MEd, Associate Director of Research Development in Northeastern University’s College of Social Sciences and Humanities. Kate holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and French and Francophone Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Education from Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies.
In her current role, Kate provides a wide range of support to researchers, from identifying funding opportunities and connecting faculty with grant resources to running internal funding programs and facilitating competitive research proposals. She has a special interest in data-informed research strategies and improving research development processes.
Kate’s journey wasn’t as easy as it sounds. In 2008, during the recession, when she was looking into study abroad adviser roles, something she enjoyed doing in college, she instead found her first post-college role in a call center. While not her dream job, it gave her valuable customer service skills and public speaking experience—tools she still relies on today when working with faculty.
However, she never gave up and eventually ended up in Brown University’s Med School dean’s office serving as an executive assistant. She later transitioned into graduate and postdoctoral affairs before joining Brown’s newly launched research development office in 2017 as an analyst, one of just a few early team members. In this role, Kate was responsible for gathering resources, supporting faculty, and running workshops—an experience that set the foundation for her future growth.
Quickly making her way up, in 2022, Kate was able to secure a new position, doing what she loves doing, that is, creating workshops, bringing in speakers, sending around funding announcements, meeting with faculty, and other “hardcore RD functions”, supporting about 300 faculty at different career stages across the college. Kate enjoys learning from these faculty at different career stages and especially in Social Sciences, where faculty are working on topics like juvenile justice, gentrification, and more.
Despite Kate’s accomplishments, she is always looking for new opportunities, like helping others with their work where needed. Also, Kate enjoys taking new courses to enhance her career, such as a four-course series on AI applications, which she has already utilized to compare solicitations and pull out differences. While her passion for international education and federal relations grows as potential future areas for professional growth, she has found enjoyment in her RD role.
Kate is an active member of NORDP. She serves as a Northeast Region co-representative and contributes to the Member Services Committee, a two-time conference co-chair on the Conference Planning Committee, and is a founding member of the Creative Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities (CASSH) Affinity Group.
Kate is happy to answer any questions you have for her, so please feel free to contact her at k.duggan@northeastern.edu or kadresdev@gmail.com
To listen to her full interview by the career/kindle team, please click on this link (you must log in as a NORDP member to access): https://nordp.org/store/viewproduct.aspx?id=24459276; Chapter 49: Kate Duggan
Peer Mentoring Group (PMG) Conveners: Sujatha Koduvayur, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; and Brooke Gowl, Appalachian State University
The AI in RD Peer Mentoring Group (PMG) is now being launched to provide a vehicle for supporting NORDP members interested in using artificial intelligence (AI) in their research development (RD) practice, such as instructing researchers on how to securely and efficiently incorporate AI in their work.
The 2025 NORDP Conference included several sessions that addressed the use of AI in RD. AI, when used judiciously, can significantly impact research endeavors by strengthening the practice of RD. Currently, RD professionals are using AI to perform targeted grant searches; assist with proposal development by creating summaries, checklists, and other resources from notice of funding opportunities (NOFOs) and other solicitation guidelines; and support team science practices by creating ideation meeting summaries and identifying potential collaborators. Having a PMG to disseminate these practices, learn from each other, and jointly find better and more efficient ways to leverage AI tools in our work directly aligns with NORDP’s mission to advance RD as a profession.
The AI in RD PMG will share current practices and explore new ways to:
include AI in our RD daily practice,
learn about privacy and ethical concerns,
discuss program director-invited presentations on AI applications,
design and develop faculty resources on best practices for AI-assisted grantwriting,
converse about other AI-related topics in RD.
The PMG will invite external experts for guest lectures in addition to the discussion of case studies encountered by PMG members who currently use AI in their daily tasks.
NORDP Members can view and join PMGs via the WisdomShare Platform or you can email Sujatha Koduvayur or Brooke Gowl to learn more about and get involved with the new AI in RD PMG. Questions about the WisdomShare platform can be directed to mentorprogram@nordp.org.
NORDP Members interested in learning more about all eight active PMGs, including AI in RD, can join the 2025-2026 Peer Mentoring Group Kickoff on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, from 1:00–2:00 PM Eastern.
In addition to the new AI in RD PMG, the following seven PMGs are also currently active:
AI in RD: exploring the use of AI in research development workflow and applications
Career & Professional Development:exploring how to become more efficient and effective in our roles
Coaching & RD:developing and implementing coaching as part of the research development (RD) skillset
Collaboration & Team Science:building collaborations and interdisciplinary research programs
Faculty Development:supporting RD professionals who perform faculty development through programming and workshops
Leadership & Management:leading in both official and unofficial capacities
Proposal Development & Project Management for Research:Supporting proposal development for faculty grant seeking and leveraging project management tools and methodologies to enhance efficiency and success in securing extramural funding
Strategic Planning & Advancement:guiding policy and planning for enhanced research and scholarship
4.5 years in RD positions + more during PhD & postdocs
NORDP member for about four years
When and how did you enter the field? What kind of research development work do you do?
Like a lot of folks in RD, I kind of stumbled into it. I was in academia—did my PhD, then two postdocs—and realized what I really enjoyed wasn’t so much the day-to-day lab work, but the act of crafting proposals. I loved thinking through the research design, figuring out how to make it all happen, and, imagining all the fun things we could do with the right funding. Writing proposals just clicked for me. After watching faculty members spend more time on administrative tasks than actual research, I knew I didn’t want that. So, when a full-time RD position opened up at Tulane University in New Orleans, I made the leap to proposal development focused on federal agencies. I’ve very recently shifted to a new position at CCNY with a broader set of responsibilities, which I’m excited about.
One of my favorite parts of the job? The deadlines! There’s something so satisfying about having a hard stop and knowing that once a proposal is submitted, it’s finished. No endless revisions. Just done. It’s kind of perfect for my personality.
What’s your history with NORDP? How have you engaged with the organization (committee work, conferences attended/presented)?
I joined NORDP shortly after starting at Tulane. Honestly, I don’t remember exactly when (because…COVID), but it was probably within the first couple of months of being hired. I was encouraged to get involved with the Committee on Inclusive Excellence (CIE) after I spoke up during a breakout session at a NORDP event. I honestly don’t remember the details, but Gretchen Kiser reached out, and I’ve been with the committee ever since. I haven’t presented at a NORDP conference yet but have aspirations. I’ve been thinking about leading a workshop on visualizations—something that I think is missing in a lot of proposal writing. My goal is to show how design principles can elevate a proposal, making it not just technically sound but also engaging and visually appealing. We’re not just writing for the brain; we’re also writing for the heart, and I want to help people craft proposals that spark excitement and interest in the reader.
What motivated you to run for the NORDP Board?
Funny story—running for the board wasn’t really on my radar. It was Samar Sengupta who nominated me, so she’s the one to blame! We had a few conversations about it, and she convinced me that my perspective would be valuable to the board. I think it’s because I come at things with a mix of design thinking and a focus on social justice.
RD is such an interdisciplinary field, and that’s part of what I love about it. We don’t have to stay in our silos. I can work with a biomedical engineer one day and someone from literary history the next. I think it gives us this unique opportunity to influence scholarship in a broader sense, and being on the board means I can help shape how NORDP moves forward, especially as the organization grows.
What are you most excited about as a new NORDP Board member?
For me, it’s all about pushing new ideas. I’m really excited to bring more focus on design thinking into RD—creating proposals that not only communicate ideas but do so in a way that’s visually engaging. I also think we need to be more critical when it comes to AI. There’s a lot of buzz around it, but I’m particularly concerned about how we might start relying on large language models for things like writing letters of support. We need to think about the ethical implications before we just dive in.
NORDP is at this interesting inflection point. We’re not quite a “small” organization anymore, but we’re also not a giant, well-established one, either. It’s a bit of an awkward growing phase, but it’s also a huge opportunity. I’m looking forward to helping us navigate that growth in a sustainable and resilient way, making sure we’re adaptable to the changes happening across academia and research funding.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I guess the big thing on my mind is resilience. The way research funding and academia operate right now feels… precarious. I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t say what the world will look like in five or ten years, but I think we need to be ready for big shifts. If I can help bring some new ideas to the table that make NORDP and the RD community more adaptable, that’s what I’d love to contribute.
Vessela Vassileva-Clarke, Co-Chair of the NORDP Mentoring Committee
Fall marks an exciting start to a new mentoring cycle at NORDP! The 2025-2026 mentoring year runs from July through June, and we’re thrilled to welcome all mentors and mentees—whether matched in a dyad or part of a mentoring cohort—into this year’s program.
The June 25 Mentor Program Orientation featured this year’s NORDP Mentoring Award recipient and Mentoring Committee Co-Chair, Angela Jordon. New and returning participants were introduced to the program and joined breakout sessions based on their role—mentor or mentee—and format—dyad or cohort—to learn more about what to expect in the year ahead.
Behind the scenes, the Mentoring Committee, including the Match Team and the Mentoring Leadership Team, has worked diligently to make that stellar start possible. Updating our WisdomShare platform, opening the application window, carefully reviewing and confirming matches to ensure the best possible pairings for all participants, answering numerous emails about program registration, mentoring profiles, etc., are just a few of the tasks they completed. On behalf of both current and past NORDP Mentor Program participants, we extend our heartfelt appreciation and thank them for making the entire process feel easy and seamless!
We are especially excited to continue our mentoring cohorts, now in their fourth year! In this model, three mentees are matched with one mentor, creating a small community for ongoing peer‑mentoring discussions. Thank you to the many dedicated individuals who volunteered to serve as mentors—whether in dyads or cohorts—this year. Your willingness to share your time and expertise makes this program thrive.
Tips for New Mentors and Mentees
If you’re just getting started, here are a few quick tips to help you make the most of your experience:
Log in to WisdomShare for your mentor/mentee’s contact information, messaging tools, and suggested milestones
Explore the Learning tab in WisdomShare for guidance on where to begin
Visit your WisdomShare Dashboard to find active Peer Mentoring Groups (PMGs), and join the ones that interest you—no matching is required for PMGs!
If your mentor or mentee(s) hasn’t reached out yet, don’t wait—take the initiative to connect! There’s no single “right” way to engage
Attend the monthly Mentoring Committee Meetings (3rd Thursday of the month all year) to learn the latest mentoring news and share your mentoring experiences and ideas with a group of NORDP members who are truly into mentoring
Watch for upcoming McHuddles—informal gatherings hosted by Mentoring Committee facilitators where you can share ideas, ask questions, and learn from others through supportive and fun interactions
Have questions, concerns, or suggestions? Reach out to us anytime at mentorprogram@nordp.org
Share Your Story!
The Mentoring Committee is always looking to highlight mentoring experiences. If you were part of a 2024–25 mentoring dyad or cohort and would like to share your story in a future blog post, please contact the McMc team at mentorprogram@nordp.org.
Here’s to a successful and inspiring 2025-2026 mentoring year—thank you for being part of it!
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