102 Roudebush Hall • Phone: 513-529-3600• Fax: 513-529-3762

OARS Staff

Bruce J. Cochrane, Ph.D.
Associate Provost for Research & Dean of the Graduate School
cochrabj@muohio.edu

Bruce Cochrane received his Master’s degree in Zoology and his Ph. D. in Genetics, both from Indiana University. Following a postdoctoral appointment at the University of North Carolina, he joined the faculty of the Department of Biology at the University of South Florida. His research has been in the areas of evolutionary and ecological genetics, has published extensively, and has received funding from the NIH, NSF, and the EPA. He rose to the rank of Professor, and from 2001-2007, he was Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In August 2007, he moved to Miami University (Ohio) to assume the position of Associate Provost for Research and Scholarship and Dean of the Graduate School. His interest in graduate education has been long-standing, having mentored over twenty master’s and doctoral students and having been responsible for graduate program administration at the departmental, college, and university levels. At USF, he was heavily involved with efforts to develop digital tools to facilitate graduate student scholarship, ones which led to the adoption of the University Electronic Thesis and Dissertation standards. At both USF and Miami, he has played a leading role in graduate program development and review.

Jim Oris

James T. Oris, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship
orisjt@muohio.edu

Dr. James T. Oris received a B.A. in Biology from Wittenberg University (1979) and a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology and Fisheries & Wildlife from Michigan State University (1985). He has been a member of the Zoology Department at Miami University since 1986 and was promoted to the rank of full professor in 1996. He teaches classes in ecological risk assessment and environmental biology. Oris has served as chair of the Zoology Graduate Programs, chair of the Institutional Animal Use and Care Committee (IACUC), and Executive Committee chair of University Senate at Miami University. External to Miami, he has served as consultant to a variety of Federal and private agencies, has served as President of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry in North America, and is currently a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Science Advisory Board.

Oris is an environmental toxicologist with a primary interest in the fate, dynamics, and toxicity of trace contaminants and multiple stressors in aquatic organisms. His areas of research interest include the photochemistry and toxicology of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fish and invertebrates, the molecular regulation of the Cytochrome P-450 metabolizing system in fish, the fate and dynamics of sediment pollutants in fish and invertebrates, and the modeling and statistical analysis of toxicity dose-response relationships. Dr. Oris has received funding from the U.S. EPA, from NIEHS, and from industrial sources to conduct research in these areas. In addition to toxicology research, he is involved in the development of multimedia materials for use in the environmental science classroom.

Tricia L. Callahan, M.A.
Assistant Director for Research and Scholarship
callahtl@muohio.edu

In May 2008, Tricia Callahan joined the OARS team as our new assistant director. Before joining the OARS staff at Miami, Tricia was the assistant director for proposal development in the Western Kentucky University Office of Sponsored Programs. In addition, she was affiliated with WKU’s Department of Psychology where she taught introductory psychology. Tricia’s prior experience includes a position in the pre-award office at the University of Louisville and work as a part-time instructor for the Department of Psychology and the Kent School of Social Work. Tricia is 1991 Miami alum and holds a master’s degree from the University of Louisville (1996) in experimental psychology. Callahan's research interests focus on childhood obesity, including the physiological and environmental factors that influence weight and weight management in children and adolescents. Given her research interests, she helped to establish the Healthy Weight Kids Coalition (HWKC) of Southern Kentucky. Tricia is an active volunteer with the Grants Resource Center (GRC), the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) and with the Society of Research Administrators (SRA). For fun, Tricia enjoys bicycling, jogging, playing racquetball and being with her family.

Helen G. Kiss, Ph.D.
Assistant Director for Research and Scholarship
Information Coordinator
kisshg@muohio.edu

Dr. Helen G. Kiss received a B.A. in Biology from Columbia University (1982), a M.S. (1985) and Ph.D. (1989) in Plant Physiology from Rutgers University. She has been a member of the Botany Department at Miami University since 1993. Helen joined OARS in 1997. Currently, her positions include: Assistant Director and Information Coordinator for Research and Scholarship. Her research interests include: the role of plant hormones in floral growth and development, the development and physiology of ferns, and plant gravitropism. Helen has published in journals such as Plant Physiology, the American Journal of Botany, and the American Biology Teacher. She also has served on peer-review panels for the National Science Foundation. Helen is an active member of BSA (Botanical Society of America) and NCURA (National Council of University Research Administrators).

Anne Schauer

Anne Schauer, M.A., CRA
Assistant Director for Research and Scholarship
s chauerap@muohio.edu

Anne Schauer joined the OARS staff in July of 2004 as Assistant Director for Research and Scholarship. Prior to coming to Miami, Anne worked in Research Administration for over 15 years as a Grants Specialist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and as Associate Director at the University of Cincinnati, and Bradley University in Peoria, IL. She received her M.A. in Human Service Administration from Bradley in 1998, and a B.A. in Biochemistry and Art from Brandeis in 1979, with a 3-year stint in the Master of Architecture Program at the University of Texas at Austin between the two. Anne recently earned the CRA (Certified Research Administrator) designation, and has been an active member of NCURA (National Council of University Research Administrators), and SRA (Society of Research Administrators) since 1993. When she is not engaged in grant-related activities, Anne can usually be found buried in one of several art projects involving painting, stained-glass or pottery. She also enjoys sewing, cooking and gardening, and tries to get away with her wonderful husband on at least two camping-hiking trips each year.

Neal Sullivan

Neal H. Sulllivan, Ph.D.
Research Compliance Officer
sullivnh@muohio.edu

Neal Sullivan, research compliance officer, is a new addition at OARS in 2008. Neal’s duties at OARS include the responsibility for administration of the Internal Review Board for human subjects research and the Institutional Animal Care committee. Prior to his OARS appointment, Neal held a visiting assistant professor position from August 2004 – 2008 with Miami’s Botany and Zoology Departments, teaching Environmental Biology and Fundamentals of Ecology, and Introduction to Botany. His research interests include identifying and developing indices of ecological processes, particularly those processes affected by a potentially changing climate. His educational background includes a master’s degree in forest resources from the University of New Hampshire in 1993 and a Ph.D. in forestry from the University of Missouri in 2001. Neal’s experience includes two years with the USDA Forest Service as a research ecologist from 2002-2004.

Martha Weber

Martha E. Weber, M.S.
Undergraduate Research Coordinator and Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program Coordinator
weberme@muohio.edu

Martha Weber coordinates several of of Miami’ s annual Undergraduate Research programs and the Undergraduate Research Forum and manages Miami's nationally recognized Undergraduate Summer Scholars program. An OARS staff member since 1991, she also manages the OARS databases and supervises two OARS support staff members involved with internal programs. Before joining Miami University in 1988, Martha developed proposals for an international construction company in Atlanta. Early in her career, she lived in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg working for Cargolux Airlines which gave her the opportunity for extensive world travel. She obtained a B.A. in French from Miami in 1972 and also speaks German and a smattering of Luxembourgish. In 2007 she added master’s of science degree from Miami’s College Student Personnel Program to her formal education. Martha has presented at Miami’s Lilly Conference on College Teaching in partnership with Dr. Christine Heilman. In 2009 she will begin her second term as President of Miami’s Chapter 133 of Phi Kappa Phi national honor society. For entertainment she enjoys taking her golden retriever and labrador retriever to local dog parks and visiting her daughter Madeleine, a 2007 Miami graduate.

Support staff

Terri Brosius, A.A.B. (Miami)
Master Administrative Assistant
brosiutt@muohio.edu
Terri provides administrative support for the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Commitee (IACUC). Terri joined Miami in Feb 1988 and has worked in several university offices throughout her career.

Rachel Shelley, B.A. (Miami)
Administrative Assistant
sheller1@muohio.edu
Rachel provides administrative support for Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship internal programs and for two University Senate Committees: Undergraduate Research Committee and Committee on Faculty Research.

Gabe Campbell
Technology Support Analyst
campbegl@muohio.edu

Affiliated staff

John A. Czaja, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Research and Scholarship
czajaja@muohio.edu

Amy Lamborg, M.S., MTSC
Grant Development Coordinator - Miami University Hamilton Campus
lambora@muohio.edu

Amy Lamborg is the Grant Development Coordinator for Miami University Hamilton. Amy began her career with a BA in Geology from Earlham College and an master's degree in Geology from the University of Cincinnati, and worked in environmental consulting for 12 years. While a consultant, she developed an interest in risk communication and how people understand notions of risk. This interest led to a Master's degree in Technical and Scientific Communication (MTSC) from Miami University and a job at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health where she was a science writer and editor. At Miami Hamilton, she has been researching and writing successful proposals, ranging in size from $200 to $1,000,000, since 2004.

Barbara S. Roberts, M.A., GPC
Grant Development Coordinator - Miami University Middletown Campus
robertb5@muohio.edu

Barbara Roberts, M.A., GPC, is the Grant Development Coordinator for Miami University Middletown. With a Grant Professional Certificate and a Master’s in Counseling for Children and Their Families, Barbara’s experience includes ten years of non-profit, client-centered, counseling and community health services; six years of community development efforts with educational, health services, and religious non-profits; and eight years in grants development. She has researched, written, and submitted successful grant applications, ranging in size from $2,500 to $1.6 million, to federal, state, regional, local, and private foundations.

OARS Staff Photo (Sep 09)

OARS_Staff_Sep_09