Meet Our Team
Meet Our Leadership Team
Lisa Wilson
Assistant Vice President, Research Administration, Office of Strategic Optimization and Training (OSOT) and Senior Director, Strategic Operations & Training (SOT) Office of Research Administration (ORA)
Contact Information
Email: delisa.a.wilson@emory.edu
Biography
Assistant Vice President, Strategic Optimization and Training for the Office of Research Administration at Emory University
Lisa Wilson is a forward-thinking leader in research administration with a distinguished career in senior management roles across the technology sector, particularly within Fortune 500 companies and in higher education.
Lisa is the Assistant Vice President of Strategic Optimization and Training for the Office of Research Administration (ORA) at Emory University. In this role, she leads efforts to streamline processes and day-to-day operations across central and school-based research administration units, ensuring the smooth management of research activities across the university. Her leadership is deeply rooted in process improvement and operational efficiency, leveraging her project management expertise and data analytics to deliver expected outcomes and informed decision-making.
Before joining Emory, Lisa was Associate Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs at Clark Atlanta University. She was instrumental in transforming the university’s research infrastructure during her tenure. Her responsibilities included oversight of basic research, sponsored program administration, lab operations and safety, research development, public-private partnerships, government relations, policy development, compliance monitoring, intellectual property management, technology transfer, and research commercialization. Her successful advocacy for the Internet2 network at Clark is a testament to her ability to enhance the university's research capabilities.
As an active member of the Minority Serving Cyber Infrastructure Consortium (MSCC), Lisa has tirelessly advocated for leveling the playing field for researchers at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). Her work in the consortium has been pivotal in addressing the unique challenges MSIs face by securing increased access to high-speed broadband, cloud resources, and high-performance computing. Lisa's commitment to equity in research is evident in her strategic approach to securing partnerships, funding, and technological resources.
At Emory, Lisa has continued to drive transformative projects, including leading the design and development of a private large language model (LLM) proof-of-concept tailored explicitly for research administration at Emory. This initiative has positioned ORA at the forefront of AI applications in research administration, highlighting Lisa's innovative mindset and ability to harness technology to drive institutional excellence.
Lisa earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and her Bachelor of Science in Physics from Clark Atlanta University. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a Certified Research Administrator (CRA). Beyond her professional achievements, Lisa is actively engaged in several leadership and professional organizations. She is a member of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), has served as a peer reviewer for the Council of International Exchange of Scholars and the U.S. Fulbright Scholar Business Committee, and is a member of Leadership Macon, Leadership Palm Beach County, and the National Black MBA Association. Lisa also contributes to Emory University’s Library Policy Committee and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Mentoring Center, reflecting her strong commitment to professional and community development.
A dedication to innovation, strategic leadership, and a profound understanding of the research administration landscape marks Lisa Wilson’s career. Her efforts have consistently advanced the capabilities of the institutions she serves, making her an invaluable asset to the academic and research community. Her strategic leadership instills confidence and reassurance, knowing she is at the helm of transformative initiatives.
Meet Our Strategic Operations (Dragon) Team
Vacant
Director, Strategic Operations
Contact Information
Email:
Phone:
Biography
Sharon Jones
Assistant Director, Strategic Operations
Contact Information
Email: sharon.a.jones@emory.edu
Phone: 404-727-0476
Biography
Sharon is a Strategic Operations Associate with the Dragon Team. In this role, she leads various process improvement initiatives within ORA. Sharon joined Emory University in 2019 and has prior experience in quality management in the healthcare insurance industry. She has bachelors' degrees in Management and International Business from Florida International University. Sharon holds certifications in Six Sigma (Green Belt), software quality (CSQA) and medical coding (CPC). She is currently working on obtaining her Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB).
Nicole George
Strategic Operations Associate
Contact Information
Email: nicole.m.george@emory.edu
Phone: 404-727-5183
Biography
Nicole joined Emory University in Spring 2014. She's held multiple positions within the Office of Research Administration. As a Strategic Operations Associate, Nicole's responsibilities include leading process improvement projects to develop, implement, and evaluate effective cross-operational solutions.
Nicole brings nearly 18 years of experience in higher education, with over seven of those years in Research Administration. She possesses a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification and an extensive project management background. Nicole earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and a Master's degree in Education.
Valeria Rainey
Strategic Operations Associate
Meet Our Research Training Team
Tricia Callahan
Associate Director, Operations & Research Training
Contact Information
Email: tricia.callahan@emory.edu
Phone: 404-712-9780
Biography
Tricia Callahan serves as the Associate Director of Operations and Research Training in the Office of Research Administration (ORA) at Emory University. Tricia joins the Strategic Operations and Training (SOT) team from Colorado State University (CSU) where she served as the Senior Research Education and Information Officer (SERIO) in the Office of Sponsored Programs. In her role as SERIO, Tricia was responsible for providing vision and leadership on all matters related to research and research administration education and information. At CSU, Tricia led a team in analyzing training needs, developing curriculum, and delivering courses specific to research administration, utilization of system applications, and general industry knowledge. Together, Tricia and her team built a robust certificate program for CSU administrators, onboarded new hires in the central pre- and post-award office, and provided content-specific trainings for unit administrators. Additionally, they reviewed policies and procedures for efficiencies and compliance with federal, sponsor, and institutional regulations and hosted biannual study sessions for those wanting to obtain their Certified Research Administrator (CRA) credential.
Tricia is excited to share her experience with Emory University. In her new role, she will work closely with ORA business units, academic units, investigators, and staff to develop, organize, and source education programs to meet the mission of ORA.
Tricia’s background is in physiological psychology, with a M.A. in Psychology from the University of Louisville. Tricia is also a Certified Research Administrator.
Kathryn Leigh
Training Design/Communications Manager
Contact Information
Email: kathryn.mary.leigh@emory.edu
Biography
Kathryn Leigh as a new Training Design/Communications Manager on the Research Training team in the Strategic Operations & Training (SOT) department.
Kathryn joins SOT from Tulane University where she served as the Research Proposal Development Officer for the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. As the Research Proposal Development Officer, Kathryn assisted investigators with preparing proposal components for NIH and NSF grant applications.
In her role, Kathryn provided support directly to faculty for development of federal grant proposals including managing the administrative workflow, coordinating with department budget officers, and collecting institutional data.
Kathryn is excited to share her expertise within ORA, assisting with RAE training, the CRA Study Program, and other SOT training and communication initiatives.
Kathryn received a B.A. and an M.A. in Economics from the University of Alabama.
Sandra Meadows
Instructional Designer
Contact Information
Email: smeado3@emory.edu
Biography
Sandra Meadows is an Instructional Designer under Strategic Operations & Training (SOT) in the Office of Research Administration. Sandra joins Emory after a decade of working in the academic and corporate sectors. Sandra shares her experience analyzing training needs and planning, organizing, developing, and evaluating training materials and programs to meet educational needs.
Sandra will work with subject matter experts within ORA to analyze training needs and develop on-demand and live training programs and materials. Sandra holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a Master's in Spanish Language and Literature.
She also has a certificate in Instructional Design from the ELVTR program and a certificate in Virtual Training and Facilitation from the Association for Talent Development (ATD)!
Meet Our Project Management Team
Tubal Yisrael
Project Support Specialist
Samson Hadush
Research Administration Specialist