RGS Welcomes New Executive Director of Sponsored Programs
Friday, Jul. 20, 2012
Kevin Peterson has been named executive director of the Sponsored Programs office at Utah State University.
Utah State University’s office of Research and Graduate Studies has selected Kevin Peterson as executive director of the Sponsored Programs office.
“Peterson was chosen from many candidates as part of a national search,” said Bryce Fifield, executive director of USU’s Center for Persons with Disabilities and chair of the search committee.
Peterson was selected from five final candidates who were invited to campus for interviews in June.
“We were pleased with the large number of very talented people who were interested in the position,” said Fifield. “USU’s research program has a sterling reputation and is very attractive to people who specialize in research administration. Mr. Peterson will bring new skills to this position that will enhance USU’s ability to attract research dollars to support the work of our faculty.”
The Sponsored Programs division in the Office of Research and Graduate Studies is responsible for managing all phases of contract and grant administration, including review of solicitations, proposal preparation and review, contract negotiation, award administration and closeout and faculty training in related areas. The executive director of sponsored programs carries the signature authority for contracts and grants at USU.
“USU research and graduate programs have a great reputation, and I am excited for the opportunity to join the USU research administration community,” said Peterson. “I appreciate the trust that Drs. McLellan, Broadbent and Lindauer, as well as the search committee, have placed in me to ensure that the SPO continues to grow to meet evolving demands.”
The sponsored programs executive director requires sound fiscal and time management skills, attention to detail, the ability to set priorities and the ability to express ideas to diverse constituencies.
“Peterson will be required to effectively manage the daily work of the office, as well as many new issues, including an increase in grants as a result of stimulus funding and implementation of new procedures and policies to ensure efficiency and compliance of sponsored research,” said Jeff Broadbent, associate vice president for research.
Peterson has been part of the University of Utah’s Office of Sponsored Projects since July 2007. As a grants and contracts officer, he has negotiated more than 400 agreements with commercial and nonprofit entities. He has also negotiated clinical trial agreements with more than 80 pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, Abbott Laboratories and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
After graduating from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s in political science in 2004, he received a juris doctor from Creighton University School of Law in 2007. He has attended conferences sponsored by the National Council of University Research Administrators, the Society of Research Administrators, Model Agreements and Guidelines International and the National Institutes of Health.
“The skills developed through my legal education, along with my sponsored projects experience, will help me to effectively evaluate the current processes in place and find ways to refine those processes to improve the SPO’s visibility and perception to USU researchers and their staff,” he said. “While I have pursued a non-traditional career for someone with a law degree, my ability to ‘think like a lawyer’ will hopefully be a benefit to the SPO.”
Peterson and his family are excited to be part of the Cache Valley community. His wife, Natalie, graduated from USU and has good memories of her days as an Aggie.
He replaces Jeff Coleman, former sponsored programs director, who accepted a position at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
“We’re extremely pleased to have Kevin join our team,” said Mark McLellan, vice president for research and dean of the School of Graduate Studies. “With his expertise, we are confident that he will do an excellent job managing sponsored program activities and granting USU approval to future faculty grant and contract proposals.”
Contact: Anna McEntire, (435) 797-7640, anna.mcentire@usu.edu
