Denise A. McCartney has been named associate vice chancellor for research administration. When she assumes the newly created position Oct. 1, McCartney will be responsible for administrative and support activities related to sponsored research at both the Medical and Hilltop campuses.
The position was created in response to rapid changes in research during the last several years. More discoveries are being made, more patents granted and more funds are available from more sources. In fiscal year 2000, researchers at Washington University received 1,651 grants totaling an estimated $364 million. By comparison, in fiscal year 1999, awards totaled $334.2 million. Increasing emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches has opened a wealth of opportunities to the University. At the same time, regulatory agencies are monitoring research institutions more strictly.
These activities have challenged the existing administrative support system. McCartney will build on efforts identified during the Research Support Services Assessment Project (RSSAP) and enhance research administration responsiveness to principal investigators' needs in such areas as applying for grants, managing funding, assisting with information technology support and ensuring compliance.
McCartney will report directly to Theodore J. Cicero, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research. A search committee composed of faculty and research administrators from both campuses conducted a national search to find the best candidate for the position. In her former position as assistant dean for management services at the medical school, McCartney gained broad knowledge of research administration. For the past two years, she also worked on the RSSAP, which determined how the system could be improved.
| McCartney: "Bright, energetic, thoughtful." |
"Denise's leadership in that project gave her a unique understanding of the problems and opportunities we face regarding research administration at both campuses," Cicero said. "Working with Denise, I have come to know her as a bright, energetic and thoughtful person. Therefore, it was not surprising to me that she emerged from the national search as the strongest candidate for this important position."
While serving as assistant dean for management services, McCartney was responsible for the Gifts, Grants and Contracts Office, managing all phases of the medical school's grant administration. She also oversaw the Human Resources Office, which provides faculty appointments, employee relations, recruitment, compensation, payroll and benefit services. She designed and implemented a new process to manage conflict-of-interest issues, and launched the Performance Improvement Office, which monitors the costs of purchased goods.
McCartney also developed a decision model for faculty retirement. She created the Management Council, which helps resolve administrative issues, and chaired the Professional Development Committee, which established management development programs. She also modified and implemented internal procedures used in tenure decisions.
Before coming to the medical school in 1993, McCartney was administrative director of rehabilitation at Barnes Hospital. She also worked as a laboratory manager at the hospital and as a technical supervisor of its blood bank. She holds a bachelor's degree in medical technology and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
