Office of the Associate Dean for Research
The mission of the Office of the Associate Dean for Research (OADR) is to empower College of Veterinary Medicine researchers to conduct important and innovative research that impacts animal, human, and environmental health.
Our mission
The OADR serves as a catalyst for enhancing the strength and vitality the College’s research enterprise by:
Strategically investing in CVM research and researchers
Increasing extramural research funding
Enhancing the visibility of CVM research programs
Our team
Molly McCue, Associate Dean of Research
[email protected]
Dr. McCue was appointed the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine in 2018. She is also a faculty member in the Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Center, University of Minnesota’s Informatics Institute, and the Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute. Dr. McCue’s research focuses primarily on Equine Metabolic Syndrome, Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy, Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis, and performance traits related to metabolic and muscle phenotypes. Dr. McCue’s group has also devoted a significant amount of time to developing the tools and resources needed to carry out equine genomic research.
Alex Dausch, Grants and Contracts Professional
[email protected]
Alex provides management of the internal grants program that competitively distributes about $800,000 per year, as well as project management and administrative support for the Office of the Associate Dean for Research. He’s the lead administrator for InfoReady Review, the online grants management portal that houses grant competition, bridge fund, shared equipment, award, and no-cost extension applications for CVM. Alex also provides post-award support for internal grants, including NIFA's REEport portal for annual federal reporting.
Shannon Kasperson, Pre-Award Specialist
[email protected]
Shannon provides pre-award support for the college by serving as a backup for the department administrators. She provides advising and assistance for faculty in assembling and submitting grant proposals. She also develops sponsor-specific tools (budget and checklists) for CVM, in addition to maintaining and updating our shared pre-award resources.
Mike Oakes, Senior Research Communications Specialist
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Mike works with College researchers to understand the focus, efficacy, and potential impacts of research efforts—and communicates those efforts to stakeholders across the medical, clinical, educational, media, and donor landscapes. He writes and edits digital and print pieces for College channels including vetmed.umn.edu, Profiles magazine, newsletters, and social media. He analyzes the impact of communications methods in a ceaseless effort to answer the question: How do we better communicate the critical work researchers do everyday at the CVM?
Yorie Smart, Pre-Award Coordinator
[email protected]
Yorie brings 25 years of pre-award and training grant-management experience to the Office of the Associate Dean for Research. She ensures pre-award specialists and faculty members have the tools required for an excellent pre-award experience for grant submissions. Yorie is also available to support department administrators as a pre-award backup when needed.
Kersten Warren, Research Advancement and Development Professional
[email protected]
Kersten has more than 20 years of experience in research and grant administration at the University of Minnesota. She supports the Associate Dean for Research in College research development activities and works with the CVM internal grants program. She has expertise in research compliance and administrative policy, and handles post-award administrative concerns.