Department Staff & Support
The Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences (DMCS) administrative and support team is housed in the Department’s main office within the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS). The team provides comprehensive support for academic programs, human resources, grants and financial management, travel and purchasing, facilities, outreach, and day-to-day departmental operations.
Business & Financial
Lucy serves as a senior leader overseeing financial and administrative operations, including budgeting, reporting, grants management, and procurement. Lucy ensures compliance, strengthens internal controls, and provides strategic guidance to support faculty, research initiatives, and long-term departmental goals.
Contact Lucy for:
- Department budget and financial planning
- Account reconciliation
- Management of non-grant funds, including faculty ICR, start-up, and gift accounts
- Effort Compensation Certification and Reporting (ECCRT) Coordinator
- Financial policy interpretation
- Escalation of financial and administrative issues
Karen oversees financial and grants administration, including account management, proposal support, and compliance. Karen ensures accuracy across complex funding sources and supports the financial administration of research activities.
Contact Karen for:
- Departmental revenue tracking
- IPO approvals and invoicing
- Grant support and account management for Department PIs
- Grant closeouts and reconciliation
- Sponsor compliance guidance
- RAPPS (Research Administration and Proposal/Project System)
- Hourly payroll approval
Steve provides comprehensive financial and grants management support, including post-award administration, proposal budgeting, and compliance oversight. Steve partners closely with faculty and leadership to manage complex project portfolios and support financial planning across RUCOOL research initiatives.
Contact Steve for:
- Grant support and account management for RUCOOL PIs
- Proposal budgeting and submissions
- Post-award management and reporting
- Grant closeouts and reconciliation
- Sponsor compliance guidance
- RAPPS (Research Administration and Proposal/Project System)
Nevin supports faculty and research programs by managing grants, budgets, and financial processes. Nevin helps ensure funding is used appropriately, expenses are compliant, and projects stay on track while providing guidance throughout the lifecycle of each award.
Contact Nevin for:
- Grant proposals and budgets for Department PIs
- Project financial management
- Account questions and spending
- Grant closeouts and reconciliation
- Sponsor compliance guidance
- RAPPS (Research Administration and Proposal/Project System)
Tom handles key financial and administrative functions, including journal entries, travel and expense processing, and procurement card management. Tom ensures accuracy and compliance across transactions while providing reliable support to faculty, staff, and students.
Contact Tom for:
- PCard transactions and questions
- Laboratory and Office Supply orders
- Purchasing and procurement
- Conference registrations
- Travel reimbursements and expense reports
- Concur delegate setup and assistance
- Daily parking access
- Utility bills
- FedEx and UPS shipping
- Marketplace access
Administrative & Academic
Patty serves as a central resource for departmental operations, coordinating administrative processes, purchasing, travel, outreach, and event logistics. Patty supports a wide range of academic, research, and outreach activities across RUCOOL and the Department, helping ensure efficient and responsive day-to-day operations.
Contact Patty for:
- General office and administrative support
- Daily parking access
- Outreach supplies, activities, and event coordination
- Brochures and promotional items
- RUCOOL faculty and staff ordering
- Concur delegate assistance
- Travel logistics support
Denise supports the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences and RUCOOL by working closely with the Department Chair and Graduate Program Director of Oceanography. Denise leads Human Resources and faculty administration, coordinating recruitment, appointments, personnel and faculty matters while supporting the Graduate Program in Oceanography (GPO) within the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) and departmental operations.
Contact Denise for:
- Personnel records, Human Resources questions, policy interpretation, and confidential personnel matters
- Liaison to University Human Resources (UHR), the Office of University Labor Relations (OULR), and the School of Graduate Studies (SGS)
- Faculty and postdoctoral associate recruitment and appointments
- Full-time staff recruitment, reclassifications, and in-grade salary request assistance
- Part-time staff recruitment and reappointments
- Faculty reappointments, rank reviews, promotions, and summer salary submissions
- Graduate program admissions coordination
- Graduate Assistant, Teaching Assistant, and fellowship appointments and reappointments
- Health care enrollment and benefits orientation
- Staff absence tracking and performance appraisals
- J-1 and H-1B visa support
- Term bill issues and student onboarding
- Qualifying exam and final defense application submissions
- Visiting student and scholar coordination
- Faculty meeting scheduling
- Notary public services
Donna coordinates academic and administrative operations supporting the Undergraduate Program in Marine Science and the Graduate Program in Oceanography. She works closely with the Marine Science Undergraduate Program Director and supports course scheduling, enrollment, travel coordination, room scheduling, and departmental communications while serving as a resource for faculty, staff, and students.
Contact Donna for:
- Marine Science Undergraduate Program course scheduling (11:628)
- Oceanography Graduate Program course scheduling (16:712)
- Prerequisite overrides, late enrollment assistance, and Special Permission Numbers (SPNs)
- Course rosters and enrollment tracking
- Registrar-related matters
- Travel arrangements for Graduate Assistants, visitors, and invited seminar speakers
- Concur travel questions and policy guidance
- Travel delegate assistance
- Hourly timesheet submission for Class 4 and Class 5 employees
- Daily parking permits
- Room reservations (Alampi, Conference Room 203, and Room 103)
- Oceanography Graduate Program proposal and final defense announcements
- Departmental announcements
Building & Facilities
Lora leads laboratory and facilities operations, including space coordination, equipment support, safety compliance, and building infrastructure. Lora helps maintain safe and reliable research environments while coordinating facility access, maintenance, equipment needs, and other building-related operations across the Department.
Contact Lora for:
- Laboratory and office space assignments
- Room reservations (Alampi, Conference Room 203, and Room 103)
- Building and RUID card access
- Office suite and filing cabinet keys
- Laboratory access and facility coordination
- Accident reports and safety-related incidents
- Pest control, repairs, and maintenance
- Surplus items and equipment disposal
- Equipment and facility support
Information Technology
Charles oversees the department’s IT infrastructure and technology strategy, including high-speed research networks, enterprise systems, and large-scale data storage. Charles manages specialized scientific computing environments and instrumentation systems, ensuring secure, high-performing technology that supports complex research initiatives across multiple locations.
Chris maintains and supports the department’s scientific computing infrastructure, including high-performance servers, large-scale data storage, and network systems. Chris designs and implements custom technical solutions and ensures secure, reliable operations across both on-campus and remote research environments.
Johnny delivers technical support for desktop systems, software, and IT services while also managing departmental websites and digital content. Johnny ensures reliable technology, user support, and effective online communication across the department.