Mirah Ippolito – School of Medicine – Research Administration Excellence Award
I’ve been with the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics since April 2017. I was originally hired by our stellar former Administrator Shirley Crow. This was my first position at JHU and Shirley took a big chance on me because I had an atypical background for the position. In 2022, I was promoted to senior staff.
I love working with our brilliant, funny and insightful PIs. I come from a science family and it is always a pleasure to have one-on-one meetings with our PIs, hear about their current projects, and come up with new strategies for funding and expanding their research. Developing creative ways to support their research goals is the best part of my job.
I have a BA in Cultural Studies and a MFA in Screenwriting, which is a bit unusual for a Research Administrator, but both degrees gave me the research and writing skills needed to excel in my current position.
I attend in-person and virtual conferences organized by our department’s major funders (National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, etc.), as well as webinars hosted by the Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI). I also read blogs and listen to podcasts from funding organizations – I like “Open Mike,” the blog from Mike Lauer, the NIH’s Deputy Director for Extramural Research.