Duke BME Contacts

Administration

Happi Adams

Happi Adams

Director of Educational Programs, Outreach Design Education

Happi directs programming and supports research for the Outreach Design Education program. She also provides administrative support for the BME Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.

happi.adams@duke.edu

Chris Clark

Chris Clark

HR Specialist

As the HR Specialist, Chris manages all payroll efforts for the department. She serves as a point of contact with new hires to provide information and answer inquiries regarding various payroll/HR policies during the onboarding process. Advises faculty, staff, and management on policy guidelines and eligibility criteria to include instructions and guidance regarding submission timelines. Also, she manages leave of absence applications and determinations for the department.

1439 Fitzpatrick Center

919-668-8009

chris.clark@duke.edu

Timothy Fields

Timothy Fields

Human Resources Manager

Timothy partners with the leadership team to understand and execute the organizations human resource and talent strategy particularly as it relates to current and future talent needs, recruiting, retention, and succession planning. Timothy leads and directs the routine HR functions of the department including hiring and interviewing staff, advises departmental management and faculty on pay issues, personnel problems, classification issues, performance appraisal, visas, employee relations issues, and/or grievances and determination of appropriate disciplinary actions.

1438 Fitzpatrick Center

919-660-5945

timothy.fields2@duke.edu

Sylvia Harris

Sylvia Harris

Staff Assistant, Purchasing & Reimbursements

Sylvia is the primary point of contact for all corporate corporate card processes (corporate card setup, expense processing, resolving problems).  She also coordinates AP check processing and all types of reimbursements.

1450 Fitzpatrick Center

919-660-5134

sylvia.harris@duke.edu

Rachel Karatz

Rachel Karatz

Staff Specialist, Coulter Program

Rachel provides administrative support for the Duke-Coulter Translational Partnership director and associate director and assists the project leaders as needed.  She tracks the budgets of Duke-Coulter projects and coordinates partnership events and meetings, including travel arrangements & reimbursements.

262A Hudson Annex

rachel.karatz@duke.edu

Alice Kessing

Alice Kessing

Staff Specialist

Alice manages all front office processes—greeting and directing visitors, distributing mail and packages, and assisting with corporate card expense processing and reimbursements. She is the first point of contact for scheduling Duke BME conference rooms.

1427 Fitzpatrick Center

919-660-5131

alice.kessing@duke.edu

Michaela Kane Martinez

Michaela Martinez

Department Science Writer

Michaela works with faculty, staff and students to create a range of news and feature content to highlight departmental initiatives in research, education and service.

1453 Fitzpatrick Center

919-660-5155

michaela.kane@duke.edu

Ellen Ray

Ellen Ray

Business Manager

Ellen oversees all the non-academic business activities of the Duke Department of Biomedical Engineering—including finance, budget, personnel, space, academic support, visas and policy interpretation.

1429 Fitzpatrick Center

919-660-5122

eray@duke.edu

Kevin Thoresen

Kevin Thoresen

Administrative Assistant to the Chair

Kevin maintains the chair’s calendar, schedules meetings and coordinates travel logistics for department visitors. Kevin also assists ad hoc committee chairs upon the department chair’s request in support of short-term projects.
 

+1 919 660 5131

kevin.thoresen@duke.edu

Degree Programs

Beverly Gedvillas

Beverly Gedvillas

Staff Specialist, MS and MEng Programs

Beverly provides administrative support to the Director of Master's Programs, and she serves the students by advising about course schedules, coordinating events for the master's community and connecting students with academic and career resources for continued advancement. Bev is the first point of contact for all BME master's students, MEng Committee and the Pratt master's programs, and she tracks student compliance for departmental and Pratt requirements and coordinates intern experiences.

1434 Fitzpatrick Center

919-660-5132

beverly.gedvillas@duke.edu

Danielle Giles

Danielle Giles

Program Coordinator, Sr., PhD Program

Danielle provides administrative support to the department’s PhD program. This includes assisting the Director of Graduate Studies, developing the graduate program budget, managing all recruitment activities, managing databases, and developing surveys. She coordinates all financial awards processes and ensures graduate student compliance with academic requirements. She is the primary point of contact for all PhD students.

 

1451 Fitzpatrick Center

919-660-5590

danielle.giles@duke.edu

Cynthia Meade

Cynthia Meade

Staff Specialist, Undergraduate Program

Cindy provides administrative support to the Director and Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies and provides support to the curriculum and associated committees. She assists with the development of the BME course schedules, maintains the undergraduate handbook, and faculty advisee assignments. Cindy coordinates undergraduate student events and assists prospective students with campus visits.

 

253 Hudson Annex

919-660-5133

cynthia.meade@duke.edu

Jamel Forbes

Jamel Forbes

Staff Specialist, PhD Program

Jamel serves as the graduate staff specialist. He assists with the Duke BME PhD program through planning, coordinating, and administering activities.

1452 Fitzpatrick Center

919-660-5131

jamel.forbes@duke.edu

Grants & Contracts

Lindsay Abbott

Lindsay Abbott

Grants & Contracts Administrator

Lindsay Abbott manages pre and post award processes for an assigned portfolio of complex grants and contracts. However, her work is predominantly post-award. She has experience with NIH, NSF, ARO and many other sponsors.

lindsay.abbot@duke.edu

Amberly Adams

Amberly Adams

Grants & Contracts Administrator, Sr.

Amberly is responsible for managing the department’s training grants, as well as sponsored research grants and contracts directed by the faculty who are principal investigators of the training grants. Responsibilities for all duties relate to pre- and post-award processes.

 

1452 Fitzpatrick Center

919-681-5067

amberly.adams@duke.edu

Natasha Alexandrova

Natasha Alexandrova

Grants & Contracts Administrator, Sr.

Natasha manages both, pre- and post-award processes for an assigned portfolio of BME faculty that include complex grants and contracts, multiple sub-awards and/or multi-investigators with the School of Medicine. As a part of the pre-award management, Natasha participates in submission of proposals for any sponsor, and her post-award management includes activities such as effort distributions, progress reporting, tracking expenses, summer salary payments to the faculty from the list of her assigned portfolio.

1440 Fitzpatrick Center

919-660-5522

natalya.alexandrova@duke.edu

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Carlar Blackman

Grants & Contracts Administrator, Associate

+1 919 660 5436

carlar.blackman@duke.edu

Gina Briscoe

Gina Briscoe

Grants & Contracts Administrator, Sr.

Gina Briscoe manages pre- and post-award processes for an assigned portfolio of grants and contracts.  However, her work is predominantly post-award,  with a concentration on proposals with multiple sub-awards and/or multi-investigators with the School of Medicine.  She also serves as an informal consultant to all BME labs for procurement issues.

g.briscoe@duke.edu

Sophie Cheng

Sophie Cheng

Grants & Contracts Administrator, Sr.

Sophie manages both, pre- and post-award processes for an assigned portfolio of BME faculty that include complex grants and contracts. Her pre-award work has a concentration on proposals with multiple sub-awards and/or multi-investigators with the School of Medicine, and complex proposals (DARPA, ONR and International Foundations). Sophie’s post-award work includes all aspects of grants management activities such as projection report, effort distribution and RPPR submission.

1441 Fitzpatrick Center

919-660-5420

sophie.cheng@duke.edu

Erica Clayton

Erica Clayton

Grants & Contracts Manager

Erica provides supervision of the BME department grant personnel and their activities. This includes the assignment of faculty to grant manager portfolios based on the level of grant/contract complexity and the expertise of the grants staff. She tracks all grant compliance issues, and provides valuable input to the business manager on a wide range of grant related issues. In addition, Erica manages a portfolio of the most complex grants and contracts and takes the lead in resolving all difficult granting issues.

 

1437 Fitzpatrick Center

919-660-5121

erica.clayton@duke.edu

Hermine Kabbendjian

Hermine Kabbendjian

Grants & Contracts Administrator

hermine.kabbendjian@duke.edu

Maria Scripa

Maria Scripa

Grants & Contracts Administrator

Maria manages pre- and post-award processes for an assigned portfolio of complex grants and contracts.  Her work has a concentration on proposals with multiple sub-awards and/or multi-investigators with the Duke School of Medicine, and complex proposals (DARPA, DOE, International subcontractors).

Room 1427 FCIEMAS

(919) 660-5131

maria.scripa@duke.edu

Jie Yin

Jie Yin

Grants & Contracts Administrator

jie.yin@duke.edu

Teaching Labs

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Elbrus Batca

Research & Development Engineer I

+1 919 660 5131

elbrus.batca@duke.edu

Matt Brown

Matt Brown

Teaching Laboratory Manager

Matt supervises and coordinates administrative and technical activities of our Teaching Laboratories. His focus is the management and administration of courses related to electronics, signals and instrumentation. Matt also serves as an advisor and consultant for the design related courses.

1205 Fitzpatrick Center

919-660-8817

matt.brown@duke.edu

Liz Feeney

Liz Feeney

Laboratory Administrator

Liz supports undergraduate and graduate level courses in the BME Teaching Labs that span topics including biomaterials, electrophysiology, and biomolecular engineering. Her primary role is to prepare materials for labs as well as maintain lab spaces and equipment.
 

TBD

919-660-5191

elizabeth.feeney599@duke.edu

Margaret Gatongi

Maggie Gatongi

Senior Laboratory Administrator

Maggie coordinates and performs a variety of administrative and technical activities in support of designated lab courses. The focus of the courses Maggie oversees is quantitative analysis of biological processes for engineering undergraduates. She also maintains the teaching lab equipment and apparatus to ensure adequate quality control

P03A Teer Engineering Building

919-660-5780

mbugua.margaret@duke.edu

Melanie Tran

Melanie Tran

Research & Development Engineer I

+1 919 660 5131

melanie.tran@duke.edu

PhD Program

Kathy Nightingale of Duke University

Kathy Nightingale

Director of Graduate Studies

(919) 660-5175

kathy.nightingale@duke.edu

Danielle Giles

Danielle Giles

PhD Program Coordinator

919-660-5590

danielle.giles@duke.edu

Jamel Forbes

Jamel Forbes

Staff Specialist, PhD Program

Jamel serves as the graduate staff specialist. He assists with the Duke BME PhD program through planning, coordinating, and administering activities.

1452 Fitzpatrick Center

919-660-5131

jamel.forbes@duke.edu

Master's Programs

Sina Farsiu

Sina Farsiu

Director, Master's Studies

pratt_masters@duke.edu

Paul J. Fearis

Paul J. Fearis

Associate Director, Master's Studies

paul.fearis@duke.edu

Bev Gedvillas

Bev Gedvillas

Master's Program Coordinator

919-660-5132

beverly.gedvillas@duke.edu

Undergraduate Program

Elizabeth Bucholz

Elizabeth Bucholz

Director

919-684-2182

elizabeth.bucholz@duke.edu

Cameron Kim

Cameron Kim

Associate Director

cameron.kim@duke.edu

Cynthia Meade

Cynthia Meade

Staff Assistant

919-660-5133

cynthia.meade@duke.edu