Contact Us

Candice Yekel
ORP Director
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: cay3@psu.edu

• Provides direct ORP operational oversight
• Provides leadership to the different research compliance programs and five compliance committees, including monitoring compliance activities to ensure the University maintains compliance with federal regulations
• Oversees and directs the inquiry/investigation of non-compliance
• Serves as the University Conflict of Interest Officer for both individual and institutional conflict of interest
• Serves as the University Research Integrity Officer, and the Senior Vice President's designee on all misconduct committees charged with investigating allegations

Michelle Stickler
Associate Director
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: mmc115@psu.edu

• Manages day to day compliance operations of the office
• Provides leadership in the development of the compliance programs
• Serves as a resource person to assure safety and protection of research participants, humane care and use of animal subjects, and the safe use of biohazardous and radioactive materials
• IRB Administator for the Social Science and Biomedical IRB
• Coordinates the review for adverse events
• Monitors and audits ongoing Biomedical and Social Science research
• Promotes and maintains customer service

Jodi Rodgers
Assistant to the Director
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: jer30@psu.edu

• Provides calendar, scheduling and project support to the Director
• Serves as the budget contact for the ORP (budget reporting, Pcard holder, IBIS processing, supply and inventory, etc.)
• Travel coordinator for ORP staff
• Human Resources liaison
• Office manager - Office planning, OPP service contact, emergency contact
• Search Committee Coordinator

Lacey Auman
Staff Assistant VIII
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: lda1@psu.edu

• Provides backup calendar, scheduling and project support to the Director and Assistant to the Director
• Provides administrative assistance with ad Hoc Research Misconduct committees
• Provides administrative assistance to the Individual Conflict of Interest Committee
• Provides administrative assistance to the Institutional Conflict of Interest Committee

Gina Yarger
Customer Service Specialist
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: gmy113@psu.edu

• Initial ORP contact for visitors and callers
• Sorts, processes and distributes all ORP mail
• Manages ORProtections@psu.edu email account
• Handles daily maintenance and data entry of personnel, organizational and training information for office database
• Processes withdrawn, closed or otherwise inactive research protocols for archiving
• Sends monthly reports to Deans and Department Heads regarding research approvals and expirations
• Assists with scheduling and calendar maintenance/information for all ORP staff
• Provides general office support

Sharon Shriver
Education Specialist
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: sps10@psu.edu

• Schedules and presents live training for individuals or groups of faculty, staff and students on ORP topics such as research ethics, research misconduct, conflict of interest, data integrity and responsible authorship
• Ability to schedule presentations on human participants and animal research for internal or external training outside of Penn State organizations
• Develops all ORP publications for both internal and external learning
• Develops online training modules for faculty, staff and students
• Ability to find answers to ORP training questions and HIPAA-related research questions

Michelle Panulla
Multimedia Training Specialist
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: mib105@psu.edu

• Provides technical support on the ORP website and web-based training modules
• Designs, distributes and posts various ORP publications and online training modules to the web
• Writes newsletter articles for ORP newsletter
• Develops internal databases for ORP staff
• Processes ORP publication requests (can send suggestions for topics and/or requests to be placed on mailing list)
• Provides details on the ORP workshop/training schedule and has the ability to assist in the scheduling of presentations on various ORP training topics
• Serves as ORP public communications contact
• Serves as the technical contact for videoconferencing equipment

Kara Thomas
Education Assistant
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: kxb37@psu.edu

• Provides administrative assistance to the Education Program
• Schedules and maintains registration for educational programs
• Inputs training and education class participant data into electronic database
• Maintains ORP Teaching Tools webpages
• Tabulates and creates reports on workshop/training evaluation data
• Scans human participant protocols into appropriate electronic document folders. Ensures accuracy of document placement

Jodi Mathieu
Assistant Director of IRB Operations
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: zjc2@psu.edu

• Prescreens and reviews new applications and modifications for social science and biomedical research at the exempt, expedited and full review level
• Meets with investigators to discuss research involving human participants & meeting compliance with the federal regulations
• Presents seminars and workshops on the protection of human participants in research to faculty, staff, students and the community
• Assists in the development of policies, guidelines and applications for the protection of human participants

Jackie Gardner
Research Compliance Coordinator II
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: jkg10@psu.edu

• Coordinates the review of Social Science and Biomedical applications for the use of Human Participants at the expedited level
• Meets with investigators to discuss research involving human participants and meeting compliance with the federal regulations
• Presents seminars and workshops on the protection of human participants in research to faculty, staff, students and the community
• Assists in the development of policies, guidelines and applications for the protection of human participants

Tracie Kahler
Research Compliance Coordinator II
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: tlk14@psu.edu

• Coordinates the review of Biomedical and Social Science applications for the use of Human Participants at the full review level
• Coordinates the review of Biomedical and Social Science applications for the use of Human Participants at the continuing review progress reports level
• Coordinates and reviews new applications for secondary data applications
• Coordinates and reviews non-human/non-research applications
• Meets with investigators to discuss research involving human participants and meeting compliance with the federal regulations
• Presents seminars and workshops on the protection of human participants in research to faculty, staff, students and the community
• Assists in the development of policies, guidelines and applications for the protection of human participants

Dolores "Dee" Maney
Research Compliance Coordinator II
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: dwm3@psu.edu

• Coordinates the review of Social Science and Biomedical applications for the use of Human Participants at the expedited level
• Meets with investigators to discuss research involving human participants and meeting compliance with the federal regulations
• Presents seminars and workshops on the protection of human participants in research to faculty, staff, students and the community
• Assists in the development of policies, guidelines and applications for the protection of human participants

Andrea Seisler
Research Compliance Coordinator II
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: ars17@psu.edu

• Coordinates the review of Social Science and Biomedical applications for the use of Human Participants at the exempt level
• Meets with investigators to discuss research involving human participants and meeting compliance with the federal regulations
• Presents seminars and workshops on the protection of human participants in research to faculty, staff, students and the community
• Assists in the development of policies, guidelines and applications for the protection of human participants

Laura Young
Research Compliance Coordinator II
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: lfs105@psu.edu

• Coordinates the review of Social Science and Biomedical applications for the use of Human Participants at the exempt level
• Meets with investigators to discuss research involving human participants and meeting compliance with the federal regulations
• Presents seminars and workshops on the protection of human participants in research to faculty, staff, students and the community
• Assists in the development of policies, guidelines and applications for the protection of human participants

Joanna "Josy" Lyons
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Post-approval Review Programs
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: jlm38@psu.edu

• Develops and plans proactive, educationally-oriented post-approval review program of Social Science and Biomedical research investigations
• Implements post-approval review program, including site visits and record reviews
• Develops and conducts quality assurance on the research protections program
• Assists in developing and conducting educational activities for faculty and staff, in response to ongoing needs assessment process during post-approval reviews

Melissa Conrad
IRB Assistant
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: mbc10@psu.edu

• Prescreens all new exempt and expedited applications for training completion, signatures and grant proposals
• Provides support to the Human Participant Program coordinators
• Answers basic human participant questions regarding submitting, review process, and status for new applications and modifications
• Provides backup support to main office staff

Stephanie Krout
IRB Assistant
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: sqk2@psu.edu

• Provides information about the Biomedical IRB and Social Science IRB review and approval process, IRB meeting dates, and Full Review proposal deadlines
• Responsible for providing support to both Biomedical IRB and Social Science IRB
• Handles all Full Review applications, Full Review modifications, and continuing reviews
• Answers basic questions regarding human participant applications, modifications, and all continuing reviews
• Provides backup support to main office staff

William Greer
Compliance Coordinator II - Animal Care and Use, Radioactive and Biohazardous Materials
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: wgg3@psu.edu

• Coordinates the review of Animal Care and Use Applications that propose the use of vertebrate animal subjects as part of any University activity
• Coordinates the review of application requests to utilize biological hazards as part of any University activity
• Coordinates the review of a request for authorization to utilize radioactive materials at Penn State University
• Prescreens completed applications and assists investigators with concerns prior to the compliance committee's review
• Meets with investigators to discuss compliance with the federal regulations and assist in the completion of IACUC, IBC and UIC applications
• Presents to faculty, staff, students and the community, seminars and workshops on research activities involving vertebrate animals, biological hazards or radioactive materials
• Assists in the development of policies, guidelines and applications relative to the use of vertebrate animals, biological hazards and radioactive materials at the Penn State University
• As required, assists investigators in expediting reviews of the University Committees (IACUC, IBC and UIC)
• Serves as the investigator's liaison to the IACUC, IBC and UIC
• Monitors and audits University activities involving vertebrate animals, biohazardous materials and radioactive materials

April Brumbaugh
Assistant for IACUC
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: alb19@psu.edu

• Provides an overview to investigators of the IACUC review and approval processes
• Determines the status of IACUC applications
• Provides information on the IACUC committee and IACUC meeting dates
• Answers basic questions regarding applications, modifications, and annual reviews for research involving animal subjects
• Recommends the appropriate application type
• Occupational Health and Safety for Animal Care Workers program contact for the ORP
• Provides backup support to Assistant for IBC and UIC
• Provides backup support to main office staff

Danielle Pelipesky
Assistant for IBC and UIC
Phone: 814.865.1775
Email: dlp22@psu.edu

• Provides an overview to investigators of the IBC and UIC review and approval processes
• Determines the status of IBC and UIC applications
• Provides information on the IBC and UIC Committees and IBC and UIC meeting dates
• Answers basic questions regarding applications, modifications, and annual reviews for research involving biohazardous materials (including rDNA)
• Answers basic questions regarding applications and modifications for research involving radioactive materials
• Recommends the appropriate application type
• Provides backup support to Assistant for IACUC
• Provides backup support to main office staff