College of Earth and Mineral Sciences

As a Senior Contracting Officer, JoZane reviews RFPs, processes gifts and grants, and negotiates contracts, subawards, and modifications thereto. JoZane joined the university in 1999 with the inception of the School of Information Sciences and Technology as a Staff Assistant to the Faculty. She transitioned to the IST Research Administration unit in 2003 and then joined the College of Agricultural Sciences Research Administration office in 2007. JoZane joined OSP as a Negotiator in 2015 and is now a Senior Contracting Officer. JoZane is a RACC Certified Research Administrator (CRA). JoZane has also taught Proposal Preparation for Penn State's ACOR Certification and Education Series (ACES).

As Assistant Lead Contracting Officer, Tim provides mentoring and guidance on award negotiation in accordance with applicable University policies and sponsor requirements/provisions. He also reviews RFPs, processes gifts and grants, and negotiates contracts, subawards, and modifications thereto.

Previously, Tim served as Coordinator of the Master Agreement with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 2005 through 2023. Tim also was instrumental in developing and administering Penn State’s research administration internship program which began in 2017. This program was featured in a National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) Magazine article on Penn State’s partnership with South Hill Business School on recruiting new research administrators. He also was an instructor of the ACES program for many years and has presented at the NCURA national conference.

Tim came to OSP in 1998 as a Negotiator and was promoted to Team Leader/Associate Director in July 2007 where he served in this role until 2023. He is currently in a phased retirement where he continues to support OSP utilizing his many years of experience. Prior to coming to Penn State, Tim worked for HRB Systems (now Raytheon) for 15 years in various roles in Property Inventory, Procurement, Cost Analysis, and Contracts.

Kristen serves the Penn State research community with a particular focus on data acquisition. She works with Penn State faculty and OSP contracting officers to coordinate review of data use agreements for sponsored research as well as reviewing contracts for data security compliance. Kristen also reviews RFPs, processes gifts and grants, and negotiates contracts, subawards and modifications thereto.

Prior to working in the Office of Sponsored Programs, Kristen held roles such as the Director of Grants for a non-profit agency and also worked for the Executive Office of the President in the White House Press Office under the Obama-Biden Administration. Kristen holds an associate’s degree in Management Information Systems and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Lock Haven University. Kristen also holds both a Master's certificate in Human Resource Management and a Master's degree in Public Administration from The Pennsylvania State University.

• Kristen negotiates the following:
  • Data Use Agreements (A-E)
  • Data Security Reviews (DUA & Non-DUA)

Melissa’s research administration career at Penn State began in the Office of Research Information Systems (ORIS) which sparked her interest in the field. She now leverages over 12 years of  pre- and post-award research administration experience at the college level in her role as a Senior Contracting Officer at Penn State. She engages with various sponsors in the Office of Sponsored programs to negotiate terms and conditions appropriate for an educational institution. Melissa is also a member of the Research Security Compliance Data Use Team.

Prior to her career in research administration, Melissa gained over ten years industry experience that encompasses project management, leadership in management roles, and creating new business models and infrastructure in small growing businesses. This experience has given her a solid base on handling change, growth, and pressure in dynamic business settings. Melissa currently chairs the SharePoint Committee where she is collaborating with colleagues on new document management systems and knowledge sharing processes.

Melissa has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Industrial Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Organization Development and Change from Penn State.

• Melissa negotiates the following:
  • Data Use Agreements (I-L)
  • Data Security Reviews (DUA & Non-DUA)
     
• Melissa also negotiates the following special agreements:
  • Pratt & Whitney (additional agreements not included in Mech Eng T-Z)

Melissa Long is a Senior Contracting Officer with a focus on industry sponsored research contracts. In coordination with units across the university, Melissa negotiates and processes agreements from a variety of external sponsors, concentrating primarily on those from for-profit partners.
 
Originally from California, Melissa received a Bachelor of Science in Genetics from the University of California at Davis. Melissa attended graduate school at Penn State and holds a Master of Science in Cell and Developmental Biology. Prior to joining the Office of Sponsored Programs, Melissa focused on the protection and commercialization of inventions developed at Penn State. Melissa started her professional career in the Eberly College of Science Office for Innovation, where she connected inventors/entrepreneurs with needed resources and coordinated innovation-focused events. She then transitioned to the Office of Technology Management, where she facilitated technology transfer through the protection, marketing, and licensing of inventions developed at the university.

• Melissa also negotiates the following special agreements:
  • College of Earth & Mineral Sciences - Industry NDAs

Stacey serves the PSU Research Administration community by leading a team of Negotiators who are each responsible for diverse negotiation portfolios. She provides training and guidance to assist Negotiators with negotiating terms and conditions appropriate for an educational institution.  In addition to her management responsibilities, she also has her own negotiation portfolio. Stacey is returning to Penn State after working as an Interim Manager and Senior Sponsored Programs Specialist at a major Health Care Research Institute.

Stacey has over twenty-five years of research administration experience, having worked in Penn State's Office of Sponsored Programs as a Negotiator, Senior Negotiator, Export Compliance Specialist, and Data Security Compliance Specialist. Stacey previously chaired the OSP Policy Committee, OSP Agreement Templates Committee, OSP Subcontracts Committee, OSP Data Security Compliance Committee, and the Data Acquisition Working Group (DAWG). Stacey has served as a Penn State ACES Instructor of Data Security, Grants and Contracts, and Subaward/Subcontracts. Additionally, Stacey has presented on multiple topics for the National Council of University Research Administrator (NCURA) at both the regional and national levels.

Earlier in her career, Stacey worked as a Grants and Contracts Negotiator in the Office of Research Affairs at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine, as a Senior Buyer in the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine Purchasing Services, and as a Buyer at The Pennsylvania State University's Office of Purchasing Services, University Park. Stacey holds a Bachelors of Arts in English from Rider University.

Olivia joined Penn State as a Contract Administrator in OSP in 2023.  Prior to coming to Penn State, she spent several years as a Contract Specialist in the pharmaceutical industry, where she developed and practiced a variety of skills across the contract negotiation and data privacy spaces. 

Olivia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts and Sciences from the Pennsylvania State University and a J.D. from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University. 

Olivia negotiates subawards for the following business areas:

• Liberal Arts
• VPR - Social Sciences Research Intitute (SSRI)