Meet the Team
We welcome faculty to reach out to us directly. If you are interested in corporate research opportunities – either as faculty or a potential partner – feel free to reach out to Kim, Brian, or Kaushik.
Kim Patten is Director, Research Development Services, at the University of Arizona. She leads a team of research development professionals that excel in supporting faculty in their pursuit of extramural funding from federal, corporate, and foundation sponsors resulting in more than $250 million in awards to campus since 2014. Part of this success is based on a holistic view of research development and the research lifecycle with an emphasis on the societal impacts of research such as the incorporation and promotion of undergraduate research experiences, core community partnerships, and inclusive practices. Prior to joining UA, Patten managed projects and programs in conservation, renewable energy, and distributed data systems both nationally and internationally. As Associate Director at the Arizona Geological Survey she managed and conducted research on a more than $30m portfolio, including Co-PI on a $3.6m National Science Foundation project and project manager of a $22m U.S. Department of Energy project. Prior to her work at AZGS, she was Programs Director at a science-based non-profit organization where she helped expand the organization's research portfolio.
Brian grew up in Tucson, with his first direct exposure to UA's world-class research in the Arizona Materials Laboratory as a high school freshman intern. He returned to Tucson in 2018 to join the University of Arizona to support corporate partnerships in Arizona and beyond. For the two decades in between, he worked at three start-ups, a non-profit contract research company, and an environmental science and engineering consulting firm to address challenges related to clean air, water, and energy. Brian's career evolved from laboratory research and product development, to management of multidisciplinary science and engineering projects, to client development and stewardship. He served as adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a member of the Mecklenburg County Air Quality Commission, and board member of Envision Charlotte. Brian graduated with a BS with honors in chemical engineering from the California Institute of Technology and a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Robin Richards is a Senior Associate, Research Development, specializing in Physical Sciences, at the University of Arizona. He has a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Imperial College London and is a co-inventor on 19 issued U.S. patents. Robin joined UA in 2006 after gaining 20 years of industrial experience in both R&D and the electronic chemicals business. Robin has managed inter-disciplinary basic science and advanced technology collaborations involving government, universities, national laboratories and industry with multi-million dollar annual budgets. Prior to joining Research Development Services he was the Assistant Director for a UA-led Energy Frontier Research Center for 4½ years – funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Kaushik Balakrishnan is a Research Development Associate focusing on university-wide engagement for corporate partnerships. He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and did his postdoctoral research advancing nanomaterials for energy and sensing applications at the Materials Science Department at Rice University. He subsequently joined the University of Arizona's College of Optical Sciences as an Assistant Research Professor in January of 2012. From January 2016 to June 2017, he was a Program Manager, Research at Arizona State University where he managed the portfolio’s in Transportation, Materials Science, and Sustainability. Dr. Balakrishnan has experience in project management and crafting complex proposals to federal agencies, industry, and foundations. He has also been a PI, Co-I and senior personnel on several federal and industry sponsored research. He has one patent, two book chapters, and more than 30 peer reviewed journal articles and communications that have been cited over 3000 times.
Carol Brodie is a Research Development Associate focusing on raising the profile of the University of Arizona and its faculty through awards, honors and prizes. She has an Ed.D. in education administration and leadership from the University of the Pacific, as well as a master’s degree in natural resources and a bachelor's degree in agriculture, both from The Ohio State University. She brings over 20 years’ experience in research development and education administration to UA. Formerly the Proposal Development Manager at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, she provided proposal development and editing services for a wide range of research projects proposals, giving priority to large, multidisciplinary projects. She previously held administrative positions at the University of the Pacific in California, and Capital University in Ohio.
Courtney Coffey previously helped develop and submit education-related grant proposals for both federal and private foundations at the College of Education (3 years). After earning a doctorate in cultural anthropology, she directed a binational drug abuse prevention program (funded by SAMHSA) at the Border Health Foundation. Additional experience includes serving as faculty for the Center for Integrative Medicine for 6 years (facilitating a course on cultural awareness for physicians and other health care providers) and managing a clinical internship for pre-med students offered by the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at the College of Medicine. After graduating with a B.A. in English literature, Courtney taught English with the Peace Corps in Sri Lanka, where she encountered applied and cultural anthropologists. Those encounters spurred her to pursue anthropological studies at the University of Arizona, with a focus on gender and contemporary China. At RDS, Courtney supports education, training and diversity proposals.
Bekah Coşkun is a Research Development Associate specializing in biomedical sciences. She has a diverse sociobehavioral science background in public health, genetics, evaluation, medical anthropology, and policy. She received her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) in Maternal and Child Health with a minor in Genetics as well as a Post-Graduate Medical Anthropology Certificate from the University of Arizona where she conducted mixed-methods research on reproductive genetics decision-making among pregnant women and reproductive genetic counselors. She completed a National Cancer Institute T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cancer Prevention and Control Health Disparities Training Program where she worked on the implications of direct-to-consumer (at-home) cancer genetic testing on cancer prevention.
Connie Gardner is a Senior Program Coordinator providing programmatic and administrative support to Research Development Services. She is responsible for RDS events, and assists with the limited submission program and internal funding programs. She brings 15 years experience at the UA and continues to assist with the University's Research mission daily.
Aimee Jo Gibney serves as a Research Development Associate primarily focused on strengthening extramural research capacity in the area of data sciences and connecting faculty across disciplines with UA’s extensive computing resources and all things digital. With a PhD in Rhetoric and Linguistics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, she pursued a traditional faculty career path and then switched course applying strengths in technical editing to the field of environmental consulting. Her background in academia was also a natural fit for strategic research and proposal development planning. She joins UA from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, where she served as a curriculum capstone and writing instructor, reviewed proposals for federal sponsors, and developed grant writing bootcamps and other workshops to help advance the university’s research goals. Other disciplines of interest include science and rural communities initiatives, environmental health, informatics, and (learning) Spanish.
Yasmeen Herrick is an undergraduate fellow for Research Development Services where she supports the honors and awards program and The Current e-news. Yasmeen brings years of past experience handling sensitive business and consumer accounts for Verizon Wireless and working closely with elementary students and educators as a special needs paraprofessional in the Vail school district. A longtime resident of Tucson, she earned her associate’s degree from Pima Community College and has since transferred to the University of Arizona, where she is currently working to complete a double major in English and East Asian Studies with a Japanese culture-intensive emphasis. Yasmeen’s long-term goal is to take the experience that she will gain from working at Research Development Services, along with her knowledge from the University of Arizona, and gain employment as an English teacher at an international school in Japan.
Emily has a breadth of experience developing programs in higher education and public management. Prior to joining the Research Development Services (RDS) team in RII, Emily focused on partnership development to enhance international collaborations, and has assisted UArizona faculty and students in applying for the Fulbright program. She also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine, where she taught English and conducted youth development and community engagement projects for more than two years. Within RDS, Emily focuses on international research opportunities and scholarly exchange. Emily holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kansas, and a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Holyoke College in cultural anthropology.
Jessica Moon joined the Research Development team in October of 2018, specializing in proposals for submission to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She obtained her Ph.D. in Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Vermont (UVM) where she focused on the signaling mechanisms of a protein that is expressed in the vasculature and regulates blood flow by modulating the diameter of resistance vessels. In addition to her scientific background, her work as a writing consultant at two university-wide writing centers and as a freelance scientific editor on manuscripts and grant proposals brings a diverse, broadly applicable skillset in teaching, editing, writing pedagogy to the Research Development team. She also volunteered as reviewer for internal institutional proposals, served on the Research, Scholarship, and Creative Arts Faculty Senate Committee at UVM for 2 years, and has been an active member of the National Organization for Research Development Professionals (NORDP) for 2.5 years.
Daniel Moseke is the Senior Program Manager, Research Development administering the limited submissions process for the university. He is responsible for supporting the RII internal funding program, dissemination of The Current and Limited Submissions newsletters, and also assists the team with proposal support. Daniel has an MS in Global Technology and Development from Arizona State University and many years of experience across multiple departments at both the University of Arizona and University of Virginia. He has overseen projects, events, and grants for the UVA McIntire School of Commerce, UVA Office of the Provost, the UA parking department, UApresents, UA Chemistry & Biochemistry, and the UA Renewable Energy Network. Previously, he was the Program Coordinator at the UA-led Energy Frontier Research Center providing logistical and administrative support for the Center's staff of PIs, post-docs, students and staff at UA and partner institutions. Daniel is an alum of the University of Arizona, a longtime resident of Tucson and an active volunteer in the local bicycle community.
Ashley Oliveros is the Coordinator of Research Events responsible for overseeing and supporting RII’s annual schedule of events including faculty engagement and development events, program office visits and other sponsored research events. Ashley has a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from California State Polytechnic University Pomona, and holds a CPCE certification from the National Association for Catering and Events. She has obtained years of experience in event management serving as a Catering Director in Palm Desert, and Business Development Director with a non-profit organization in Tucson.
Marie Teemant is the graduate fellow for Research Development Services, supporting the communication efforts of RDS, including The Current and Limited Submissions newsletters. After receiving an M.A. in Art History from the University of Arizona in 2016, Marie continued into the Ph.D. program with a focus on the history of photography. As president of the Graduate and Professional Student Council, Marie has been directly involved in restructuring all three grant programs run for graduate students, with a focus on equitable criteria across disciplines at the University of Arizona.