Judith Birk named assistant vice president for research – human subjects
Judith Birk, J.D., has been appointed as the assistant vice president for research in the Human Research Protection Program. Judy has held positions as executive director of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and associate director of the HRPP since joining OVPR in October 2021. Additionally, she has served as the IRBMED director for 10 years and as the IRB-HSBS director for another decade. In these capacities, she managed oversight and regulatory compliance of the eight IRB review boards associated with these offices.
Throughout her career, Judy has been instrumental in developing innovations designed to lessen regulatory burdens and enhance IRB efficiencies and has led several of these efforts at a national level.
Tiffany Brutus appointed MSI Partnerships Initiative Assistant Director
Tiffany Brutus has joined OVPR as the new Assistant Director for the Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Partnerships Initiative. Tiffany is an experienced research administration and development professional with strategic planning, change management and organizational development expertise. She has extensive experience assessing complex situations and developing actionable strategies. In her scholarly work, she studies the impact of of leadership on innovation and organizational performance.
The MSI initiative aims to create equitable, sustainable and mutually beneficial research collaborations with MSIs. As part of this initiative, Tiffany will help to support faculty in building meaningful relationships with MSI partners and fostering collaborative work to address global challenges.
Savannah Hall appointed IRWG program director for faculty research development
Savannah Hall, PhD, joined the Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG) as program director for faculty research development on Aug. 7. She has over 10 years of experience in higher education working in communications and research development. She holds a doctorate in English from Indiana University, specializing in decolonial African literature, gender studies and critical race studies.
In her previous role as a grants consultant in the College of Engineering, she helped faculty secure over $22 million in federal research funding and worked with faculty across disciplines, including the humanities, business and engineering.