Research Development Services Director Receives National Award

Susan Carter, director of Research Development Services at UC Merced, received the Holly J. Falk-Krzesinski Service Award from the National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP) at the group's annual conference in early May.

The award, established in 2011 and named after NORDP’s founding president, is given annually in recognition of outstanding service to the organization and to the research development profession.

“I am so honored to receive the Holly J. Falk-Krzesinski Service Award and will always treasure it,” Carter said. “Holly has been an outstanding friend and mentor to me throughout my research development career, and my involvement in NORDP has truly been a highlight of my professional life.”

Falk-Krzesinski presented the award to Carter and lauded her service and contributions to the NORDP community, which began in 2009. During her remarks, Falk-Krzesinski highlighted Carter’s many contributions that included:

• serving as a founding executive officer;
• participating on multiple committees;
• serving on the organization’s the board of directors;
• founding a mentoring program in 2012 that has brought together more than 500 mentors and mentees; and
• co-developing a business plan for NORDP’s peer-review program.

In addition, Carter has been a regular contributor and co-presenter at the annual NORDP conferences for the past four years.

“She’s a visionary and talented research and development professional,” Falk-Krzesinski said. “What makes her special is how deeply she gives of herself to her faculty, her staff, her community and the many of us who consider Susan a mentor.”

Carter said her involvement in the group “has brought rewards both to me personally and to UC Merced. The service I gave to NORDP was absolutely minimal compared to the benefits and help I received in building research development at UC Merced.”

Carter, who joined UC Merced in 2008 and retires next month, also acknowledged NORDP’s Board of Directors for recognizing her efforts along with her UC Merced colleagues.

“I would like to thank UC Merced’s Research Development Services staff members for their outstanding dedication, as well as Vice Chancellor of Research and Economic Development Sam Traina, who has been incredibly supportive of my professional development.”