Officers

Jeanne Viviani-Ayers | University of Central Florida
Region III Chair

As the Associate Director of Research Training and Outreach at the University of Central Florida, she will develop and oversee all research administration education University-wide through various programming and outreach. Jeanne has served at the Director level of several sponsored research and research development offices over her 20+ year career. She was responsible for the full “life cycle” of grants and research administration from the research development function, including workshops, training, and finding funding for individual and institutional proposals through close-out of all requirements, ensuring compliance.

She established TWO sponsored research offices from the ground up—first at New College of Florida and then again at Florida Polytechnic University. She also managed and expanded the Office of Research Development at Florida Atlantic University.

 

She is a National Science Foundation Co-PI on aGERMINATION grant and has started two businesses focusing on research administration coaching, team formation (including two books), and professional and career coaching. She has been an active member of NCURA since 2003. She has served on many committees and presented extensively at the Annual Meeting and Regional Meetings. She currently serves at the Chair of Region III (2024-2025). Her passions are training, educating, and coaching executives, colleagues, and faculty in their careers, developing research analytics, and leveraging AI to support the next generation of research administration professionals.

 

Carpantato (Tanta) Myles | Georgia Institute of Technology
Immediate Past Chair

Tanta is a Senior Issues Contributing Editor of NCURA Magazine. She currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Research Integrity Assurance at the Georgia Institute of Technology, overseeing IRB, IACUC, IBC, export controls, COI, research security, and research misconduct.  She recently served as the PRA Conference Co-Chair in NOLA. She is also an NCURA Peer Reviewer and serves on the N&LDC. She is also a Lecturer in Johns Hopkins University’s Master of Science in Research Administration degree program. Tanta has served Region III in various ways, including serving as Public Relations Coordinator (2016-2018). Tanta received the Region III Distinguished Service Award in 2019.

 

Celeste Rivera-Nunez | University of Central Florida
Chair-Elect

Celeste Rivera-Nuñez serves as the Director of the Sponsored Programs Pre-Award Office within the Office of Research at the University of Central Florida. With over 25 years of experience in research administration, Celeste has developed expertise across various domains, including grant and contract management functions encompassing pre-award processes, contract negotiations, post-award management, and subaward oversight. She has also contributed significantly to grant business systems implementation and workforce development initiatives, demonstrating a commitment to advancing best practices in research administration.

 

Rebecca Wessinger | University of South Carolina
Secretary

Rebecca Wessinger is the Assistant Director of Research Development in the College of Engineering and Computing at the University of South Carolina. Her current roles include enhanced research development, editing of proposals, strategic funding searches and faculty matching, assistance in writing institutional sections of your proposals, connecting faculty with resources within the university to fulfill broader impacts and outreach, and coordination proposal and teaming development. She has over 15 years of sponsored award experience at the University of South Carolina including roles in the Sponsored Awards Management Office as well as Director of Grants and Contracts in the College of Education. Rebecca has been a member of NCURA since 2015. She has served as Public Relations Coordinator and Program Book Coordinator since 2022. In 2023, she was awarded the Pam Whitlock Rising Start Award.

 

Dr. Tamara Hill | Morehouse School of Medicine
Treasurer-Elect

Tamara Hill, PhD, CRA, is currently the Associate Vice President of Research Operations and Finance at Morehouse School of Medicine.  She has been in the field of research administration for over twenty-nine years. Her experience includes departmental pre/post award, central post-award and the shared services environment. She has served at several higher education institutions including the University of Cincinnati, University of Louisville, University of North Carolina Charlotte and Emory University.

 

Dr. Emily Devereux | University of South Carolina
Regionally-Elected National Board Member

Dr. Emily Devereux is the Director of the Offices for Research Development and Research Training for the University of South Carolina system. She oversees research training and education for both faculty and staff, research development, and strategic large proposals for the USC system. She has over 20 years of experience in research development and administration, including strategic research growth, strategic planning, research development, student research growth, and research administration. She was previously the Executive Director of Research at Arkansas State University in which she grew research development initiatives, advancing the institution to R2 status before joining the University of South Carolina. She holds her doctorate in Public Administration, is the author of numerous chapters and journal articles in research development and administration, and she is a member of the National NCURA Board of Directors. Dr. Devereux has served Region III in numerous committee and officer positions over the years, including serving as Chair of the Region. She is an adjunct graduate faculty in Public Administration, as well as the owner of RDPrac LLC, a small business specializing in research development consulting services for faculty researchers, industry, and non-profit organizations. 

To contact any EC Officer or standing committee coordinator, please email ncuraregion3@gmail.com.