Staff
James M. Gentile, Ph.D
President
Jim Gentile is President of Research Corporation for Science Advancement. He comes to RCSA most recently from Hope College in Holland, MI where he held an endowed professorship in biology and served for twelve years as Dean for the Natural Sciences.
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Bio
Martha Gilliland, Ph.D
Vice President
Martha Gilliland is vice president of Research Corporation for Science Advancement. She was previously Chancellor, University of Missouri, Kansas City and is a geophysicist and environmental engineer.
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Bio
Daniel Gasch, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
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Bio
Silvia Ronco, Ph.D
Program Director
Silvia Ronco came to Research Corporation in September 2003 from the University of South Dakota where she was professor of chemistry.
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Bio
Richard Wiener, Ph.D
Program Director
Richard Wiener began working as a program officer at Research Corporation in September 2006. From 1995-2006 he was a physics professor at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon and Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences from 2004-2006.
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Bio
Sandy Champion
Lead Program Assistant
Ms. Champion has had a long relationship with RCSA. She worked with the Foundation’s spinoff company, Research Corporation Technologies, for 10 years as an executive assistant, and she has been with RCSA since 2005. Ms. Champion serves as the primary program assistant for Cottrell College Science, Cottrell Scholar, Scialog® and Arizona Partners in Science programs. Her 10 years with the Bio-Organic Chemistry Department at SRI International gave her a broad science background.
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Kathleen Eckert
Administrative Assistant
Kathleen Eckert comes to RCSA with broad experience, including administrative duties in several nonprofit organizations as well as consulting, civil engineering, law, publishing, and investment firms. She has served as a development director as well as an executive secretary, a legal secretary and in various support roles. She is familiar with legal, architectural and engineering terminology, and has specialized in managing communications and correspondence with top executives in overseas corporations, including Japan and Great Britain.
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Barbara Gray, B.S.
Coordinator for Science Programs
Ms. Gray is one of the newer members of RCSA. She is developing expertise in grant -management software systems, and she provides administrative support for the Vice President as well as internal and external committees. Her role also includes event planning for the Foundation’s science programs. She has a B.S. in business management.
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Dan Huff, J.D
Science Writer
Mr. Huff has been with RCSA since 2007. He has reported and written on a wide variety of topics for newspapers, magazines, broadcast TV news, video productions, websites and social media. He has also ghostwritten speeches and journalistic commentary and has produced advertising copy for both print and video. He is an avid photographer. He holds a J.D. degree from the University of Arizona.
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Dena McDuffie
Archivist
Ms. McDuffie has worked with Research Corporation since 1990, first in the communications department and recently as the Foundation’s archivist. Dena’s recent work at RCSA has focused on the centennial, and includes a timeline; a commemorative book; and a video. She also maintains the Foundation’s archives and art collection.
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Sofia L. Morris
Office Coordinator
Ms. Morris has been with RCSA since 2002. She is responsible for all program reports necessary to meet tax and internal requirements. At times she handles communications with grantees, occasionally acting as a go-between among grantees and RCSA program officers when technical reporting and procedures are complicated by special conditions. She also keeps her coworkers armed with office supplies. Her studies are in records management and music.
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Elaine Nathanson
Communications Manager
Elaine R. Nathanson has a background in providing marketing, public relations, community relations and event planning for businesses, organizations and government agencies. She has a BA in Journalism and a Master’s in Organizational Management. She earned her Accredited Public Relations (APR) designation in 1987 from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and was named a Fellow in PRSA in 2004.
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Linda Neefe, M.A.
Corporate Administrator
Ms. Neefe joined the RCSA team in 2005 and served as Executive Assistant to the President for six years. She now serves as Corporate Administrator and
reports to the Chief Financial Officer. She supports the foundation in the areas of finance, human resources, building management and the Board of Directors. Ms. Neefe earned a master of arts degree in journalism from the University of Arizona and also holds a bachelors of science in social work. She served as Program Coordinator for the Large Binocular Telescope Corporation and as Assistant Editor at the University of Arizona Foundation prior to joining the
RCSA staff.
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Kathleen Parson, Ph.D
Consultant
Ms. Parson began work as a part-time program officer at RCSA in January 2008. She is professor emerita of biology and chemistry at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN where she was Academic Dean from 1995-99 and coordinated numerous grant proposals, including awards from the Keck, Mellon, Ford, and Bush Foundations. She served as an NSF-DUE Program Director from 2004-2006.
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Alicia Carina Sanchez
Director of Strategic Partnerships
Ms. Sanchez is RCSA's director of strategic partnerships. Her work is focused on outreach to RCSA's communities and on building funding initiatives that enhance the Foundation's work in nurturing innovative and transformative research, the integration of science teaching and research, public advocacy for science, and other projects related to science and technological advancement. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and attended graduate school at Stanford University.
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Joan Van Houten
Executive Assistant to the President
Ms. Van Houten came to Research Corporation in 2010 from Holland, MI where she served the Biology Department of Hope College. She is pleased to have a part in supporting the efforts of Research Corporation as it opens the door to innovative research and discovery by funding young scientists who, through their work and their teaching, have the potential to change the world.
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