Jean Mercer will join the Office of Research and Engagement as assistant vice chancellor for research and director of the Office of Sponsored Programs on January 4, 2016.
Mercer has extensive experience in research administration in higher education, most recently serving as the director of grant services in the Office of Research Administration at Indiana University. While there, she supervised and reviewed the processing of all grant and contract applications to external agencies and the receipt of awards and contracts from these organizations, instructed and advised faculty and staff on proposal preparation, and supervised a staff of thirty. Mercer also helped implement a new grant administration software.
“We are so delighted to have Jean join the ORE team,” said Taylor Eighmy, vice chancellor for research and engagement. “She brings a depth and breadth of leadership experience to ORE. She led a very large sponsored programs office at a very large, complex research university. Her acumen and collaborative approach will be apparent on day one.”
Mercer replaces Miriam Campo, who resigned in June to take a position at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Since then, the position has been reassessed and elevated to an assistant vice chancellor.
“I am so excited to be joining the University of Tennessee family and the ORE team,” said Mercer. “I look forward to working in partnership with the faculty to increase external research funding in support of their programs.”
During her nineteen years at IU, Mercer held positions in the Office of Clinical Research at the IU School of Medicine, the Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, and the IU Department of Medicine in the Division of Biostatistics and Division of Hematology/Oncology.
Mercer earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in international business from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree of research administration from the University of Central Florida.
Mercer is a member of the Society of Research Administrators and presented a roundtable at the SRA annual meeting last month in Las Vegas on increasing collaboration among research administrators in departments and central offices. She is a certified research administrator.