Departmental News

Posted:  Oct 13, 2021 - 04:00pm

Dr. Melissa Emery Thompson, along with Dr. David Hansen (Biology), has been named an Interim Assistant Vice President for Research in the provost office at UNM.  Dr. Ellen Fisher, Vice President for Research notes, “I am confident the insights and fresh perspectives these new team members bring to OVPR will generate creative approaches to growing and celebrating scholarship across campus."

Dr. Emery Thompson  noted that in late 2022, UNM will replace Cayuse, the system used for proposal submission and grants and contract management, with a new system called Streamlyne.

“I am working with a diverse team of UNM administrators and IT professionals throughout the process of configuring and implementing this system,” she explained. “My major role is to represent the needs and concerns of researchers who will need to use the new system. I am also taking the lead on communicating with faculty as the launch date approaches and making sure they have access to the training and support that they require. We are also looking at new and creative ways to promote and recognize faculty success as a means to build a strong and supportive research community.”

Emery Thompson previously served as the Associate Chair of the Anthropology Department and the Chair of the Faculty Senate Research Policy Committee. 

“As a researcher, I direct the Comparative Human & Primate Physiology Center and co-direct the Kibale Chimpanzee Project, a long-term international research project. I come to this position primarily as an experienced researcher, rather than as an administrator, because the OVPR is invested in better understanding and addressing the challenges faced by faculty and student researchers,” she observed.

“I've been at UNM since 2008, and in that time, I have seen dramatic improvements in the research environment which have made it more rewarding for me to work at UNM. However, it is still an overwhelming challenge for faculty to negotiate all the different steps to get their research programs going and to identify how to get the help they need. My broad goals for this role are to help foster the kind of research environment that can attract and retain high-quality researchers, where faculty and students feel supported and rewarded, Emery Thompson said.  Read more