Rice University administrator on newly hired research compliance expert: 'A keen, high-capacity leader'

Rice University recently hired Dr. Michelle “Mickey” Stevenson as its new assistant vice president for research integrity, according to a press release. 

Stevenson, who is currently the senior associate vice president for research integrity and infrastructure at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), will officially start her new position on Monday, the release said.

The release said that Stevenson possesses more than a decade of experience in overseeing research compliance and ethics.

“Mickey is a keen, high-capacity leader with the drive and insight to take research at Rice to the next level,” Dr. Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Rice’s vice president for research, said, per the university. “She will be a tremendous resource for our faculty researchers as they confront complex problems in energy, the environment, health care and computing.”

Stevenson and her team have worked with researchers in achieving compliance with regulatory requirements in relation to conducting research.

According to the release, Stevenson’s role at Rice has her acting as the subject matter expert for research compliance in addition to giving strategic leadership for the private institution’s Office of Research Integrity.

She’ll also be responsible in helping the university maintain its aggressive competitive position in research by expanding its research initiatives, the university said.

She has worn many hats during her time at UTSA, which included a few vice presidencies and her work as a psychology instructor, per the release.

According to a UTSA press release from three years ago, Stevenson lent her assistance toward the school’s efforts to adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic as she oversaw the continuation of essential and critical research operations and the accessibility of designated research facilities. 

Stevenson’s LinkedIn profile shows that she earned a bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University (NCSU) and her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG).