LTU’s Executive Director of Sponsored Research is Appointed National Peer Reviewer of Sponsored Programs

Executive Director of Lawrence Technological University’s Division of Research and Economic Development, Kathryn Wrench, MBA, CRA, recently received the honor of being appointed as a national Peer Reviewer for the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA). NCURA, founded in 1959, is a non-profit professional society dedicated to advancing research administration through education and professional development programs, serving over 9,000 members across 1,100 institutions in 40 countries. As an NCURA Peer Reviewer, Wrench is a nationally recognized senior research administrator who will visit universities of all sizes from R1 to emerging research institutions. Wrench will provide consultation on aligning operations with professional standards for quality service, compliance, and efficiency in research administration.

Wrench’s Journey in Research Administration

Wrench currently works under Senior Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Nabil Grace, PhD, supporting faculty in securing sponsor-funded projects through funding recommendations, fostering collaborations, leading educational workshops, advising on policy, and managing sponsor funded programs.

Wrench began her higher education administrative career as an entry-level accountant and advanced to Post-Award Operations Director in sponsored programs administration at Wayne State University. She then became Director of Grants, Contracts, and Sponsored Research at Oakland University, where she strengthened the university’s research and compliance infrastructure and developed faculty training programs to advance its research growth. Wrench then pivoted back to Wayne State University as its Associate Director of Research in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences before joining Lawrence Technological University in 2021 as LTU’s inaugural Director of Sponsored Research and Institutional Grants supporting the university’s research vision.

A Career Rooted in Service

Wrench deeply admired her predecessors who nurtured others’ careers, and now, as a peer reviewer herself, is committed to the success of others in the research profession. “I greatly appreciate [the award] and the opportunity to serve at LTU as its inaugural research director. Both are crowning achievements in my profession. Research administrators are expected to have a rich repository of knowledge. To have my perspectives valued in such a way is exceptionally humbling and gratifying. We all work hard in supporting research discovery.” The peer reviewer appointment is a milestone for Wrench, who joined the education sector to give back. “I entered the research administration profession in 1996, crossing over from public accounting at Deloitte & Touche because I felt research gives so much to society,” Wrench explained. Wrench has also served as an auditor for the Defense Contract Audit Agency, U.S. Department of Defense.

Growing Research Environment at LTU

Supported by leadership and committed faculty, research at LTU is growing rapidly. “Our faculty at LTU are brilliant and hardworking. LTU faculty are invested in our students’ education; they are not just great researchers but also great teachers in the classroom. When we say theory and practice, LTU really means it because research, education, and scholarship are molded together.” LTU’s research expenditures are about $9 million as of the last Higher Education Research and Development survey, showcasing the university’s rapid research growth.

Wrench has been awarded two National Science Foundation grants. In 2023, Wrench was awarded a National Science Foundation grant in collaboration with Co-PI’s Matt Cole, PhD, and Jacqueline Stavros, DM, for “Building Research Infrastructure, Networks, and Knowledge (BRINK),” supporting building research administrative capacity in Michigan’s colleges and universities. NSF BRINK leverages appreciative inquiry techniques for strategic engagement. Wrench is also a Co-PI with Pedro Guillen, chief operating officer of LTU’s Centrepolis; Guillen was recently awarded the EPIIC LiVE grant, “Linking Vital Ecosystems in Research and Economic Development”. NSF EPIIC LIVE builds capacity for research with industry and also focuses on administrative infrastructure. This is the university’s second NSF EPIIC award.

Wrench is dedicated to not only the success of LTU faculty’s research initiatives but also to the positive impact research has on society.