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Laura has worked in the higher education and healthcare environments for more than 15 years. Prior to joining Huron Laura was a Partner at Arthur Andersen LLP. She has worked with more than 30 premier academic medical centers and research universities. Laura has served as a key business advisor in helping these institutions enhance their infrastructures to more effectively serve the research community.
Professional Experience
Representative examples of Laura's engagement experience include:
Worked with more than 10 major research institutions involving comprehensive assessments of the research administration function from a people process and technology perspective. Led the efforts in redesigning selected business processes redefining roles and responsibilities aligned with core competency definitions and developing information systems plans. Provided assistance with the implementation of people process and technology solutions to improve the institutions' ability to provide better service and information to the research community comply with applicable regulations and recover costs from sponsored programs.
Served as the engagement director for compliance reviews at more than 20 academic medical centers. Provided recommendations related to key compliance topics including effort reporting direct charging cost transfers cost sharing service centers etc. Led the efforts to enhance policies and procedures and education programs related to compliance.
Provided assistance to numerous universities non-profit institutions and independent research hospitals to prepare and negotiate F&A cost rate proposals and implement procedures to improve cost reimbursement from external sponsors including more than 25 of the top 100 research institutions.
Worked with several institutions to develop strategic operational and financial plans to support the vision for growth in the research enterprise. This included working with a major academic medical center and an independent research hospital to develop a comprehensive operational and financial model that formed the basis for a fifty-year affiliation agreement.
Lead on an engagement to assess a major public research university's ability to effectively leverage its information technology investments to achieve operational goals. This included a review of organizational structures roles and responsibilities business processes information technology deployment and change management processes. Provided recommendations and developed a plan to help improve the quality and efficiency of administrative services provided to the academic community.
Lead on an engagement to review a public university's business processes across all major administrative areas. Evaluated performance and provided recommendations to improve operational performance. Compared practices to industry benchmarks and provided assistance in establishing performance measures for certain critical functions.
Education & Certifications
Bachelor of Business Administration University of Michigan
Speaking Engagements
A frequent speaker at conferences sponsored by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) National College and University Research Administrators (NCURA) Society of Research Administrators (SRA) and the regional cost accounting conferences (SECA MECA WECA and NECA). | 