Molly Losh, PhD
Associate Dean for Research
m-losh@northwestern.edu
Dr. Molly Losh is the Jo Ann G. and Peter F. Dolle Professor of Learning Disabilities in the Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Associate Dean of Research in the School of Communication at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions, with a specific focus on understanding the basis of language and communication impairments that span diagnostic boundaries. Work from her lab has helped to identify key cognitive mechanisms that may underlie the social-communicative impairments in autism, in order to bridge gaps between observable clinical behaviors and underlying biology, necessary for understanding the causes of autism and related conditions.
Molly provides oversight for the SoC research office. She works on SoC research policy and is the research compliance officer for the School of Communication. She can provide support for issues involving the IRB, INVO, Sponsored Research, and the University Library. She administers the SoC internal grant programs, EREA, and helps identify funding sources for faculty and graduate students.
Sheri Carsello, MA, CRA
Assistant Dean for Research
sheric@northwestern.edu
847-491-2425
Sheri Carsello is the Assistant Dean for Research for the School of Communication. Sheri manages the research staff and oversees the grant proposal submissions and non-financial post award items, such as effort reporting and annual progress reports. Sheri has been involved in research administration at Northwestern for over 25 years, with 18 years of work focused upon NIH grant support. Sheri has held positions at the Program of African Studies (PAS), Accounting Services Research and Sponsored Programs (ASRSP), and the Sponsored Research (SR) office.
Sheri received her M.A. in production from Northwestern University’s SoC’s Department of Radio, Television and Film, with a focus on video and film production. She is a visual person and loves all forms of art! In her free time, Sheri enjoys gardening and visiting gardens, yoga and exercise, and playing with her dog, Ruby.
Sheri has served on numerous sponsored project pilot and advisory committees at NU and is an active member of the Northwestern University Research Administration Leadership (NU RAL) group headed by the SR Executive Director. She supports faculty proposal development, annual reporting, effort reporting (CS&D), and grant compliance. Contact Sheri to help problem-solve your sponsor project complex issues.
Marysia Galent, CRA
Senior Research Administrator
maria.galent@northwestern.edu
847-467-0879
Marysia coordinates proposal submissions and offers post-award grant management, including financial planning and tracking, compliance, effort reporting, assistance with annual/progress reports, and general award terms advising. She has been supporting School of Communication research for almost ten years. Before joining Northwestern, she was managing grants for various non-profit organizations within Chicago. Marysia is very devoted to her role and is constantly inspired by the work of SOC researchers and students. Marysia is pursuing a degree in Ethnic Studies and Political Science at the University of Colorado, Denver. She is passionate about outdoors activities (hiking, climbing, camping – anything that involves mountains).
Marysia has assisted with and submitted several successful NSF CAREER proposals, and coordinated special projects and grant transfers. She has been invited to give lectures to faculty at ORD NSF CAREER Workshop. She also regularly presents at international research administration conferences and Northwestern University seminars to an audience that includes faculty, administrators, and students.
Hernsa (Nsa) Druinaud, MPH
Senior Research Administrator
847-467-4781
Hernsa Druinaud is the newest member of our Research team, having joined us on April 17, 2023! Nsa will be providing additional proposal development and post award non-financial support for the research team. She comes to us from the University of Chicago, where she was Managing Director of budgets for various federally funded projects, which totaled over $24M. She ensured that each funded project completed its milestones, recommending adjustments to project timelines and workflows as necessary. This role involved collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that each program remained consistent with the proposed research plan.
Nsa is inspired by the diverse ways that faculty and investigators address societal challenges with science. She is energized by the opportunity to collaborate with trailblazing faculty to address disparities with scientific innovation. Nsa also managed the operations of the Chicago Center for Theoretical Chemistry (CCTCh) Research Fellowship program and Catalyst Design for Decarbonization Center (CD4DC), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the United States Department of Energy. This involved coordinating the hiring and onboarding of fellows and postdocs, administration and logistics, marketing and outreach, and assessment. She served as the Manager of Research and Lab Operations of TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health at UChicago, where she managed the IRB protocols of several studies, hiring of research and student staff, and daily operations. In her free time, she enjoys exploring various Chicagoland nature preserves, botanical gardens, arboretums, and conservatories. Nsa is always up to try a new hobby – currently trapezing, indoor climbing, and knitting. We welcome Nsa to our team!
Anne Taylor, BA
Lab Manager for Dr. Molly Losh & Program Assistant
anne.taylor@northwestern.edu
Anne Taylor joined the SoC research team in December 2021 as an interim program assistant. Anne had previously worked closely with the SoC research team as part of her existing role in Dr. Losh’s lab and was excited to begin devoting additional time to helping the team with other faculty grants on a part-time basis during a time in which the office had a shortage of staff support.
Anne has thoroughly enjoyed learning about the exciting research, and artistic and scholarly work being conducted throughout the school. Her help has been invaluable, so she has continued to contribute time to the office and has played an important role in supporting grant proposal development, submissions, and progress reports for faculty across departments, including several large-scale studies. Outside of work, Anne enjoys spending time with her family and seeing live music with friends.
Anuradha (Annie) Rajurkar, MS
Program Coordinator of Research & Graduate Studies
anuradha.rajurkar@northwestern.edu
847-467-4781
Anuradha Rajurkar coordinates programs in both Research and Graduate offices. In the Research Office, she plays an important role in supporting the grant proposal process and research office priorities. She also provides critical support for graduate student enrollment and funding activity, and communication between the Office of the Dean and the Graduate programs within SoC.
Annie earned two degrees from Northwestern University: A Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with Distinction, and a Master of Science in Education, where her interest in research was first sparked. She served as an educator for thirteen years, eight of them creating and heading the math intervention department at a Milwaukee area public school. Annie is also the author of award-winning American Betiya (Knopf/Penguin Random House), honored by the American Library Association as a YALSA Best Fiction title. Her next novel, a gothic thriller entitled Temporary Bodies, will release next year. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, and cooking with her family.