Office of the Vice President for Research

The UNM Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is committed to the advancement, facilitation, and celebration of cutting-edge discovery and innovation. At UNM, we believe research is education, and as New Mexico’s premier R1 institution, we are uniquely positioned to provide an unparalleled education for students and world-class opportunities for faculty.

OVPR Leadership

Ellen Fisher, Vice President for Research

A chemist and materials scientist with academic leadership experience, Dr. Ellen Fisher serves as the Vice President for Research at the University of New Mexico (UNM) and is a Professor of Chemistry. She came to UNM in 2021 from Colorado State University (CSU) where she served as the Assistant Vice President for Strategic Initiatives (2017-2021) and the Senior Faculty Advisor (2014-2017) in the Office of the Vice President for Research. Prior to these appointments, Prof. Fisher served as the Chair of the Department of Chemistry at CSU and as the founding director of the interdisciplinary, cross-college School of Advanced Materials Discovery.

Dr. Fisher has published over 160 original peer-reviewed articles that span diverse topics in plasma science, laser spectroscopy, materials chemistry, chemistry education, team science, and the responsible conduct of research. Dr. Fisher has graduated 22 Ph.D. and 6 M.S. students, and she has mentored ~50 undergraduate research students, many of whom have gone on to a range of graduate and professional programs. Prof. Fisher is a Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the American Vacuum Society (AVS). She has served on the editorial boards of several technical journals and is currently an Executive Editor of the American Chemical Society journal ACS-Applied Materials and Interfaces. She is also co-founder of Divergent Science, LLC, a team science consulting group focused on utilizing the science of team science and empowering teams to put research into practice.

Dr. Fisher received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Mathematics from Texas Lutheran University (formerly College) in 1986 (summa cum laude) and a Ph.D. in physical-analytical chemistry from the University of Utah in 1991. She performed postdoctoral research at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque before joining the faculty at Colorado State University in 1993.

Communications from VPR Ellen Fisher

Omathanu “Om” Perumal, Associate Vice President for Research

Om Perumal is the associate vice president for research, overseeing UNM’s research operations and is also a professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics and brings more than 20 years of teaching and research experience in the fields of pharmaceutics and drug delivery.

Prior to joining UNM, Perumal served as associate dean for research in the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions at South Dakota State University (SDSU). He also held several leadership roles as department head of Pharmaceutical Sciences, graduate program coordinator, and director of two interdisciplinary research centers. During his tenure, he played a key role in expanding the research program in pharmaceutical sciences, strengthening the Ph.D. program, and developing a new M.S. program in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Perumal’s research focuses on drug delivery at the intersection of biological and material sciences, utilizing a “disease, drug, and destination (3D)” framework. His team has developed novel delivery systems for oral, transdermal, and parenteral administration, several of which have led to technology development licensing agreements with start-up companies.

He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, contributed to multiple book chapters, and delivered more than 100 presentations at national and international conferences. He also holds five patents related to drug delivery systems. Perumal has mentored more than 30 undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting faculty.

His research group’s work has received multiple recognitions, including the Patricia Walker Skin Cancer Research Award from the Skin Cancer Foundation, the F.O. Butler Award for Excellence in Research, and the Intellectual Property & Commercialization Award from SDSU. Perumal has also held leadership positions in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), serving as chair of the Pharmaceutics Section and chair of the Graduate Education Special Interest Group.

Melissa Emery Thompson, Assistant Vice President for Research

Melissa Emery Thompson received her Ph.D. in Anthropology from Harvard University in 2005 and arrived at UNM as a postdoctoral fellow in 2008. She is currently a Professor of Anthropology, and director of the Comparative Human and Primate Physiology Center in the Interdisciplinary Sciences Cooperative. She has served as Associate Chair of Anthropology (2019-2021) and member of Chair of the Faculty Senate Research Policy committee (2018-2021). In her role as Assistant VPR, she will work to reduce barriers to research participation across campus and promote effective communication between faculty and administration.

Dr. Emery Thompson co-directs the Kibale Chimpanzee Project, where she coordinates long-term, non-invasive studies of wild chimpanzee health, behavior, and physiology. She also collaborates widely on research investigating human health, behavioral endocrinology, and life history evolution. She has published over 120 original research articles and has received over $4 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and others.

David Hanson, Assistant Vice President for Research

Dr. Hanson received his Ph.D. in 1999, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and he spent 2.5 years as a post-doctoral fellow at the Australian National University. He joined the faculty at the University of New Mexico in 2002, where his research focuses on physiological, ecological, and energy-related aspects of photosynthesis in plants and algae, particularly elements of the carbon reactions and water relations.

Dr. Hanson has over 50 peer-reviewed publications, and has received multiple major grants from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, NASA (for research on the International Space Station), and the Economic Development Agency. He regularly collaborates with Sandia National Labs and Los Alamos National Lab, and he has co-founded a start-up (Growvera, Inc.). In addition, he helps UNM students participate in the annual NASA MINDS challenge, leading them to two national grand championships in the first four years.

His role in the Office of the Vice President for research is focused on external relations, building regional coalitions by working with local, state, federal and Tribal governments, along with regional educational and research institutions to find areas of alignment that can attract new resources and contribute to economic development. These efforts also include working to increase industry and private sector engagement with UNM through coordinated workforce training in the region, development of new internship opportunities, increasing industry sponsored research, and supporting IP/tech transfer efforts.

Patrick Bridges, Special Assistant for Research IT to the Vice President for Research

Patrick Bridges received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of New Mexico in 2002 and joined UNM as a Computer Science faculty member in 2003. As special assistant to the Vice President for Research and director of the Center for Advanced Research Computing, Bridges works to broadly support and enhance research computing for the University’s students, faculty, and staff.

As a faculty member, Bridges’s research focuses on operating systems and networking system software for high-performance computing systems, including scientific computing, AI, and big-data system. This research has resulted in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and more than $6M in sponsored research funding from a wide range of federal and industry sponsors, as well as diverse, long-standing collaborations with researchers at multiple national laboratories.

Greg Trejo, Associate Director of Finance & Administration

Greg Trejo received his MBA in finance and dual bachelor's degrees in biology and Spanish from the University of New Mexico. As associate director of finance & administration within UNM’s Office of the Vice President for Research, he manages more than $28 million in budgets, leads financial planning, and supervises a team across eleven research centers.

Previously, Trejo held roles from sr. program manager in clinical trials to research coordinator and medical interpreter, where he optimized operations, managed grants and contracts, and built partnerships across campuses and the community.

OVPR Staff

Corwin Beckner

Fiscal Services Tech, OVPR and Category 3 Research Centers

Daniel Brenden

Sr. Web Designer

Jane deLaubenfels

Administrative Coordinator

Grace Faustino

Information Technology Services Manager

Erin Fitzgerald

Associate Director, Office of Sponsored Projects

Anmol Gill

Technical Analyst II

Samir Giri

Technical Support

Mary Beth Hermans

Program Coordinator, Grand Challenges and FRDO

Marissa Lucero

Communication & Marketing Manager

Samuel Mascarenas

Human Resources Representative

Linda Mayo

Executive Director, Office of Research Integrity and Compliance

Jim O'Brien

Senior Director of Development

Mary Olson

Executive Assistant

Anne-Laure 'Anlo' Schmitt-Olivier

Research Translation Officer

Lauren Taylor

Administrative Professional Intern

Raquela Thomas

Postdoctoral Affairs Program Manager

Hannah Torres

Research Development Office Director

Aaliyah Turrietta

Program Coordinator, OVPR and Category 3 Research Centers

Tracy Wenzl

Grand Challenges Sr. Program Manager

OVPR Leadership Special Communication

Resources & Support

Computing Services
Research Development
Foreign Influence

Research Policy Committee
Data Security
Policies & Guidelines

Central Start-Up Pool

Integrity & Compliance
Sponsored Projects