The Office of Research and Innovation is proud to support the staff of three functional areas: Sponsored Projects and Contracts, Research Compliance, and Technology Transfer. Below you will find our office personnel from each of these areas along with their contact information and bio.
Dr. Sukumaran Nair is an SMU Distinguished Professor and the founding director of the AT&T Center for Virtualization at SMU. Along with these roles, he has a history of involvement across departments and programs. Namely, he is the founder of the cyber security program at SMU and chair of the computer science and engineering department from 2008-2016.
Dr. Nair's research interests include software-centric telecommunication networks, software-defined networks, virtualization technologies, trustworthy AI, and cyber security. He has published extensively in the area of high assurance computing and networking. His research has been supported through funds from the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Security Agency (NSA), National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), Office of Naval Research (ONR), and various industry leaders including Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, CAE, IBM, AT&T, and Google. Some of his recent awards include the Dallas 500 award and CIO/CTO award for Outstanding Tech Advocate from the D CEO magazine, SMU Ford Research Fellowship, IBM faculty award, and the Distinguished University Citizen award.
He received his B.S. from the University of Kerala, India in 1984, his M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana in 1988 and 1990, respectively.
Angie joined the Office of Research and Innovation in September 2022 as the Director for Sponsored Projects and Contracts. In this role, she is working on building a sustainable research office for SMU that functions as a direct support-line for faculty pursuing sponsored program activities, promoting growth and development of the SMU research enterprise. Angie liaises with various institutional offices to assist in related matters and collaborates across campus to explore opportunities for continuous improvement. Angie has 20+ years of experience in research administration in various roles, most recently as the Executive Director for Sponsored Projects at the UNT Health Science Center. She has a bachelor’s in human biology from Texas Woman’s University and a master’s in biology from the University of Virginia.
Dr. Marco Marchetti is a successful executive with a demonstrable history of development leadership and management success in fast-paced software development programs, through collaboration with multi-site, cross-functional teams and external partners, including development of patentable Intellectual Property. Well versed in requirements defining patentable IP and Claims structure to support the IP application.
Dr. Marchetti has worked at a major telecom company where he is co-inventor on several patents and supported patent litigations as an Expert Witness in that space. He has taught graduate courses in SMU’s computer science and engineering department and has co-authored several publications in telecom networks and enterprise security. Dr. Marchetti subsequently joined a French-based startup in the VoIP security space as Director of Professional Services and later moved to help create and commercialize a new business with a Canadian company leveraging Iridium’s two-way satellite data modem to provide a low-cost device offering safety and communication to National Park Rangers and other remote Loan Workers. Prior to joining SMU’s Office of Research and Innovation, Dr. Marchetti worked for a small Richardson-based company as Senior Program Manager responsible for delivery of various products in 4G and 5G, including the transition to Virtual and Container-based product development.
He received his B.A. from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and M.A. and Ph.D. from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
Mary Travis is the Research Compliance Director for the Office of Research and Innovation. Mary brings years of experience managing research regulatory programs involving human subjects, animal subjects, biosafety, and other research compliance areas. After serving as the Research Integrity Director at the University of Denver (DU) for eight years as well as in various director-level positions for a national hospital system, a nonprofit research center, and most recently an academic institution, Mary brings years of experience working with investigators to ensure that their research compliance is faultless and well documented. Over the last two years, Mary was directly involved in positioning DU to achieve an R1 classification in 2021.
Mary graduated from the University of Oregon with studies focused on education and public health, and she has worked in health and research for her entire professional career. She has been actively involved in developing innovative programs to improve processes but also believes in creating a collaborative relationship with investigators and establishing open communication to ensure success for SMU research compliance.
Charisse is a graduate of SMU’s Dispute Resolution master’s program and values creating spaces for diversity and equity in education. She believes grants are a gateway into understanding culture, facilitating change and innovating for the future. Prior to her current role, she spent 3.5 years serving as the Senior Program Specialist. There, she managed grant operations for SMU’s federally funded TRIO programs serving first-generation and low-income students in the DFW Metroplex. Charisse left SMU and joined the UT Houston’s School of Public Health as the Senior Grants and Contracts Specialist for the Dallas campus. She enjoyed her time at UT and learned a lot regarding grant administration but is very excited to return to SMU and support the Road to R1 efforts with the amazing Research and Innovation team.
Shanteria serves as a Grant and Contract Management Specialist in the Office of Research and Innovation. Shanteria views her career as an ongoing apprenticeship that offers diverse learning experiences. She is on a mission to learn from and educate others about the benefits of well-trained administrators who impact the ever-increasing world of research. Shanteria has worked as a research administrator for the past 10 years, starting at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She has held various titles including Clinical Data Specialist, Grant and Contracts Specialist and Pre-Award Analyst. She has a master’s in public administration and a bachelor’s in sociology from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Benisha is the Grants and Contracts Coordinator in the Office of Research and Innovation. She started at SMU in 2018 in the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. Benisha briefly worked as the Academic Operations Coordinator for the physics department prior to returning to the Office of Research and Innovation. She has held various positions at other higher education institutions including Testing Center Specialist, HR and Admissions Associate, Instructor, and College Recruiter. In 2015 Benisha obtained her master’s in adult and higher education with a concentration in student personnel from the University of Central Oklahoma. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, writing, playing video games, and woodworking. Benisha proudly serves as the Vice President of the SMU Black Faculty & Staff Association and a member of the Black Unity Forum.
LaGail supports the Office of Research and Innovation as the Executive Assistant. She has 15 years of providing administrative and customer support at SMU. LaGail graduated from SMU in 2017 with a master’s in liberal studies. She obtained her BFA from Stephen F. Austin State University.