Office of Research
About the Office of Research
The Office of Research encourages and supports innovative interdisciplinary research, scholarship and creative activities that contribute to the physical, emotional and economic well-being of the people of Georgia, the nation and the world. Through partnerships and collaborations, we seek to share knowledge, increase innovation and deliver the products of our research to the marketplace.
INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH
Chris King
Interim Vice President for Research
vpr@uga.edu
Nikki Nix
Executive Administrative Assistant
706-542-4582
nikki.nix@uga.edu
Chris King was appointed interim vice president for research in 2024, following 12 years as associate vice president for research. A professor of population health in the Laboratory Animal Medicine program at the College of Veterinary Medicine, King has been with UGA since 1992. He initially served as director of animal resources and attending veterinarian, later organizing various biomedical animal care programs into a single accredited unit.
King oversees the Office of Research Integrity and Safety, managing programs such as Animal Care and Use, Biosafety, Human Subjects, and Research Security and Export Control. He ensures research compliance, enhances program quality, and reduces administrative burdens for faculty. His team includes 11 direct and nearly 100 indirect reports. King also maintains accreditations from AAALAC International and the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs.
Joining the Office of Research in 2004 as assistant vice president for research and attending veterinarian, King became the University Research Integrity Officer in 2014. He contributed to developing a comprehensive biosafety program and the construction of the BSL3/ABLS3/BSL3Ag Animal Health Research Center. King also helped the Human Research Protection Program achieve AAHRPP accreditation in 2018.
King earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and a bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of William and Mary. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in comparative medicine at Yale University School of Medicine.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Matt Colvin
Director
Economic Development
706-340-9787 | mcolvin@uga.edu
Reporting jointly to the vice presidents for Research and Public Service & Outreach, Matt represents UGA alongside state and local economic development partners for business recruitment efforts, marketing the strengths of UGA’s talent and research pipeline to companies looking to locate or expand operations in Georgia. Matt earned his MBA from the University of Georgia and is currently pursuing his Ph.D in higher education, also at UGA.
Derek Eberhart
Associate Vice President
Innovation Gateway
706-542-2207 | dereke@uga.edu
Derek Eberhart is the associate vice president for research and executive director of Innovation Gateway, UGA’s intellectual property licensing and startup support arm. Derek has a Ph.D. in genetics and molecular biology from Emory University, and worked in biopharma before joining UGA.
Eric Ferreira
Interim Associate Vice President for Facilities & Infrastructure
Facilities & Infrastructure
706-542-4231 | emferr@uga.edu
Eric Ferreira is interim associate vice president for facilities and infrastructure, with responsibilities on the main UGA campus as well as at remote units on the Savannah River and the Georgia coast. He holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology.
Shawn Hill
Director
Programs & Change Management
706-224-9955 | shawnh@uga.edu
Shawn Hill is director of programs and change management, overseeing continuous process improvement with a focus on enhancing services and reducing administrative overhead for the research community. Shawn led a corporate division in the private sector before joining UGA in 2014. He holds a degree in consumer economics from the University of Georgia.
Christopher King
Interim Vice President for Research
Research Integrity and Safety
706-542-5933 | cking@uga.edu
Chris King is interim vice president for research, with direct administrative responsibility over the Office of Research Integrity and Safety, which includes human and animal research, biosafety and lab safety, export control, financial conflict of interest, occupational health, and responsible conduct of research. Chris completed a DVM at the VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine and an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at Yale before joining UGA.
Jessica Legge Muilenburg
Associate Vice President for Research, Faculty Affairs & Campus Engagement
Research Personnel, Internal Grants and Awards
706-542-5988 | jlm@uga.edu
Jessica Legge Muilenburg is associate vice president for research with responsibilities related to campus engagement, research personnel, and internal grants and honors. She has a Ph.D. in health promotion and behavior from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Jessica previously served as graduate coordinator in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior and assistant dean for strategic initiatives and assessment in the College of Public Health.
Nate Nibbelink
Associate Vice President for Research, Strategic Research Growth
Strategic Research Development, Integrative Team Initiatives
706-542-2462 | nate2@uga.edu
Nate Nibbelink is associate vice president for research with responsibilities related to strategic research development, integrative team initiatives, and internal seed grant programs. He is a professor in the Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming.
Jessica Orbock
Senior Counsel for Research, Office of Legal Affairs, and Director of Operations, Office of Research
General Counsel, University of Georgia Research Foundation
706-542-3961 | jkorbock@uga.edu
Jessica Orbock is the senior counsel for research in the Office of Legal Affairs and director of operations in the Office of Research, and she serves as general counsel to the UGA Research Foundation. Jessica has a J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law and practiced intellectual property litigation at Smith, Gambrell & Russell in Atlanta prior to joining UGA.
Gary Rachel
Director
IT Operations
706-542-5905 | gcrachel@uga.edu
Gary Rachel is the director of information technology and supports application development and infrastructure support, including UGA’s enterprise research systems, as well desktop support. Gary has a Ph.D in forest ecology from UGA.
Michael Terrazas
Director
Research Communications
706-542-5941 | michael.terrazas@uga.edu
Mike Terrazas is director of research communications and is responsible for raising the visibility and profile of UGA research among a number of strategic audiences. Mike has a master’s degree in journalism from UGA and worked at Georgia Tech and Emory University prior to joining UGA.
Shelly Terrazas
Director
Finance & Human Resources
706-542-5930 | shelly.terrazas@uga.edu
Shelly Terrazas is director of finance and human resources, which covers business services, HR and research store units in the Office of Research. She has an M.S. in international affairs from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Georgia State University. She previously served in budget and program management roles at Georgia Tech, Emory University and The Carter Center.
Jill Tincher
Executive Director
Sponsored Projects Administration
706-542-8808 | jill.tincher@uga.edu
Jill Frazier Tincher is the executive director of Sponsored Projects Administration and oversees central pre- and post-award administration. Jill has an MBA from the University of Miami and worked at the University of Miami in Florida prior to joining UGA.
Amy Ware
Special Assistant to the Vice President for Research
Office of Research
706-583-0599 | amyware@uga.edu
Amy Ware serves as special assistant to the vice president where she works on a variety of projects and initiatives benefiting the research enterprise. Amy previously served as assistant director of UGA Research Communications. She earned a B.F.A. at Louisiana State University and is pursuing an M.P.A. at UGA.