RIO Leadership Team

Joanne Billings

Associate Vice President for Research Integrity & Compliance

(612) 625-3394, [email protected]

Joanne Billings oversees critical research integrity and regulatory functions of the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP)/Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), the Office of Biotechnology Activities Oversight (OBAO), and Research Integrity and Compliance (RIC). This position also serves as the University’s research integrity officer and deputy institutional official and has responsibility for ensuring that the institution fosters a research environment that promotes a culture of compliance, the responsible conduct of research, and research integrity and actively discourages research misconduct. In addition to her role serving the internal research community, Joanne works closely with external regulatory agencies and accrediting organizations to facilitate required and voluntary reviews of UMN research policies and processes.

Joanne holds a joint appointment between the Research and Innovation Office and the Medical School where she serves as associate professor of Medicine and as a pulmonologist and critical care physician focusing on the care of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) and post op lung transplantation. Joanne, who also oversees the Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine (PACCS) Division clinical research program, has been involved in clinical trials in CF for over 20 years.

Joanne holds a BS in biochemistry from Illinois Benedictine College, an MD from Rush Medical College, and a MPH in epidemiology from the University of Minnesota.
 

Units & Initiatives

Kristin Charles

Finance Director 

(612) 624-0664, [email protected]

Kristin Charles is responsible for the financial oversight of RIO and manages a team that provides expertise in financial analysis, budgeting, and transaction processing for both administrative support units and academic centers and institutes. RIO's finance team ensures compliance with University policies and procedures and provides high-level reporting and analysis to assist units in achieving their strategic goals. Kristin has worked at the University since 2010. She holds a BS in finance, a BA in Spanish, and an MBA, all from the University of Minnesota.
 

JoonHyung Cho

Assistant Vice President and Chief of Staff

(612) 626-8302, [email protected]

JoonHyung (Joon) Cho serves as assistant vice president and chief of staff. In this role, he supports the vIce president for research and innovation in advancing priorities across the University’s research enterprise and leads RIO’s external affairs portfolio. He works across RIO and with University leadership, colleges, centers and institutes, Government Relations, the University of Minnesota Foundation, the Corporate and Foundation Engagement teams and other partners to strengthen coordination, advance institutional priorities, and build relationships with government, industry, foundations, and other external stakeholders.

He brings more than two decades of experience in research and innovation, university-industry engagement, external affairs, research development, and technology commercialization. Before joining the University of Minnesota, he held leadership roles at the University of Virginia, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Louisiana State University AgCenter. His broader professional service has included leadership and engagement with NACRO, UIDP, federal advisory bodies, the American Chemical Society’s Committee on Chemistry & Public Affairs and Committee on Intellectual Property. Throughout his career, his work has focused on creating opportunities for faculty and researchers, supporting students and trainees, and connecting people and organizations to advance research and innovation.

Joon holds a BA in chemistry from Concordia College, Moorhead, MN and a MS in inorganic chemistry from the University of New Hampshire’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

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April Coon

Interim Associate Vice President for Research Administration

(612) 624-7021, [email protected]

April Coon serves as the interim AVP for research administration, leading university-wide research administration, policy development, and compliance activities. In this role, April oversees the University’s Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) and Office of Cost Analysis (OCA) functions and works closely with offices, departments, and colleges across the University to ensure adherence to federal, state, and institutional standards for research proposals and awards and acts as a policy owner for research administration policies, including regular updates and comprehensive reviews. Additionally, April provides research administration expertise to the University by serving on key institutional committees including the Council of Research Associate Deans, Grants Management User Network, and Faculty Burden Reduction Committee among others.

April holds a BA in theology from the University of St. Thomas and an MA in organizational leadership, policy, and development with an emphasis in higher education from the University of Minnesota.  
 

Erin Dennis

Interim Senior Director for Strategic Communications

(612) 723-6549, [email protected]

Erin Dennis serves as the interim senior director for strategic communications, leading RIO's overall marketing and communications strategy and team operations. Serving as a key advisor to RIO leadership and reporting jointly to the vice president for research and innovation and the University’s chief communications officer, Erin sets the strategic vision to elevate the University of Minnesota’s research story and amplify its impact across public, government, industry, and internal audiences. In this role, Erin oversees executive communications, research storytelling, media relations, digital channels, and risk and issues management—partnering closely with research compliance teams to build strategic communications that reinforce compliance, security, and integrity across University research programs. She works in close partnership with communications leaders across the system to integrate messaging, amplify research outcomes, and drive engagement.

Units & Initiatives

Megan Ferden

Human Resources Director

Megan serves as the senior leader responsible for providing strategic HR leadership, organizational planning, and executive partnership within the Research and Innovation Office (RIO). Leading the RIO HR team, she collaborates directly with RIO administration, support units, and academic units to ensure unit-level priorities align seamlessly with University-wide strategic initiatives and human resources governance.

Megan has been with the University of Minnesota since 2004 and with RIO since 2007, offering deep institutional history and dedicated support to the research enterprise. She holds a BA in religious studies from Doane University and is a Society of Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) as well as a member of SHRM and CUPA-HR. 
 

Rick Huebsch

Associate Vice President for Technology Commercialization

(612) 625-3760, [email protected]

Rick Huebsch serves as the senior leader responsible for the overall strategic direction, management, and administration of the technology commercialization and venture operations for the five University of Minnesota campuses and the University’s collaborative research centers throughout the state. Rick also oversees personnel and financial operations of the Tech Comm organization, including a new gap funding initiative that he has helped to formulate and the University’s Discovery Capital investment program. 

Rick also provides leadership in partnering with the University of Minnesota Foundation on the Corporate Engagement Center. He serves on the Launch MN Advisory Board for the State of Minnesota and maintains robust partnerships with many Minnesota-focused organizations, including the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Medical Alley, Greater MSP, MNSBIR, and the Mayo Clinic Office of Entrepreneurship.

Before joining Technology Commercialization in 2008, Rick worked for 20 years in the software industry, including executive management with Control Data, OpenVision Technologies, Veritas Software, and Symantec. Rick received a BS in computer science and mathematics from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.

Units & Initiatives

Kimberly Kirkpatrick

Associate Vice President for Research Capacity Building

(612) 625-2046, [email protected]

Kimberly Kirkpatrick (Kim) provides leadership in development, enhancement, management, and review of academic centers and institutes that report to RIO. She also supervises RIO-managed research infrastructure and resources including the Research Animal Resources facilities and Biosafety Level 3 Program. She more broadly oversees University shared research resources, core research services, and related infrastructure. She emphasizes initiatives that enhance interdisciplinary collaborative funding and research opportunities between the health sciences and other units across the UMN system. 
 
Prior to coming to the University, Kim was a Distinguished Professor of Psychological Sciences and Director of the Cognitive and Neurobiological Approaches to Plasticity Center at Kansas State University. She has served as the PI on over $30 million in extramural grants from the National Institutes of Health and other agencies. Her primary line of research examined the neurobiology of impulsive behaviors in rodents. She has 12 years of experience directing animal facilities and over 30 years of research experience with preclinical animal models.

Units & Initiatives