Published August 15, 2024, via Research News
Please join us in welcoming Krystina Gross back to WashU. Krys will begin her role as the Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) for Finance and Sponsored Projects on Monday, October 7, 2024. She will lead a staff of 55 and be responsible for overseeing the activities of Sponsored Projects Accounting (SPA) and the Office of Sponsored Research Services (OSRS) with a dual reporting relationship to the interim Senior Vice Chancellor for Finance & CFO and to the Vice Chancellor for Research. This position will be the key contact for faculty, departmental and central office staff, and executive management. As AVC, she will ensure proper administration for a broad set of operational and compliance functions and serve as the official institutional signatory for the University’s sponsored projects.
Krys has 24 years of experience in financial grant management and regulatory compliance. Most recently she worked at Yale University as the Associate Controller of Sponsored Projects Financial Administration where she directed a team supporting post award finance, compliance, cash management, and analysis. She spearheaded various initiatives to improve research administration business processes, developed research compliance policies and procedures in accordance with federal and institutional rules and regulations, led several projects dedicated to enhancing Workday grants management, established a research think tank group to foster collaboration and transparency with department research administration, and developed an online intake portal for questions and support.
Prior to Yale, Krys worked at WashU for nearly 22 years serving as the Director of the Workday Support Team, the Grant Business Lead on the Workday implementation project, and a Manager in Sponsored Projects Accounting heading the NIH and Contracts team in award set up, billing, reporting, transaction review and approval, and compliance.
Until Krys’ transition is complete, the interim task force team comprised of Angie Leahy, Iris Peper, and Brianne Burcke will remain in place to provide operational leadership and administrative guidance, as well as continuing their efforts to streamline business processes, identify staffing needs, resolve issues, and improve profiling metrics.
Mark Lowe, MD PhD
Vice Chancellor for Research
Senior Associate Dean of Research at WashU Medicine
Harvey R. Colten Professor of Pediatric Science
Washington University in St. Louis