Staff

Sarah has a B.A in Economics from Franklin and Marshall College, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Hartford, and is a Certified Research Administrator (CRA).  Prior to joining the OSP team at Seattle University in 2018, Sarah held the roles of financial analyst for Citibank in New York City and director of development for a supportive housing agency in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She currently sits on the National Council of University Research Administrators Region XI Advisory Committee and is a member of the National Organization of Research Development Professionals.  Originally from Connecticut, Sarah enjoys reading, exploring and spending time with her husband, three children and two dogs.

Aika holds her Bachelor of Arts in Society, Ethics, and Human Behavior from the University of Washington, Bothell. Before joining the Office of Sponsored Projects team in 2023, Aika served as a Budget Fiscal Analyst with the Grant and Contract Accounting department at the University of Washington. In this role, Aika managed grant and contract budgets from setup to closeout and processed financial reporting for federal and nonfederal grant and contract accounts. Aika’s Redhawk roots go back to 2016 when she first joined the SU community as the Senior Operations Assistant for the University Advancement department. Aika supported the accounts payable and procurement processes for the UA cost centers and facilitated department-wide trainings during the introduction of ProcureSU. Aika is engaged with the National Council of Research Administrators and the Society of Research Administrators International. Outside of research administration, Aika also enjoys photography, filmmaking, journaling, and traveling the world with her husband and their three daughters.

Jenna holds a B.S. in Organizational Communications from the University of Portland and a Master in Public Administration from Seattle University, and is a Certified Research Administrator (CRA). In 2015, she co-founded the local non-profit KiloWatts for Humanity where she served on the board until 2022. She has held a variety of research administration roles at SU since 2010 before taking a brief foray into donor stewardship and grant management at Woodland Park Zoo and returning to Seattle U in spring of 2019 as Director of OSP. Jenna is engaged with the National Council of Research Administrators, National Organizational of Research Development Professionals, Society of Research Administrators, and the Cohort for Efficiencies in Research Administration (Alternative to Effort cohort). When not strategizing our institutional grant approach, writing policies, and maintaining compliance, she enjoys roadtripping around the PNW with her partner, son, and two dogs.

Kara holds a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado, as well as a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science. Prior to joining SU, Kara served as Research Development Consultant at the UW-Tacoma where she supported faculty across all disciplines in developing competitive projects and proposals submitted to a range of public and private sponsors. Kara has also led grant-writing efforts and conducted externally-funded independent and collaborative research at CU-Denver and worked as a transportation and land use planner in private consulting. At SU, Kara enjoys supporting faculty in all aspects of their research, from the early stages of designing projects through helping to manage external awards. She is deeply engaged with the National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP), including as co-Chair of the Predominately Undergraduate Institutions (PUI) Affinity Group.

Breena has a B.S. in Chemistry from University of Central Florida and an M.S. in Biochemistry from Stanford University, and she is a Registered Biosafety Professional. Prior to joining Seattle University in 2022, Breena started her career in safety as Assistant Biosafety Officer at UCLA and then served as Senior Safety Engineer at Caltech. She is engaged with the Association for Biosafety and Biosecurity (ABSA) and the Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA). Breena finds joy in skiing, good food, books, video games, and listening to too much NPR.

Magda is new to Research Administration and brings a broad spectrum of work experience to her role as Program Coordinator. Prior to joining the Office of Sponsored Projects, Magda spent time working in agriculture, food service, manufacturing, athletic leadership, and the non-profit sector. She is profoundly interested in sustainability and wants to help connect people with the resources they need to make a difference in the world. Magda is also employed with the George Pocock Rowing Foundation, working to increase access and retention for youth in athletics. In her free time, you might find Magda rowing on Lake Union, hiking through the Cascades, or writing in a local coffee shop.