Research administration isn’t a glamorous job. It requires a lot of behind-the-scenes work that’s not always in the spotlight, yet absolutely crucial to a research organization’s success. It takes dedication, persistence, and ultimately a heart of service to take care of details and support the rest of the research team. After all, without RAs, researchers wouldn’t get the funding and help they need!
It’s this spirit of service that sets apart Holly Goold, Veterinary Technician Manager at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Over the past several years, Holly has had a profound impact on both her team and organization, as well as other animal research programs across the country.
Implementing a new electronic system at a busy campus
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus already used several Cayuse apps and decided to add Vet Care as well. As one of the top 25 NIH-funded institutions with more than 90 employees and an average of more than 650 clinical cases per month, converting from paper to electronic veterinary records was a major undertaking. Holly led the effort to smoothly implement it, which led to other significant programmatic changes like designing new and more efficient cage flags for sick animals and using tablets for electronic access.
Holly created 12 step-by-step screenshot tutorials that clearly explained various processes for animal care techs and vet techs. She was the primary trainer for both animal care and veterinary teams, and she led nearly 10 formal training courses for staff. When the system is down for scheduled maintenance, she ensures that all personnel know which animals need treatment. She also serves as the subject matter expert for anyone with questions, and her open and kind personality made her ideal for this role.
Partnering with others in the community
Holly’s service didn’t stop at her campus. She consulted with other institutions to figure out how to best use the Vet Care app, and in turn, has shared her expertise with other institutions across the country. In addition to other benefits of an electronic veterinary record system, she put together a cost analysis that noted estimated savings of over $10,000 per year. She’s consistently gone above and beyond in helping her program successfully implement the veterinary care module and make it the success it is today.
For these many reasons, Cayuse was proud to honor Holly as the winner of this year’s Sheri Pulis Outstanding Service in Research Administration Award. We introduced an award at last year’s Cayuse conference (then called Round-Up) in memory of Sheri Pulis, a beloved member of the research administration community at the University of California – Davis. Holly embodies several of Sheri’s traits:
- Demonstrated service to the research community
- Significant contributions to their institution’s research program
- Collaborative, dedicated, and driven to deliver results
- Positive attitude and zest for life that lifts the spirit of others
Congratulations to Holly for being an inspiration to the research community!
