Mariah Meachum, M.S.
Research Development Specialist
mmeachu@clemson.edu
Mariah leads research development activities for CBSHS, assisting with collaborative team coordination, funding opportunity identification, and training program development. She also facilitates competitive grant proposal development for research faculty in the College. She has an M.S. degree in biology from the University of Mississippi and experience coordinating research of a highly productive team at Northwestern University.
Holly Gillespie, M.S.
Research Associate
(864) 656-9882
Edwards Hall 452
hpgille@clemson.edu
Holly assists with a variety of tasks, facilitating both research development activities and research administration in CBSHS. She joined the team in 2022 after earning a M.S degree in social science from Clemson University.
Loria Cass
Office of Sponsored Programs Support Center Manager (Pre-award)
(864) 656-0110
Edwards Hall 403A
lcass@clemson.edu
Joining the team in 2023, Loria Cass coordinates the proposal development and submission activities for the Office of Sponsored Programs pre-award area. She has a degree in Business Administration – Finance from the University of South Carolina. She worked for nine years implementing the SNAP-Ed community outreach program for Clemson’s Youth Learning Institute. Her previous work experience includes proposal development, post-award reporting, financial analysis, technical writing, sales, and training.
Ellen Saltzman, M.A.
Proposal Development Specialist
(864) 656-0219
Edwards Hall 435
saltzma@clemson.edu
Ellen provides dual support within the Research Support Center team, working both on research development and grant proposal processing. She joined the team in 2018 after a long career at Clemson in funded research and public service. She has a master's degree in economics from Clemson University and a bachelor’s degree in economic geology and science and technology policy from Cornell University. Ellen is the author of numerous reports on state and local government finance (including education), tax policy and sustainable economic development.
Daniel Thrift, M.A.
Grants Coordinator
(864)-656-8937
Edwards Hall, Room 407A
djthrif@clemson.edu
Daniel works within the pre-award process for the CBSHS. His role is to assist in the preparation and submissions stage to ensure that research proposals are submitted in compliance with Clemson University policies, as well as with granting agency requirements. He joined the team in 2019 after completing a Master of Arts in history at Clemson, from which he also received a Bachelor of Arts in history.
Lauren Vance, B.S.
Grants Administrator (Award Acceptance)
(864) 656-4305
Edwards Hall 403A
lpvance@clemson.edu
Lauren serves as the University contact with sponsoring agencies in the negotiation of award agreements and acts as the liaison with Grants and Contracts Administration in processing the award for account set up. She has a B.S. degree in sociology with an emphasis in criminal justice from Lander University and a paralegal certificate in business transactions. She joined the team after 15 years of working in the legal field.
Elizabeth Hays
Grants Administrator
hays6@clemson.edu
Elizabeth works primarily with the pre-award process, assisting faculty with the processing and submission of grant proposals. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Dayton in 2009, and a master’s degree in Library & Information Science from the University of Missouri in 2013. Elizabeth joined the team in the fall of 2023 after working in public libraries for more than a decade..
