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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Two Oregon State University research administrators have been honored by the nation's largest professional development organization for their field, the National Council of University Research Administrators.

The group elected Patricia Hawk, director of sponsored programs for the OSU Office of Research, as vice president and president-elect. Recently they also chose her predecessor, Peggy Lowry, for the 2011 Outstanding Achievement in Research Administration Award, which recognizes lifetime contributions to the profession and service to the organization.

This organization has more than 7,000 members around the world. Lowry is the coordinator for its peer review program. Hawk has chaired the program committee and, for the past eight years, conducted workshops on issues such as financial accounting and departmental research administration.

"Our primary charge is to be good stewards of grant funds in a way that minimizes the impact and burden on our faculty," said Hawk. "I have to credit NCURA with helping me build the expertise I've developed as a research administrator."

Among the recent challenges she has addressed are accounting for grants funded through the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act, preparing for financial audits and responding to evolving federal reporting requirements.