A brief interview with Christopher Jados, Research Administrator at the UCI School of Physical Sciences
Christopher Jados with his family enjoy a pumpkin patch.
PSC: What brought you to UCI?
CJ: I recently moved to Orange County from Riverside, and I wanted to work closer to home. I was a Research Administrator at UCR prior to UCI.
PSC: What sorts of things do you do for UCI Physical Sciences?
CJ: I manage contracts and grants, and I also manage the post-award accounts for the Physical Sciences faculty, helping our professors keep detailed track of their funding and what they can use their grants for.
PSC: What do you like most about your work?
CJ: I love managing the grants and finances for faculty. Grants administration is a very rewarding career if you love numbers. There are jobs/careers that rely on the successful managing of the PI’s portfolio and it is a very important moving part of the university.
PSC: What do you find most challenging about your work? Please provide a specific example.
CJ: The most challenging thing would be the memorization of different sponsors and sponsor guidelines – there are a lot of details you wouldn’t know exist that can significantly impact how we can use a grant.
PSC: If there was one object at Physical Sciences that best captures the essence of your work, what would it be?
CJ: A calculator!
PSC: What might someone not know about the intricacies of your job upon first glance.
CJ: Many jobs – funded and not yet funded – rely on grant administration to successfully manage grants before and after they’re awarded to UCI.
PSC: What do you like to do aside from work at UCI ? What are some of your hobbies?
CJ: I love golfing, guitar, drums, tennis and hanging out with my family.