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Research and Innovation Strategy (RIS) provides support services to USC investigators through a number of activities and programs, including administering internal funding programs, overseeing nominations for limited submission funding opportunities to external sponsors, managing of shared resources through Priority Software FBS and facilitating faculty mentoring and training through the Office of Research and Innovation (OORI)’s Center for Excellence in Research.
Robyn Hejmej
Robyn Hejmej serves as Executive Director of Research and Innovation Strategy (RIS) in USC’s Office of Research and Innovation (OORI). In this role, she leads efforts to expand the university’s innovation ecosystem, strengthen research-driven entrepreneurship, and increase the societal impact of USC research; her portfolio includes internal research and innovation funding programs, limited submissions, faculty recognition, major proposal strategy and grant development, and cross-campus partnerships that support USC faculty, researchers, students, and founders. Robyn has been with USC for more than 12 years and has played a central role in developing programs and partnerships that reduce barriers to innovation and help move research-driven ideas from the university into the world. Prior to joining USC, she managed scientific proposal operations for the Evidence Synthesis and Decision Modelling practice group at Precision Health Economics. She holds a Master of Health Administration from USC and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Butler University, and is currently pursuing an EdD in Organizational Change and Leadership at the USC Rossier School of Education.
Jordan Locy
Jordan Locy serves as Program Manager of Research and Innovation Strategy (RIS) in USC’s Office of Research and Innovation (OORI). In this role, Jordan oversees RIS’s grant development team, who assist faculty across the entire university by providing proposal development support, funding intelligence, and funding opportunity monitoring, among other services; Jordan also leads faculty recognition efforts, innovation ecosystem development activities, and institutional advancement initiatives through faculty engagement and focused, strategic research development. Jordan has been with USC for 8 years working within the strategic research advancement space. She holds a Master of Communications from USC and a Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Science and English from the University of California, Berkeley, and is currently pursuing a Master of Education in Learning Design, AI, and Emerging Technologies at the USC Rossier School of Education.
Mia Moreno
Mia Moreno serves as Executive Assistant in OORI’s Research and Innovation Strategy (RIS) unit, where she provides executive and operational support to senior leadership and helps advance strategic initiatives across the university’s research and innovation enterprise. She manages executive operations, coordinates complex internal and external engagements, and supports cross-campus collaborations that strengthen research partnerships, innovation, and faculty engagement. Mia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Ethan Bochicchio
Ethan Bochicchio serves as Grant Writer for Research and Innovation Strategy (RIS) in USC’s Office of Research and Innovation (OORI), a position he joined in the fall of 2022. In this role, Ethan supports faculty and research teams by developing grant proposal materials, drafting and editing proposal narratives, copyediting and formatting submissions, coordinating supplemental documents, and helping manage submissions; he also writes science stories and feature articles for the Office of Research and Innovation website, highlighting USC research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Ethan graduated from Wittenberg University in December 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Philosophy, where he received the Hartje Award for History.
Helen Immerso
Helen Immerso serves as Grant Writer for Research and Innovation Strategy (RIS). In this role, she helps faculty develop and write competitive research proposals, gathers and stores supporting materials in a central hub to ensure organization and keep projects on track, maintains open communication, and sets timeline reminders with the team while providing edits or writing support for various documents; she also writes endorsement profiles to submit nominations for faculty members, which help highlight their work and career trajectory to secure awards and professional memberships. Helen’s passion for technical writing stems from her academic background; she holds a B.A. in English and a B.A. in History from UCLA (2018), and an M.A. in English and a Professional Writing Certificate from CSULB (2021).
Ashley Gordon
Ashley Gordon serves as Senior Research Administrator in Research and Innovation Strategy (RIS). As one of the first members of RIS, having joined USC in 2007, Ashley is experienced with all aspects of proposal preparation; she specializes in budget preparation and coordination, especially for large multidisciplinary and multi-institutional proposals, and assists with the coordination and completion of the administrative tasks associated with large proposal submissions. She also serves as the office’s infographics designer and has developed graphics for proposals submitted to multiple federal funding agencies. Ashley has a B.S. in Bioinformatics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (2006).
Melody Pham
Melody Pham serves as Program Administrator for the university’s core facility management platform, Priority Software FBS, supporting over 50 research cores across both USC campuses. As the primary point of contact for core facilities and system users, she provides guidance, training, and operational support to ensure effective platform utilization and seamless workflow management; Melody also supports the administration of internal research awards by processing award payments and maintaining accurate and timely distribution of funds. Melody earned a BA in Psychology from California State University, Northridge.
Silvia da Costa
Silvia da Costa serves as Director of Research Initiatives and Infrastructure. In this role, she manages internal grant programs that support research across the university and oversees the university’s core facility management and chargeback platform. Prior to joining USC, she was a Research Scientist at Access Business Group, where she researched medicinal plants and evaluated botanical formulations for therapeutic use. Silvia holds bachelor’s degrees in physics, journalism, and French, and earned a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from USC’s Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; she speaks English, Portuguese, French, and Spanish.