Leadership

Tawni Huffman

Executive Assistant to Vice President for Research

tawni.huffman@wsu.edu
509-335-5532

Tawni Huffman is the Executive Assistant to Dr. Christen, the Vice President for Research. She has worked in the WSU Office of Research since March 2018, and previously served the Office of Research in a variety of capacities, first as an Administrative Assistant and later as Principal Assistant. Huffman has served in her current role since 2020 and is instrumental in providing direct administrative support to the Office of Research leadership team.

Maria J. Hernandez 

Associate Vice President for Research Operations

maria.hernandez4@wsu.edu
509-335-7717

Services and Support

Maria J. Hernandez is the Associate Vice President for Research Operations. As AVP, she serves as an advisor to executive leadership, overseeing several critical functions of the Office of Research: research support, including data management, research security, and pre-award services such as proposal submission and contracts; research assurances (IRB, IACUC, etc.); information technology.

Hernandez has more than 18 years of experience in strategic planning, compliance, and financial management in complex research environments. She has led multimillion-dollar portfolios, strengthened research infrastructure, and built cross-functional partnerships that provide scientific teams with the tools, resources, and support they need to advance discovery and innovation.

Chad Kruger

Associate Vice President for Research Advancement and Strategy

cekruger@wsu.edu
509-335-4605

Services and Support

Chad Kruger is Associate Vice President for Research Advancement and Strategy. As AVP, he works closely with the Vice President for Research to provide long-range strategy and tactical planning, advancing WSU’s research mission. He leads system-wide efforts to expand WSU’s research impact through partnerships with industry, national laboratories, and cross-disciplinary consortia. He also oversees the Office of Research team providing research and proposal development services, and manages the office’s internal funding programs.

Kruger brings exceptional experience in sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, energy systems, and more. Prior to joining the Office of Research, he directed the WSU’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR) and served as assistant director for Agriculture, Extension, and Outreach for WSU’s Institute for Northwest Energy Futures. His experience spans numerous USDA, EPA, DOE, and state-funded projects focused on climate change, energy, and agriculture. Raised in a Washington farm family, Kruger also co-owns and operates a ranch in rural Eastern Washington with a small livestock operation.

Jonathan Male

Director of Energy Systems and Research Support

jonathan.male@wsu.edu 
509-335-0904

Services and Support

Jonathan Male is Director of Energy Systems and Research Support. As director, he supports WSU’s portfolio of energy-related research and advises Office of Research leadership on strategic planning around energy systems and sustainable aviation research.

With more than 20 years of research experience in energy-related fields—and numerous publications, patents, and presentations—Male has previously held research and management positions at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) from 2006 to 2013, and 2020; in 2021, he became the co-director of the WSU-PNNL Bioproducts Institute. From 2013 through 2020, Male directed the Bioenergy Technologies Office in the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. He is also adjunct faculty in the Biology Systems Engineering Department in WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS).

Donna M. Gerardi

Director of Research Engagement and External Partnerships

donna.gerardi@wsu.edu
509-335-5581

Services and Support

Donna M. Gerardi is Director of Research Engagement and External Partnerships, leading WSU’s efforts to strengthen strategic research partnerships with industry, federal agencies, and federally funded R&D centers. She serves as WSU’s primary liaison to national research labs—including Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)—and oversees initiatives that foster collaboration through joint projects, workshops, and formal agreements.

Gerardi brings nearly four decades of experience in science policy and leadership, including service as Executive Director of the Washington State Academy of Sciences and a distinguished career with the California Council on Science & Technology (CCST) and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, where she founded and directed the Office of Public Understanding of Science. 

Jeremy Tamsen 

Senior Director for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

jeremy.tamsen@wsu.edu

Services and Support

Jeremy K. Tamsen is Senior Director for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He and his team support WSU researchers in translating their innovations to real-world impacts by managing invention disclosures, start-ups, licensing, marketing, and other matters related to commercialization.

Since joining WSU in 2022 as an intellectual property specialist in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS), he has supported researchers in developing intellectual property, managed licensing and royalties, and overseen commercialization of high-profile assets like the Cosmic Crisp® apple. A nationally recognized expert in plant variety protection, he currently serves on the USDA’s Plant Variety Protection Board. Tamsen holds a B.A. from the University of Colorado and a J.D. from the University of Idaho (UI), where he was certified as a mediator; from 2016 to 2022, he led commercialization at UI and drove a 600% increase in royalty revenues.

Kellen Brumley 

Senior Director of Administrative Services

kellen.brumley@wsu.edu

Kellen Brumley is Senior Director of Administrative Services for the Office of Research. He oversees administrative matters, including personnel and fiscal management, for the Office of Research and research centers reporting through OR.

Previously, Brumley served in the U.S. Navy flying helicopters in San Diego, and later was the Assistant Air Operations Officer/Air Operations Officer at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. He left active duty after nearly ten years and earned his masters degree in accountancy and Certified Public Accountant license, while continuing to serve in the Navy Reserve. In 2017, he was mobilized to serve as the Air Operations Officer at an airfield in the Middle East. Kellen began his career in higher education in 2021 as the Manager of Student Accounts for the Community Colleges of Spokane before joining WSU in 2022 as Bursar. In 2024, after 20 years of service, he retired from the Navy Reserve. Brumley joined the Office of Research in 2025.