Sara Hernando is Assistant Director for Research Engagements in OVPR. When she isn’t taking care of her newborn daughter Moonie, she works as part of the Research Development team, managing strategic partnerships with the City of Austin (COA), Sandia National Laboratories and other key collaborators engaging in research on the Forty Acres.
What is your role at UT? How long have you worked at the University?
My role is to manage OVPR’s strategic partnerships and help these keys collaborators think holistically about how they engage in research at The University of Texas at Austin.
I’ve worked at UT for seven years! I served as the Senior Alumni and Corporate Relationship Manager for Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (PGE) Department (and before then as the PGE event coordinator) before moving over to OVPR. Getting to work with students, faculty and external stakeholders was fulfilling and prepared me to enter this new, exciting role.
As the Assistant Director for Research Engagements at UT Austin, you play an extremely important role in establishing and maintaining key external partnerships. Can you elaborate on the position, whom you work with and what your day-to-day responsibilities include?
My role is to understand the mission and priorities of each external partner and explore the natural alignment with UT Austin researchers and overall institutional research priorities, while providing improved and/or new pathways for collaboration. The connections made through these alignments often serve as seeds for projects that can turn into big opportunities.
A second and related part of the role is to understand what structures within the partnership are needed to encourage those deeper and more sustaining relationships. This might include engaging the groups in workshops, info sessions, and/or small group meetings related to specific topics. An example of this was our Sandia Day 2023, when UT and Sandia leaders met on campus to review, plan and shape ongoing and future collaborations in key areas that reflect the organizations’ common priorities and strengths. This event resulted in the development of multiple connections between the two organizations’ PIs, who are now working on new collaborative efforts.
What is it like working as part of the RCI team? Is there much collaboration? Please elaborate.
When I started working with the Research Collaborations and Impact (RCI) team, I was struck by how collaborative, thoughtful and motivated each of my colleagues were. It was and continues to be so inspiring! I’m lucky that I get to work with each of them in a different way, and take any opportunity to collaborate. In the past, I’ve had the privilege of working with Grand Challenge program directors, event coordinators and leadership (I recently had the opportunity to visit Sandia National Labs with Deputy VPR, Jennifer Lyon Gardner, and VPR, Dan Jaffe), and have received mentorship from supervisors who generously give me their time and attention. Each interaction pushes me to think more strategically about the role and its potential.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not managing and supporting some of UT Austin’s most important external partnerships?
Drinking coffee and lots of family time! We welcomed my daughter, Camilla (aka “Moonie”), into our family in October, and we are loving this new phase of life. Lots of coffee needed, though — it’s crazy how much you can still accomplish with the right amount of caffeine, despite the lack of sleep. I also enjoy reading fiction and running. Prior to the baby, I had the privilege of traveling internationally almost every year of my adult life. I’m hoping to return to that soon, though I’m sure it will be different.
How long have you lived in Austin? Where are you from originally?
I’ve lived in Austin for 18 years, and this definitely feels like home now! However, I’m originally from El Paso, and it will forever hold a very special place in my heart.
What’s your favorite thing about the Lone Star State?
I feel grateful to live in a state where almost all of my family resides. The breakfast tacos don’t hurt, either. When I visit other states, I often wonder, “What do you eat every morning?”
The title of this profile is a reference to the song by the same name written by Daryl Hall and John Oates in 1975.