A Q&A with Senior Research Engagement Coordinator Jeff Daily
Veteran UT man and avid reader Jeff Daily has spent almost two decades on the Forty Acres, bringing valuable experience and expertise to the Research Development team in the Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors.
How long have you been at UT Austin? Have you worked in any other schools/departments?
I’ve worked at UT for 18 years. A large portion of my time was spent at the College of Natural Sciences where I worked – principally as an academic advisor – at the Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Computer Science.
After that I went to Dell Medical School’s newly opened Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department where I was fortunate enough to work with the first class of med students, in Psychiatry, as an education coordinator. After this role I joined the Research Development team at the Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors.
Are you a Texan native?
Not exactly. I was born in San Diego, but I grew up outside of Dallas-Fort Worth in Grapevine before moving to Austin.
As Senior Research Engagement Coordinator, what does your role entail?
My role is multifaceted. My day-to-day includes engaging research incubator teams, coordinating various ongoing projects such as RD events like New Faculty Lightning Talks, and maintaining data for the program. I am also responsible for building strong relationships with faculty and other team members.
What’s it like working with the Research Development team at OVPR?
It’s a unique experience for me because I worked in academic units for most of my career and the RD mission is quite different and forward-thinking due to the nature of what research projects entail. I’m thrilled to be part of such a high-functioning team who all believe in contributing to projects that will have outcomes years down the road.
What do you like doing when you’re not creating connections between new faculty and promoting research?
Hanging out with my wife and son, be it going out looking for new things for the home, watching movies, playing games with my son, or taking him around Austin to play with his friends. My time outside of work is full.
I’m a constant reader, which is my biggest hobby. I read during the few quiet moments I have each day at home. I currently have six books on the go, including ‘Authority’ by Jeff VanderMeer, and ‘Wolves of the Calla’ by Stephen King. My favorite book of all time is probably ‘The Portable’ by Jack Kerouac.
I play guitar too, which at this point in my life has become a kind of meditation. It’s a way for me to relieve stress and just mellow.
Where is your favorite place on earth?
I’m a homebody, so being at home is the absolute best, but a very close second to being at home is being at a good used bookstore. Going through shelves of books with an open mind, searching for that next great read is a blast for me.
The headline of this profile is a play on the song title, Tangled Up in Blue, written by Bob Dylan in 1974.