Meet the Team
Office of Research Services Staff Heading link
David Dubois, PhD, is the Associate Dean for Research. He heads the Office of Research Services, with a focus on earning grants and strengthening faculty and student research. He also serves as a Professor of Community Health Sciences and the Deputy Director of the Institute for Health Research and Policy. His research examines the contribution of protective factors, particularly self-esteem and mentoring relationships, to resilience and holistic positive development and on translating knowledge in this area to the design of effective youth programs. Contact him at dldubois@uic.edu.
Robin Sylvester is the Director of Research Services. She oversees day-to-day operations for the Office of Research Services. The office provides a range of services to support faculty, researchers, and students across all divisions of the School of Public Health, including research development, pre-award proposal development, research events and workshops, and training and education for SPH research administrators. Robin is a Certified Research Administrator (CRA) and earned her master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the UIC College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. Contact her at rbuell2@uic.edu.
Olivia Desormeaux is the Assistant Director in the Office of Research Services. She leads office pre-award staff and administers the SPH intramural seed funding program. Olivia has been with the office since 2018 and is a Certified Research Administrator (CRA). The North Carolina transplant earned her Masters of Social Work and Masters of Public Health in the dual degree program at the UIC School of Public Health and Jane Addams College of Social Work. Contact her at odesor3@uic.edu.
Debyante Porter Onduto is a Research Associate in the Office of Research Services. She is an MPH in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences student at the UIC School of Public Health. She received her B.S in Agricultural Science, Technical Systems Management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is an advocate for health equity and environmental sustainability. Contact her at dporter2@uic.edu.
Yssa Burgos is a Grants and Contracts Associate with the Office of Research Services. She supports pre-award proposal development and coordinates the annual Research and Scholarship Week. Yssa has earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Health from the UIC School of Public Health and is currently pursuing her MPH with the school. Contact her at mburgo7@uic.edu.