12 May 2025

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School of Dentistry staff member receives campus-wide award for support of research

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Patrick Lagua, senior manager of research administration at the School of Dentistry, has received a University of Michigan award for outstanding service in support of the campus research community.

Lagua received the Research Administration Recognition Award. He is one of 12 recipients from nine U-M schools, colleges and units who were announced by Arthur Lupia, the university’s Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation. Recipients will be recognized on May 22 at the annual Research Staff Recognition Awards ceremony in the Pendleton Room of the Michigan Union. Awardees receive a $1,000 personal honorarium.

As the director of the Office of Research, Lagua supports and facilitates all research functions at the School of Dentistry, including research administration of the school’s grants and contracts, research infrastructure, the Oral Health Sciences Graduate Programs and research strategic planning and initiatives. The work involves coordination with the National Institutes of Health and other public research entities, as well as corporate and foundation research funding. The Research Office is led by Dr. Vesa Kaartinen, Associate Dean for Research.

Dental school faculty and staff who nominated Lagua for the award cited his leadership, innovation, positive change, and ability to inspire and support other members of the research office. Faculty member Dr. Nisha D’Silva, whose lab focuses on head-and-neck cancer, said Lagua’s assistance to her team is “meticulous, precise and very organized,” adding: “I could not ask for a more detail-oriented, reliable and supportive administrative partner.”

Since 2001, the U-M Office of the Vice President for Research has celebrated the invaluable contributions of staff who play a crucial role in catalyzing, supporting and safeguarding U-M research activity. “The dedication and expertise of our staff are indispensable to the university’s thriving research community,” Lupia said.  “As we look to the future, their contributions pave the way for transformative discoveries and innovations. I applaud this year’s honorees for their exemplary achievements and unwavering commitment to excellence.”

Source: https://news.dent.umich.edu/