Stephanie Hyche is the director of the Office of Research Development at Mississippi State University. Stephanie has over 20 years of experience in sponsored programs management, administration, and development, having worked as a project director, proposal writer, and research administrator prior to her current role.  Stephanie holds bachelors and master’s degrees in English and Higher Education from The University of West Alabama and has completed coursework toward the Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration at MSU.  In 2018, Stephanie was tasked with establishing the MSU Office of Research Development, which has since grown into a fully staffed, comprehensive service office for research support services and capacity-building. Activities of the office include coordination of professional development and grant-related training for MSU investigators, research administrators, and project stakeholders; identification of strategic funding opportunities and development of collaborative and multi-disciplinary proposals for individual investigators and teams; strategic intelligence and oversight for institution-level efforts; development and facilitation of resources and direct assistance to individual investigators with proposal development and project design; and support for research engagement and impact throughout the campus community. Stephanie is a Certified Research Administrator and is a long-time member of the National Council of University Research Administrators, the National Organization of Research Development Professionals, and the Society of Research Administrators International, for which she has presented and served in various capacities, including a term as Chapter President for the Alabama-Mississippi Chapter of SRAI in 2020. She and her husband Kirk have two sons, Max, Anthropology student at MSU and Otto, a 2024 senior at Starkville High School.