Sara Harmon

Experience

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  The Scripps Research Institute

  Apr 2004 - Sept 2011

  Research Admistration
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  Black Rock City

  May 2012 - Sept 2012

  Administrative Associate
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  University of California, Berkeley

  Dec 2012 - Jun 2018

  Program Manager and External Relations Specialist

  Leads a team of 6 staff in an academic department of 200 students (undergraduate and graduate). Manages the front office, department supply and resource expenditures, and creatively facilitates five annual departmental hospitality events, all on a mere total operational budget of $45K.Founder of the 1st departmental direct fundraising campaign for the annual campus 24-hour fundraising blitz, “The Big Give”: Directed the 2015, 2016 and facilitate the upcoming 2018 fund drives, cultivating relationships with top tier engineering corporations, alumni and donors, and offering creative donation incentives such as themed faculty lectures and student designed/made thank you gifts. The 2015 drive resulted in 166% increase in individual donations over previous years, and in both 2015 and 2016 the Department of Nuclear Engineering, the College’s smallest department by 15X, received the highest total number of gifts of 7 departments, and the second highest total dollar amount. In 2016, raised donations by 246% over the previous year by providing program overviews to the alumni donor network.Improved the department’s annual US News & World Report ranking from #8 to #5 by overhauling the department’s communication program and strategy, revamping a 7-year stagnant department fact sheet, adding new program categories and attractive visual content. Introduced student-centered communication strategies and added a student communications committee. Planning the department’s 2018 60th Anniversary Campaign, featuring a 500K fundraising campaign, multiple outreach activities, and alumni events.Organizational lead for the annual high school science educators workshop, a one-day program facilitated with the American Nuclear Society, to enhance teacher knowledge in nuclear sciences. Working with the scientific program lead, organizes the registration and participant experience and arranges all logistics. Show less

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  Nuclear Innovation Bootcamp

  Mar 2016 - Aug 2018

  Logistical Director

  To expand our ability to improve the environment and global health, a new level of innovation in Nuclear Energy is needed. The Nuclear Innovation Bootcamp trains the next generation of students in developing and executing ideas that work in the world by providing them the tools to make a real impact.Logistical director of the Nuclear Innovation Bootcamp (http://nuclearbootcamp.berkeley.edu/): Managed the financial and fundraising of the program and arranged all facilities, accommodations, and events with a remote team of five people. Executed a $45K (Yr 1) and a $75K total programmatic budget (Yr 2) by prioritizing line items, creating fundraising packages and strengthening corporate sponsorships, and implementing cost-effective, creative solutions for catering, locations, and attendee housing. In year two, personally created, presented and facilitated a team-building program to ease bootcamp teams through the five stages of team building. Show less

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  CalTeach

  Jun 2018 - Aug 2020

  Program Manager

  Manages a team of three staff and six student employees. Oversees all BSMI programs on a $1.3M annual budget, including administration of the CalTeach Minor and STEM Teacher Credential Program, Math for America Master Teacher Program, Summer Research Institute, Noyce Scholarship Program, Summer Internship Program, and Pre-Service Teacher Externship Program.

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  USEA Executive Board

  May 2019 - Jun 2022

  Member at Large

  USEA was founded in 2014 to represent the educational organizations that implement the UTeach Program (originally begun at UT Austin in 1997). The USEA Mission Statement:Developing STEM literacy for all students through innovation and excellence in university-based teacher educationhttps://usea.uteach.utexas.edu/

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  Joint BioEnergy Institute

  Aug 2020 - now

  Program Management - Science Communication - Educational and Community Outreach