Siobhan Fleming to lead UTSA faculty research development

MAY 30, 2025 — After spearheading professional development for UTSA researchers for over five years, Siobhan Fleming will step into the role of interim assistant vice president for faculty research development on June 1, 2025.

In her current role as senior director of faculty research development, Fleming has been a dedicated advocate for researchers, working with the Faculty Development team to deliver workshops and organize the university’s Research Interest Groups (RIGs). This year, there have been more than 1,200 participants across the FRD workshops and RIG meetings. Fleming launched the first RIGs at UTSA in 2021 and now manages groups in nine core areas. Their monthly meetings help researchers from diverse disciplines combine their expertise to tackle complex problems.

"Our RIGs create a forum for faculty members to learn about research underway across the university,” Fleming said. "This gives them a head start in forming compelling grant applications when a transdisciplinary funding opportunity arises."

“Dr. Fleming breaks down silos and brings researchers from different disciplines together.”

Leslie Neely, a prominent researcher in the field of educational psychology and UTSA assistant dean for transdisciplinary research development, said that the Disability RIG has been instrumental in advancing her work and “expanding the reach of disability-focused research at UTSA.”

"The RIG has created a vibrant, cross-college community where researchers can share ideas, align complementary expertise, and form meaningful partnerships. It has helped connect me with colleagues in public health, engineering and computer science — relationships that directly contributed to successful collaborative proposals and new project directions,” she added.

Neely recently began a five-year collaboration with Morgan’s Multi-Assistance Center (Morgan’s MAC) and Southern Methodist University to help adults who are neurodiverse secure employment.

“The RIG played a critical role in supporting the early development of our evaluation and research work at Morgan’s MAC. It helped us engage faculty from across disciplines to join the effort, while also ensuring we remained grounded in community-engaged research values,” Neely said.

Fleming’s contributions to cross-disciplinary research like Neely’s were recognized in the University Excellence Awards earlier this month, when she won the Collaboration Champion award.

“Dr. Fleming breaks down silos and brings researchers from different disciplines together,” said Jennifer Sharpe Potter, UTSA interim vice president for research and UT Health San Antonio senior vice president for research. “I’m thrilled to see her stepping into this position, where she will continue supporting researchers across the university to advance interdisciplinary research that addresses grand challenges and strengthens UTSA’s growing research enterprise.”

In addition to the research development opportunities she offers year-round, Fleming is one of the first faces new faculty see when they attend Bold Beginnings at Roadrunner Nation.

Also known as the (NFA), Bold Beginnings is a four-and-a-half-day orientation that is a collaborative effort by the Provost’s Office, Academic Innovation and the Office of Research. The NFA introduces new faculty to their peer researchers as well as robust opportunities and resources to advance their research.

The AVP of faculty research development, a role previously filled by Nicole Beebe, oversees two departments in the Office of Research: Faculty Development and Special Projects. Continuing the work that Beebe began, Fleming will prioritize collaboration and relationship-building to further expand on the support, services and events that these offices provide.

“This academic year, the Faculty Development team developed and offered more than 50 distinct workshops,” Fleming said. “I’m looking forward to evolving our offerings and making them as robust and effective as possible. I’m also excited to look at new ways to leverage our signature events to benefit all researchers across our growing institution.” 

A seasoned higher education professional, Fleming brings over two decades of experience as an administrator, researcher and adjunct faculty member to the role. Prior to arriving at UTSA in November 2019, Fleming was the associate vice president of academic affairs/institutional effectiveness at the University of St. Thomas. She has also served as the associate vice chancellor of research and institutional effectiveness at the Lone Star College System in Northwest Houston. From 2004 to 2005, she was a research fellow at University College Dublin's College of Education.

Her academic background includes a B.A. in English literature from the University of St. Thomas, M.A. in journalism from Pepperdine University and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Research, Policy and Management from the University of Oregon.

— Audrey Gray