Welcome to the page dedicated to the Administrative Office of CNS. The role of our office is to work with the CNS Management Team, CNS technical staff, Harvard central, departmental and research group administrators, and CNS/NNIN Users to ensure the smooth operation of the Center.

A sampling of the work that goes on in our office includes:

• Managing the CNS/NNIN User Program
• Maintaining the CNS Scheduling Tool
• Processing monthly billings for facilities usage
• Maintaining CNS Website
• Monitoring CNS sponsored program accounts
• Tracking and reporting User statistical data
• Acting as a liaison with NSF and NNIN home office at Cornell
• Creating budgets and tracking/reporting on expenditures
• Coordinating all CNS purchasing with SEAS Purchasing Office
• Working with SEAS Accounting Office to manage CNS finances
• Monitoring CNS Seed Money and Visiting Scientist Projects
• Arranging for talks, seminars and CNS visitors
• Providing meeting support for CNS management and technical staff
• Overseeing CNS IT Department and projects
• Answering questions from current and potential users
• Resolving issues and answering CNS Staff questions
• Assisting with CNS advertising and publications
• Preparing reports on CNS activities for Harvard and other visiting committees
• Working on anything else that needs to be done for CNS that is of a non-technical nature

We are a very busy office but never too busy to assist or answer questions from Users, staff or Faculty. If you ever have any questions or concerns regarding CNS policy, procedure, or any other aspect of the Center, please feel free to stop in and speak to one of us. Also, feel free to call or email us with your questions or concerns. Although CNS is not a retail business, we utilize some fundamental business principles in the way we interact with the CNS/NNIN User community. We view Users as our “clients” and we are committed to providing a very high level of prompt, courteous customer service to those who work for or with CNS.

Please feel free to contact us at anytime by phone at 617-384-7411 or 617-384-7245 or by email at info@cns.fas.harvard.edu

We appreciate and welcome any suggestions or comments you have that may improve our office or the Center in general.

The CNS Administrative Staff

Jim Reynolds is the Assistant Director of CNS. Jim has worked for Harvard since August of 1996 and has held several different positions in his time at the University. He started out as a Purchaser for the UIS Department’s campus computer store, The Technology Product Center (TPC). He was promoted to Purchasing Manager in 1998. In the fall of 1999, he left UIS and took a position in Harvard’s Office for Sponsored Research (OSR), since renamed the Office for Sponsored Programs, as a Staff Assistant. In 2000, he was promoted to Research Administrator and worked on sponsored funds for several science departments within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

In 2001, he accepted a position in the Department of Physics to work 50% as the Lab Director of Professor Charles M. Marcus and 50% as an administrator for the then Center of Imaging and Mesoscale Structures (CIMS). In 2002, he accepted the position of CNS Administrative Manager. In August of 2007, Jim became the Assistant Director of CNS.

Jim’s primary responsibilities include carrying out the directives of the CNS Management Team, overseeing the Administrative Office and IT staff, financial and user data reporting, developing and managing the CNS/NNIN User Program.

Jim and his wife, Kate, currently have one child, Henry Gabriel Reynolds who was born on October 23rd, 2004. For a picture of Henry, click here.

In his spare time, Jim enjoys floor hockey, American rural and folk music from 1920-1960, hiking, and the short stories and novels of Isaac Bashevis Singer.

Rhonda Gibson is currently a staff assistant at CNS who is the first point of contact for many CNS users. She has worked at Harvard since
2004 in similar administrative support positions before joining the team in August 2005.

Her main duties include, enrolling users in the CNS/NNIN User Program, assisting with CNS facility billing and invoicing, assisting in maintaining the CNS scheduling tool as well as tracking and reporting user statistical data to the NNIN.

Rhonda’s outside interests include her love of modern art, interior decorating and French culture

Maureen Daniels recently joined the CNS administrative team. She made the transition over from Harvard’s EH&S Department where she worked since 2003 in a similar administrative role.

Her primary duties include, assisting with CNS facility billing and invoicing, procurement, and reimbursements, parking coordinator, and facility access coordinator

Maureen’s outside interests include her passion for photography, fine dining and travel.