Barbara Blake Gonzalez, chief administrative officer of Old Dominion University's Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy, has been selected to serve as a member of the Research Administrators Certification Council's Certified Research Administrator (RACC's CRA) Item Review Committee. The two-year appointment began March 1.
Blake will participate in reviewing questions focused on specific areas of need or changes in research administration. The resulting questions would be considered for inclusion in the exam question bank for future versions of the national Certified Research Administrator examination.
Robert McNab, director of the Dragas Center, praised Blake's appointment to the national committee.
"The Dragas Center has a regional and state reputation for delivering high-quality products on time and schedule, a reputation that requires administrative excellence," he said. "Dr. Blake's appointment to the RACC national committee is a sign of the respect she has earned in Hampton Roads and across the United States."
Blake obtained her CRA credential in 2019. Gaining the designation of Certified Research Administrator® (CRA®), Certified Pre-Award Research Administrator (CPRA®) or Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA) means that an individual has met the requirements of the Research Administrators Certification Council's (RACC) eligibility requirements and has demonstrated a level of knowledge necessary for a person to be a professional research or sponsored programs administrator.
Blake has been a contributing author to the Dragas Center's highly regarded State of the Region and State of the Commonwealth reports since 2015. Her research interests include the economics of social issues, including the opioid epidemic and domestic and international migration.
She earned her B.S. in international business from High Point University, a masters in international studies from the University of Leeds and a doctorate in higher education administration from George Washington University.
