51³Ō¹Ļ

51³Ō¹Ļā€™s Echols taking on governmental relations duties in new assistant vice president role

Contact: Carl Smith

STARKVILLE, Miss.ā€”A longtime Mississippi State research administrator is taking on new responsibilities in government affairs.

Katie Echols, the Office of Research and Economic Developmentā€™s executive director for research initiatives and innovation, has been promoted to assistant vice president of research/associate director of governmental relations, effective Nov. 1. In her role, Echols will help identify new and developing federal initiatives and external funding opportunities for the university.

ā€œDr. Echolsā€™ immense experiences in the universityā€™s research enterprise and coordinating large, multi-institutional collaborative projects uniquely qualify her to join the government relations team as we seek to fortify and grow our federal partnerships that help drive the research and innovation that 51³Ō¹Ļ is known for,ā€ said Lee Weiskopf, 51³Ō¹Ļ chief of staff/director of government relations.

Echols started her 51³Ō¹Ļ career in ORED in 2007 after teaching science for four years in Golden Triangle middle and high schools. With ORED, she has served as the education and outreach coordinator, director of research analysis and support, and 51³Ō¹Ļā€™s official research integrity officer. In 2009, she joined the management team for the stateā€™s participation in the National Science Foundationā€™s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program. In 2023, she was appointed the overall director of the Mississippi EPSCoR program by the Mississippi Research Consortium.

A three-time 51³Ō¹Ļ graduate, Echols holds a bachelorā€™s degree in education and a masterā€™s degree and Ph.D. in public policy and administration.

ā€œDr. Echols has been a leader in our research community at 51³Ō¹Ļ for more than 17 years.ā€ said Julie Jordan, vice president for research and economic development. ā€œHer contributions have helped drive remarkable growth in 51³Ō¹Ļ's research enterprise. Already an expert in many federal programs, I am thrilled to see her take on these new responsibilities in helping guide our policy framework and shape new opportunities.ā€

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