Faculty, staff and students of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology conduct a host of research thanks to the hard work of a host of administrators.

We interviewed one of our key staff involved in the process, Maral Kismetian, to get background on her responsibilities, career path and the most rewarding parts of her job.

Q: What attracted you to attend Fresno State as a graduate student?

Kismetian: "I moved to the Central Valley in 2006 and started working at Fresno State. I love that our campus leadership supports continued education and professional development of their staff. I was interested in public administration, and Fresno State has a great MPA program."

Q: What's your favorite part of your job?

Kismetian: "I love the variety and diversity of my grant portfolio. Any given day, I work with faculty and staff members from different disciplines from agriculture to engineering to economic development. My work is always changing and evolving. I love learning and my job allows me to grow and expand my knowledge in research administration."

Q: Explain what your main responsibilities are for those not involved with the research grant process.

Kismetian: "I assist and guide our faculty and staff members with their grant applications and/or contract negotiations for many different types of projects including research, student support programs and community/economic development projects. I coordinate the submissions of these proposals and if successful, negotiate the awards with the funding agencies."

Read more about Kismetian, her background and her responsibilities here.