University of North Texas 
Kelly Basinger
Kelly Basinger is the Proposal Manager for the Advanced Environmental Research Institute.
She has been at the University of North Texas since 2018. Kelly has been working in
the proposal process with more than 20 years of experience in university, non-profit,
and private settings. She has submitted hundreds of proposals and won hundreds of
millions in funding and business. Her curiosity and care for others help guide teams
to success. Kelly also likes to coax faculty and staff success with her baking prowess.
Phone: 940-369-5776
Email: kelly.basinger@unt.edu
Office Location: EESAT 215 D
Phone: Samara (Sam) Cahill
Samara (Sam) Cahill received her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Texas
at Austin and her Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. She worked as a member
of the research faculty in the School of Humanities at Nanyang Technological University,
Singapore, for almost a decade. In addition to her academic publishing, grant writing,
and editing in the Humanities, she most recently worked as a Research Development
Officer supporting grant proposals for faculty associated with the Texas A&M University
Engineering Experiment Station.
Phone: 940-565-3469
Email: Samara.Cahill@unt.edu
Office Location: Science Research Building (SRB) 134
Kathy Dreyer
Kathy Dreyer is the proposal manager for the College of Business and the McNatt Institute
of Logistics. She has worked in grant proposal development in higher education for
over 20 years. Her experience includes creating proposals for and managing projects
funded by state, federal, and private funds. She earned her doctorate in Applied Gerontology
and has taught courses in gerontology, grant writing, and volunteer management. She
also has experience in strategic planning, evaluation, and grant writing. In her free
time, Kathy volunteers as a Stephen Minister, and as part of a grant writing team
for Special Olympics and the Monsignor King Outreach Center in Denton.
Phone: 940-565-3059
Email: katherine.dreyer@unt.edu
Office Location: BLB 331E
Holly Cieslikowski
Holly Cieslikowski serves as the Proposal Manager for the College of Health and Public
Service. Prior to joining the University of North Texas, she spent several years at
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, where she helped researchers
obtain funding in epidemiology, human genetics, environmental sciences, and occupational
health. Holly enjoys working closely with faculty and staff to build research teams
and develop competitive proposals.
Phone:
Email: Holly.Cieslikowski@unt.edu
Office Location: Chilton Hall
Dana Thomas
Dana Thomas began her journey in research administration in 2021 at Washington University
in St. Louis. It was there that she discovered her passion for the field and decided
to further pursue her career. As a Proposal Manager at UNT, Dana is committed to supporting
faculty members in their proposal submissions and resubmissions and providing them
with the necessary resources and guidance to enhance their chances of securing funding
opportunities for their projects..
Phone: 940-565-3851
Email: Dana.Thomas@unt.edu
Office Location: Virtual
Shantelle McDonald
Phone:Reach via MS Teams
Email: shantelle.mcdonald@unt.edu
Office Location: Hickory Hall 120C
Yao Zhou
Phone:940-565-2916
Email: Yao.Zhou@unt.edu
Office Location: Discovery Park