New Associate Director for Contracts and Grants named

For Annie Nereng, coming to campus for her first day as UD’s associate director of contracts and grants was like coming home. A 2010 graduate of UD’s School of Law, Nereng was already well versed in the University’s identity and mission. In 2013, she created and taught a course on contracting with the federal government for the School of Law, which became the genesis for what is now the School’s graduate program in government contracting and procurement.

"I am very grateful and excited for the opportunity to serve UDRI and the University,” Nereng said. “The UD community has always felt like family, and I could not be more proud of the work they're doing!”

Annie also brings with her ten years of experience in government contracting through her roles as contracting officer and contract negotiator at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

As associate director, Nereng will oversee post-award and subcontracts administration for faculty and UDRI researchers; she will also support pre-award activities.

“The University’s research volume continues to grow at healthy rate, even during the pandemic. Annie joins us at a time when it is critical to maintain that growth in an increasingly complex regulatory environment,” said John Leland, vice president for research.   

“Filling this position was a yearlong endeavor that required the assistance of executive placement firm Harris Search Associates, because professionals with Annie’s qualifications are in high demand,” Leland added. “But it was worth the wait; we are blessed to have someone who is not only highly skilled in the intricacies of government contracting, but someone who is already passionate about UD and its community.”

During her tenure with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Nereng developed expertise in researching regulatory and policy issues, creating legal documents and reports, and dispute resolution, among other facets of contracting. Most recently, she was a contracting officer and team leader in the KC-46 program, where she developed a reputation for solving the hardest problems. Annie’s knowledge of UDRI’s largest customer will no doubt prove invaluable to our organization.

“Annie is held in high regard by her peers for her strong work ethic, analytical capabilities and collaborative nature, and she is already proving to be a great asset to the University and UDRI,” Leland said.

September 2, 2020