Research Leadership Team
Office of Research
ABOUT
Mark Van Dyke was born and raised in Michigan and earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Biology from Central Michigan University in 1988. He began his career as an analytical chemist at Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan, where he served as a study director for research programs supporting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval of new herbicides.
In 1991, Dr. Van Dyke joined Dow Corning Corporation, working in toxicology, silicone biomaterials, and medical devices. After receiving the Dow Corning Fellowship, he earned a Ph.D. in Chemical and Materials Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1998.
That same year, Dr. Van Dyke joined Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas, where he served as a principal investigator and study director for several large biomaterial development programs. His research focused on naturally derived biomaterials and their applications in wound healing and tissue engineering.
In 2004, he joined the faculty at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, expanding his work on keratin biomaterials for regenerative medicine. He later joined Virginia Tech in 2012 as a faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, where his research centered on keratin nanomaterials and their applications in medical devices, tissue engineering, drug and cell delivery, and trauma care.
In 2020, Dr. Van Dyke became Associate Dean for Research in the College of Engineering at the University of Arizona and a tenured professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. During his tenure, he led strategic research initiatives, major grant proposals, development of six research centers, faculty recruitment and onboarding, significant research facility upgrades, expanded industry partnerships, and helped triple the college’s annual research expenditures over six years.
Dr. Van Dyke has authored more than 100 journal articles and book chapters, is an inventor or co-inventor on 42 issued U.S. patents with more than 80 U.S. and international patent applications, and co-founded three startup companies. His teaching and research interests include regenerative medicine, biomaterials, and entrepreneurship.
Contact Us
Guggenheim Hall, Ste. 314
1500 Illinois St.
Golden, CO 80401
(303) 273-3327
research@mines.edu
Research Development
ABOUT
Lisa has been with Colorado School of Mines and the Office of Research since 2006. As director of research development, she creates and implements strategies that help increase institutional competitiveness and raise awareness of our research strengths. She also develops strategies that support our faculty, providing them with funding opportunities and facilitating research events that promote collaboration and foster team connections.
In her role in the Office of Industry Relations Lisa works directly with the Colorado School of Mines Foundation as a liaison to initiate and nurture relationships between faculty and industry partners.
Alyssa Von Lehman Lopez
Research & Proposal Development Manager
(303) 273-3014
avonlehmanlopez@mines.edu
ABOUT
Alyssa supports proposal development for the Mines research community. In this role, she provides proposal project management and writing support, analyzes and communicates funding opportunities, arranges professional learning for faculty, and manages the internal competition process. Prior to joining the Office of Research team at Mines in 2022, Alyssa worked for nearly a decade as a grants officer at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and in the office of sponsored research and programs at Metropolitan State University of Denver prior to that. She received an MA in English and Communication Development from Colorado State University and a BA in English from Western Washington University.
ABOUT
As the Research Grant Developer for the Office of Research, Jenny draws from a background in social science research and writing, the arts, and education to support faculty in the pursuit of research development excellence. Her diverse experiences brings a creative and inclusive perspective to proposal support, reflecting a commitment to fostering academia advancement through continuous learning.
She earned her Ed.D. at the University of Denver, with a research focus in critical arts-based methods. She hopes to make an important contribution to the research field using an innovative methodological approach that leverages the strength of the arts, education, activism, and research methods. Before joining the Office of Research, Jenny was the Associate Director of Communications for Mines Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She also holds an MA in Art & Design and an MA in Education Leadership & Policy Studies from the University of Northern Colorado.
Integrity & Security
ABOUT
As a member of the Research Integrity and Security (RIS) team, Erin supports a number of programs across several critical areas. These include organizing and implementing training for Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research, planning and facilitating activities of the Human Subjects Review committee, screening for export controls and undue foreign influence, supporting international travel by Mines personnel in reviewing destinations and technology plans, creating and managing content for the RIS website, and advising faculty, staff, and students. Prior to joining the Office of Research team at Mines in 2023, Erin was the Dean of the Library at Regis University and an academic librarian supporting digital initiatives and user experience, assessment, and research needs of students and faculty. Erin received an MLIS from Dominican University and a BA in Psychology from DePaul University.
ABOUT
Heather joined the Research Integrity and Security (RIS) team at Colorado School of Mines in 2024. Her work focuses on the security of sensitive research projects and ensuring cybersecurity accreditations for the school. She also advises on undue foreign influence and export controls. As a retired FBI Special Agent, Heather brings over 25 years of experience working criminal and national security matters to this role at Mines.
She earned a BA in Political Science from Iowa State University, MS in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University, and MS in Information Security from Regis University.
Federal Relations
Monica Kosanovich
Director of Operations, Federal Labs Educational & Research Partnership Programs
Resources
ABOUT
Dr. Diercks is Director of the Shared Instrumentation Facility, a Research Associate Professor in the George S. Ansell Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department at the Colorado School of Mines, and holds an affiliate research appointment at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Prior to Mines, Diercks was Manager of the Center for Advanced Research and Technology at the University of North Texas (UNT). He earned his Ph.D in Materials Science and Engineering from UNT, an MS in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign (UIUC), and a BS in Ceramic Engineering from UIUC.
His research interests involve using correlated micro- and nano-scale materials characterization techniques for the determination of composition and structure and relating those to performance. This includes work on photovoltaics, ceramic fuel cell and battery materials, nanowires, nanoparticles, and metal alloys.
In 2018, he was awarded an NSF MRI grant for the acquisition of a Raman imaging – Scanning Electron Microscope / Focused Ion Beam Instrument. He has more than 100 archival publications, has 2 issued patents, and has given over 10 invited talks.
Publications:
Google Scholar
ABOUT
Morgan D. Bazilian is Director of the Payne Institute and Professor of Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines.
Previously, he was Lead Energy Specialist at the World Bank. He has over two decades of experience in energy, natural resources, and environmental policy and international affairs. He holds a Ph.D. in energy analysis and was a Fulbright Fellow.
He is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and Ireland’s National Climate Council. He is a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center, and an adjunct professor of thermal physics at University College Cork.
He has published over 180 papers in learned journals, and his 2008 book: “Analytical Methods for Energy Diversity and Security” is a seminal work in the field. His work has appeared in Nature, Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, WSJ, Washington Post, New York Times, FT, and Foreign Affairs.
Dr. Bazilian was a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Advisory Council on Energy, and served as an advisor to the International Energy’s World Energy Outlook, for many years, as well as Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s Global Energy Outlook.
He holds (or has held) academic affiliations at The Royal Institute of Technology of Sweden, Columbia University, Cambridge University, Oxford University, and IIASA.
Dr. Bazilian was the European Union’s lead negotiator on technology issues at the UN’s climate change negotiations, and a member of the UN Expert Group on Technology. He was the first Chair of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership Programme Board, and a founder of the UNEP Public Finance Alliance steering group. He was a contributing author to the IPCC and the Global Energy Assessment, and served as an advisor to a €200M cleantech venture capital fund.
Previously he was a Deputy Director at NREL. Prior to that, Morgan worked as a senior diplomat in the UN. Prior to this post, he worked in the Irish Government as Chief Advisor for the Energy Minister, and was the Deputy CEO of the Irish National Energy Agency.
