We are thrilled to announce that Rick Jaffe, Research Data Consultant and CollectionSpace Service Lead within Research IT, has been awarded the Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award (COSA). This prestigious honor is among the highest forms of recognition bestowed by the Chancellor, celebrating staff members who demonstrate exceptional initiative and a significant positive impact on the UC Berkeley community.
Rick was recognized for his outstanding contributions in two key areas: Commitment to innovation, adaptation, and efficiency and Commitment to enhancing Berkeley's mission and reputation.
Driving Innovation and Research Excellence
Rick’s work is foundational to the success of data-driven research at Berkeley. He provides expert guidance to campus researchers, helping them navigate complex data management policies and technical challenges. Notably, Rick spearheaded the campus-wide offering of REDCap, a secure data capture platform, moving it from a pilot program to a full-fledged service that supports critical research projects.
His commitment to efficiency was also highlighted by his instrumental role in two major cloud platform migrations—Berkeley Box and Berkeley Google Drive. During both efforts, Rick personally engaged with researchers and research labs across disciplines and departments to talk through available storage options and advise on the transfer of (in total) PBs of data, ensuring that valuable research was preserved while minimizing costs for the university.
A Vital Campus Partner
Beyond technical solutions, Rick is known as a trusted advisor and a master collaborator. Over the years, he has worked programmatically with Intellectual Property and Industry Research Alliances The Office for Protection of Human Subjects, Information Security Office, and the Privacy Office to ensure that researchers can meet stringent security requirements for grant awards and data use agreements. His ability to distill complex policies into accessible solutions allows faculty and researchers to focus on their core mission: groundbreaking research.
Reflections on the Award
Reflecting on the honor, Rick expressed deep gratitude for his team and the campus culture of problem-solving.
"I'm honored to receive the COSA, and moved by the recognition. Thank you to Ken, Erin, Amy and all our Research IT colleagues," said Jaffe. "At the ceremony, the Chancellor spoke with pride of UC Berkeley ‘staff seeing that there’s gotta be a better way,’ and then having the agency to make it happen. ‘To do.’ That describes the Research Data Management Program and Research IT well - the best place to work!"
The Research IT department extends its warmest congratulations to Rick Jaffe for this well-deserved recognition of his dedication, innovation, and unwavering support of the UC Berkeley research mission.