After 39 years at the University of Washington, Assistant Director of Finance & Research Cy Talebi will retire Oct. 31.
Cy joined the UW in 1982 and served in a variety of fiscal and grant administration positions at the schools of Medicine and Health Sciences. He joined the School of Social Work in 2005 as assistant director of finance and research, where he supports the School’s nationally and internationally prominent faculty in pre- and post-award. He also oversees a team of three post-award staff.
“Cy has been a beacon of knowledge for the School of Social Work,” said Vicki Anderson-Ellis, Assistant Dean of Finance & Administration. “He used his vast experience to represent the School on many important committees. One of the most consequential was his role in the development of SAGE, the portal for grant submissions with the UW community.”
As part of a 12-person committee, Cy helped create the SAGE program more than 15 years ago. He also helped establish the UW Research Administration certificate—a series of free online courses that enables new staff members to better understand research administration. His work directly shaped the curriculum used by thousands of UW staff today.
Cy has been incredibly generous with his time and talents. During his tenure, he has mentored countless individuals and worked tirelessly to support faculty, staff and students in developing grants and overseeing post-award research administration.
Off campus, he is a die-hard Seahawks and Sounders fan and the repository of much sports-related knowledge and trivia. During retirement, he plans to spend more time with his sons and his two grandchildren.
Tasha Murphy will temporarily assume Cy’s duties in mid-October. She is a research scientist for the Behavioral Medicine Research Group and an administrator with the Office of Faculty Excellence & Research. During the search for Cy’s replacement, she will continue both her research role as well as support research submissions through SAGE and interactions with sponsors.
A retirement party to celebrate Cy’s many achievements will be scheduled when the public health situation improves. In the meantime, we offer our sincere congratulations to Cy on this important professional milestone.