Deborah F. Stiles

Role and Responsibilties

Deborah Stiles is currently the Vice President for Research Operations and Policy, and Chief Operating Officer in the Office of the EVP for Research, a position she has held since 2004, when the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research was established.  As the Vice President for Research Operations and Policy, she manages nine University-wide offices that constitute the backbone of Columbia’s $1 billion research enterprise.  These operations include grants and contract processing, the clinical trials office, human and animal research review boards, postdoctoral affairs, environmental health and safety and the animal facilities.  With the Executive Vice President for Research, she has been responsible for consolidating and restructuring these operations and improving business processes to increase efficiency and develop better client service to the research community.  In addition, she initiated the formation of offices for research compliance and training and research initiatives.

Biography

Prior to joining Columbia, Ms. Stiles was a corporate partner at the international law firm, Debevoise & Plimpton, having joined the firm as an associate in 1976.  At Debevoise, she was head of the firm’s Finance Practice Group and had extensive experience in its finance and private funds practices.  She was an associate at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton from 1974-1976.

Ms. Stiles received her B.A. from Radcliffe College, magna cum laude, in 1969, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.  She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude, in 1974.

Ms. Stiles is a member of the Dean’s Council of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.  She is a member of the Board of Directors of The Collegiate Chorale.  She is also a member of the Board of Directors of New York Small Business Venture Fund LLC and New York Small Business Venture Fund II & III LLC that invest in economic development projects in New York City. Ms. Stiles is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.