***OSP is currently revising its documents and forms. If you need a form, policy, or other resource that is not currently available on the website—or if a form is not working properly—please email [email protected] for assistance.
CMU's IRB has transitioned to using the web-based program Cayuse Human Ethics to manage human subjects research studies. No more paper or PDF forms! Please click here for more information.
An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee established by an institution to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects recruited to participate in research activities. Federal, state and university regulations require all human subjects research conducted by Colorado Mesa University (CMU) faculty, staff and students to be approved by the IRB before the research can be conducted. Sponsored Programs provides administrative support for these activities.
Any research which constitutes greater than minimal risk to participants must be reviewed by the Full Institutional Review Board. If the IRB determines during initial review that Full Board approval is needed, the protocol will be evaluated at the next IRB monthly meeting, provided there are at least two weeks between determination of Full Board review and the next IRB monthly meeting (see IRB Monthly Meeting dates below). If you anticipate your protocol may need Full Board review, it is recommended that you submit your protocol in Cayuse three to four weeks prior to the next IRB Monthly Meeting.
Most human subject research conducted on CMU’s campus will require an Expedited or Exempt Review. Expedited and Exempt review processes take approximately 2 weeks. Modifications and Class Waiver Requests will be responded to within 2 weeks.
IRB Virtual Office Hours
Questions? Confused by Cayuse or CITI? Want to discuss your project and get advice on protocol completion? Hop on Teams during the weekly IRB/IACUC office hours to chat with the IRB Administrator.*
Mondays 2:00 – 3:00 pm: Join the meeting now
Fridays 11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Join the meeting now
*If you cannot attend the office hours, please email [email protected] to schedule another time to chat.
These meetings and due dates are applicable for FULL BOARD protocol applications only. Exempt and Expedited protocol applications can be submitted at any time, including over the summer.
Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 Convened IRB Meeting Schedule:
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Wednesday September 10
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Wednesday October 8
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Wednesday November 12
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Wednesday December 10
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Wednesday January 21
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Wednesday February 11
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Wednesday March 11
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Wednesday April 8
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Wednesday May 13
The IRB has developed several useful tools for those engaged in, or considering, research projects at CMU.
- Decision Tree: Does My Project Require IRB Approval?
- What's the Difference between...Pedagogy, Course Assignments, and Disseminated Research?
- Types of Non-Human Subjects Research
- Research with Us!
Dr. Gannon White - Department of Kinesiology - IRB Chair
Dr. Gannon A. White completed his PhD in Exercise Science with an emphasis in Biomechanics from the University of Northern Colorado. While at UNC, Dr. White minored in Applied Statistics. He went on to teach Exercise Science and Statistics at the University of Arkansas for 9 years. He was also the graduate coordinator of the Exercise Science Program at the University of Arkansas. His research interests include EMG, economy of motion, or anything that is uniquely quantifiable.
Dr. Valeria Balogh - Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences (12/2027)
Valeria Balogh, PhD, teaches general psychology, social psychology, and human growth and development. She holds a PhD and MS in Health Psychology from Walden University. Her research interests focus on behavior change, particularly in areas of preconception health and integrative health behaviors, with an emphasis on motivation and personal relevance. In addition, Dr. Balogh is a certified health coach and yoga therapist, with nearly 10 years of experience in lifestyle change and wellness.
Dr. Shiang-Lih Chen McCain - Davis School of Business (04/2026)
Shiang-Lih Chen McCain,
Ms. Victoria Grasmick, MDiv - External Member, Intermountain Health (09/2028)
Victoria Grasmick is currently serving as the Community Health Program Manager for Intermountain Health St. Mary's Regional Hospital. She has been with St. Mary's for 10 years, first serving as a Staff Chaplain, then Manager of Mission Integration & Spiritual Care. She has a Bachelor of Animal Science from Colorado State University and a Master of Divinity from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. Victoria loves the journey that can be taken with people who are struggling with life, experiencing hardship, or lacking in social connection. Victoria is also an Army Veteran serving 16 years in the Transportation Corps as a Joint Forces Logistician.
Dr. Kathleen Hall - Department of Nursing (07/2027)
Kathleen Hall, PhD, teaches primarily in the graduate nursing program and oversees the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) program. Her clinical background and research interests are broad. She is a 2019 Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing from the National Hartford Center for Gerontological Nursing Excellence. In addition to gerontology, her interests include cultural aspects of care, chronic disease management, cancer survivorship, and health behavior change. Her research experience includes both quantitative and qualitative methods. Hall has published and presented her original research nationally.
Dr. Amy Hammerich - Department of Kinesiology (04/2027)
Amy Stone Hammerich, PT, DPT, PhD is an Associate Professor at Colorado Mesa University. She earned her Master of Science and Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Regis University. She earned a Ph.D. in Health and Behavioral Science from the University of Colorado with both quantitative and qualitative training, focusing on biopsychosocial outcomes for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. She has additional post-doctoral education in neuromuscular physiology with research focusing on neuromotor fatigue and steadiness in older adults. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists and a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in both Orthopaedic and Geriatric Physical Therapy. Her research, teaching, and clinical practice interests are in evidence-based spine and hip/pelvis orthopedic conditions, aging joints, fall prevention, and exercise prescription in older adults.
Dr. Julie Jung - Davis School of Business (05/2028)
Eunkyeong (Julie) Jung, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Hospitality Management and teaches courses in both hospitality management (event management, service quality, and hospitality marketing/sales) and business management (sales management and principles of management). She earned her PhD in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2021. Her research interests focus on sustainable and slow tourism, destination marketing, consumer behavior, and service experience. She employs both qualitative and quantitative research methods in her work.
Dr. Les Miller - Department of Languages, Literature & Mass Communication (7/2028)
Leslie C. Miller, as the only full-time philosopher at CMU, teaches most of the philosophy courses offered. He has a B.A. in Liberal Arts from CMU, an M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy from Claremont Graduate University, and is an APPA certified philosophical practitioner. His primary focus is on helping his clients and students learn how to mitigate their suffering and dare to flourish. This work is furthered by his position as Reviews Editor for the journal Philosophical Practice. His scholarly research, clinical practice, and publication interests lie in mindfulness and metacognition, which are essential elements in the service of reducing depression, stress, anxiety, PTSD episodes, and panic attacks. He has served on the IRB for more than 10 years and looks forward to continuing to protect the rights of human research subjects for years more.
Dr. Amy Niu - Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences (02/2027)
Amy Niu, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Colorado Mesa University. Her teaching and research center on developmental psychology, with particular focus on adolescent development, identity formation, and the experiences of first-generation college students. Her recent projects also explore the intersection of technology and youth development, including how digital media and AI shape self-perception and learning.
Dr. Rick Ott - Department of Mathematics and Statistics (09/2026)
Rick Ott, PhD, mainly teaches statistics courses, including Introductory Probability and Statistics, Sampling Techniques, Mathematical Statistics, Design of Experiments, Statistical methods, Engineering Statistics and Regression Analysis.
Ott has a variety of experience in the STEM fields. He worked as a aerospace engineer at the Johnson Space Center on the NASA Space Shuttle Landing Team. This experience has allowed Ott to introduce real life experiences and applications to his statistics classes.
He involves students in a variety of research projects. Topics have included municipality surveys, medical treatment analysis, engineering quality control, public health issues and games of chance.
Mr. Robert Rogers, FNP-C - External Member, Veterans Health Administration (09/2028)
Dr. Kristin Santos - Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences (04/2027)
Kristin Santos, PhD, earned two bachelor's of science degrees (criminal justice and psychology) from Lake Superior State University. She earned her Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati, and then went on to the University of Akron for her PhD in sociology with criminology and mental illness concentrations. An assistant professor in the criminal justice program, Santos currently teaches corrections; research methods; deviance; criminology; victimology; media and crime; and mental illness and crime. Her areas of research interest include criminology, domestic violence, power differentials related to violence, stalking, sexual assault, mental illness and deviance. Santos also has practical experience in corrections. She worked as a juvenile corrections officer with minimum to closed (maximum) security youth, often on sex offender and treatment units, as well as on general population units. She has also worked in a step-down crisis home for the mentally ill, often with people just released from jails and hospitals with mental health units, who need additional monitoring and structure before they can be fully released back into society.
Ms. T. Vail Shoultz-McCole - Department of Early Childhood Education, CMU Tech (10/2026)
Shoultz-McCole opened a child care facility and enjoyed teaching children between the ages of 2-6 for more than 14 years. In 1999, her childcare facility was chosen by Qualistar to win the quality rating grant. She is proud to say that for three years her facility was awarded the top 4 Star rating for quality. During that time she also attended Mesa State, now CMU, focusing on early childhood education part-time to attain her BA in social sciences and then completed her master in education early childhood. She is a Buell Fellow at Denver University. Recently she completed her second master's in instructional design.
Dr. Jeremy Tost - Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences (07/2028)
Jeremy Tost is an assistant professor of psychology, having earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology from New Mexico State University. He teaches Memory and Cognition, Research Methods, and other lower division courses. His doctoral training emphasized research design and applied statistics within a social-cognitive framework. His dissertation focused on cognitive mechanisms to improve self-control. Jeremy was part of the psychology program at Valdosta State University for seven years prior to arriving at CMU in August of 2018. Jeremy is currently investigating personality correlates of mystical experiences and the retrieval of long-term memories using virtual reality.
Contact Information to reach the IRB Chair and/or the Research Integrity Officer:
Colorado Mesa University - Institutional Review Board
ATTN: Office of Sponsored Programs
1100 North Avenue
Grand Junction, CO 81501-3122
Email: [email protected]