The Office of Research Services (ORS) is comprised of a diverse portfolio of services that support the NIH mission. In this section - I AM ORS, we showcase the exceptional employees behind these vital programs.
Meg Richmond, Lead Immigration Specialist
Margaret (Meg) is lead immigration specialist for the non-FTE team, the largest team in the Division of International Services (DIS). Meg’s team handles visa processing for international trainees traveling to the U.S. for research at the NIH. Meg’s career started at the University of Maryland and Towson University, where she helped international students coming to study in the U.S.
Having studied abroad in Spain, Meg understands how beneficial and necessary it is to have help in a foreign country. Her time abroad sparked her interest in different cultures and inspired to her to help those traveling to the U.S. Meg enjoys knowing that her role makes a difference in people’s lives. “Every one of these folders is a person who we’ve helped to come [here],” Meg says, referring to folders containing various information on foreign trainees. “We support their research, so every time I’m doing visa work I’m helping someone in their day-to-day life.”
In her spare time, Meg likes traveling with her husband and daughter. She has traveled to Guatemala, Norway, Russia and Austria, and often travels to France. Meg also enjoys reading and chooses running as a form of exercise.
Anthony Conoway, Video Production Specialist
Anthony is a video production specialist in the Events Management Branch. The team provides conference/meeting support services, including live broadcasts of meetings and conferences available through CIT. Anthony captures various meetings, lectures and talks held at NIH that offer him exciting opportunities. “Every job that I do is pretty exciting,” Anthony explains. “Especially when I have an opportunity to be in Dr. Collins’ office, probably a couple times a month, to personally video him for different meetings and things he can’t attend.”
As a videographer, Anthony has had the opportunity to meet important people, such as presidents and members of Congress. He also receives first-hand information on medical findings, such as diseases and illnesses.
Anthony enjoys photography and creates portraits for families and professionals in his spare time. He often travels back home, to Mississippi, to visit his parents and family, including an identical twin brother. He has been at NIH for 32 years.
Chris Ward, Animal Health Surveillance Coordinator
Chris is an Animal Health Surveillance Coordinator in the Division of Veterinary Resources (DVR). Chris has worked in DVR under multiple roles for going on 32 years at the NIH. In her current role, Chris assures everything runs smoothly in the animal health surveillance program, a DVR program that monitors the health status of all NIH rodent animal colonies.
At the time of receiving a Bachelor of Science in Animal Bioscience, Chris says the field of laboratory science didn’t exist, yet she found a job in her degree area at NIH. Today, Chris says she enjoys being in contact with veterinarians throughout campus. She also really enjoys working with her team, who she says is “a very good team.”
From southern Pennsylvania, Chris was raised on a farm, where she grew up around animals. She currently owns eight horses and participates in community horse shows. In her free time, she enjoys the great outdoors and motorcycle riding with her husband.
