Mendy Kell is a go-to person for many people at S&T. She is a grants and contracts administrator in the office of sponsored programs, a position she has held for 16 years.

“I enjoy working at S&T,” Mendy says. “I have had some great bosses over the years who supported my hard work ethic and realized that and promoted me when the time allowed.”

She started at the university in a temporary, 18-month appointment as a senior clerk in the office of sponsored programs in 1993. With her foot in the door, she was next hired by the petroleum engineering department. She later worked at the nuclear reactor before returning to the office of sponsored programs in 2002 as a grants and contracts assistant. A year later, Mendy was promoted to her current position.

Mendy works on post-award and close-out, which means she helps faculty members who receive grant funding meet all the necessary requirements set by the funding agencies. She reviews terms and conditions, sends invoices to agencies, sets up a funding account for each grant, monitors expenses, submits financial reports and creates a summary after each project ends.

Mendy’s “beat” includes these federal agencies: Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Small Business Administration. She also oversees the post-award process for some National Science Foundation grants, as do her four colleagues who work in post-award. Mendy also fulfills special reporting requests.

“I enjoy working with the staff and faculty and federal sponsors and the relationships I have created over the years,” she says.

Mendy says she also enjoys seeing the success as research funding at the university grows.

“I enjoy a lot of special reporting I do,” Mendy says. “Part of the strategic plan is to increase research. I’m working with those numbers on a monthly basis and see as they increase.”

Mangia!

Outside of work, Mendy enjoys cooking and spending time with her family. Her favorite types of food are Italian and Mexican. Her favorite dish to make is chicken castalina, similar to an entrée on the Olive Garden menu, featuring artichokes and sun dried tomatoes.

Mendy’s husband, Shannon, is also a longtime S&T employee. An electrician for facilities services, Shannon has served the university for 22 years. The Kells have two children: a daughter, age 14, and a son, age 10. Mendy enjoys watching them play sports and stays busy with games year-round since their sports include basketball, football, track and volleyball.

Mendy at a glance

Hometown: St. James, Missouri

College: Graduated from Draughon Business College and has taken some business classes at Drury College and Columbia College

Advice to other employees: “Try and do the best job you can. I feel like my hard work has paid off as I’ve been promoted through the years.”

Favorite food: Mexican and Italian food

People are surprised to learn: Mendy’s sister also works at S&T (Krista Chambers, program support coordinator for the provost’s office)

Hobbies: Cooking and attending her children’s sporting events

Pets: Two dogs: a dachshund and a golden retriever poodle mix

Family: Husband, Shannon Kell, an electrician for facilities operations at S&T, one daughter, age 14, and one son, age 10

About the Staff Spotlight

Missouri S&T’s Staff Council launched the staff spotlight feature in February 2019 as a way to highlight staff members throughout the university. Legends Bank, Au Bon Pain and the S&T Store are sponsors. The articles are published in eConnection and shared on Staff Council’s Facebook page.

Step into the spotlight

Want the campus community to learn about what you do or your department? Nominate yourself for the spotlight by filling out a questionnaire or nominate someone you would like to see recognized by emailing news@mst.edu.