Cheek serves as a program manager in the Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology in the Department of Medicine, working alongside principal investigators and collaborators at IU School of Medicine and other institutions.
Recently, she was praised by a grant consultant in the Indiana University Office for Research Administration (ORA) for the supportive and professional nature with which she approaches her work.
Cheek’s helpfulness is felt throughout the division, said Chelsie Willoughby, the Gastroenterology/Hepatology division administrator.
“Kaelea is such a fantastic mentor, coach and friend to others,” Willoughby said. “She's helped numerous colleagues in the past two years as they've journeyed into their new careers in research administration. I'm so grateful for her team-player mentality and willingness to help others despite her own busy and intensive workload.”
A Q&A with Kaelea Cheek, Hepatology Program Manager
How long have you been in your current role? How long have you been at IU?
I have been in my current role since November 2021, but I have been with IU almost 8 years. Last year I received my CRA (Certified Research Administrator) from RACC.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I most enjoy the relationships I have built with my colleagues and the faculty members that I support. Each one of them help me grow and have turned me into the research administrator I am today.
Please share a bit about the people at work who inspire, challenge and motivate you.
In my new position, I work closely with other GI/Hep staff, and I love seeing how everything comes full circle. I feel like seeing how everything intertwines and how hard everyone works across an entire division makes me a better research administrator.
How do you like to spend your time when you're not at work?
I enjoy spending time with my husband and two children. We enjoy going to football games, camping and spending as much time outdoors as possible!
I am the Assistant Chapter Director for the Adalynn Strong Chapter of The Cure Starts Now, a 501C3 organization raising funds and awareness for pediatric brain cancer. We host many events around the southside of Indianapolis/Johnson County, and we will be hosting a 5K in June to raise funds for research! This organization is very near and dear to my heart as my best friend lost her daughter, Adalynn, to DIPG at only 4 years old.