Growing in a Career that Supports Research

Alice Camacho is associate director of finance administration in Feinberg’s Basic Science Administration. Camacho has been with Northwestern and working to support the research enterprise at Feinberg since 2004, when she served as program coordinator and then manager of research administration.  

Where is your hometown?  

I was born and raised in Chicago. I grew up in the Albany Park neighborhood where I attended Alessandro Volta Elementary School and then attended Lane Technical High School.   

What led you to Northwestern?  

During my last year at DePaul University, I had the opportunity to work closely with one of my professors on a community project. My professor, Gemma Welsch, referred me to a position at Northwestern University where I started as a temp and grew professionally. It was an exciting new chapter to work for a top tier university.   

What are you currently working on?  

The BSA Finance Team manages the financial operations for the Basic Science Departments. We try to develop policies, procedures, and guidance that not only ensures compliance, but is also practical and helpful. Consequently, I am currently working on updating the equipment and reimbursement checklists to help streamline the review process. We are also working on updating the BSA Finance Website. In addition, as we gear up to close the fiscal year, we are preparing to meet and share financial system and fiscal year updates with the labs and staff.    

How does your work support the research enterprise at Feinberg?  

We work closely with lab staff, administrative staff, students, researchers, and faculty to ensure all financial transactions including procurement, payments, deposits, and budget management comply with policies and regulations and are handled successfully.    

Why do you enjoy working at Northwestern? 

It has been a privilege from day one to serve a leading private University where we focus on clinical, research, and academic advancements. My journey began when I was hired permanently as Program Coordinator, then moved into the Research Administration job family, which allowed me to become a Business Administrator for a top ranked department, to now being an Associate Director of Finance. Northwestern’s collaborative culture and commitment to making the world a better place brought purpose to every role I served in, which made the work even more enjoyable.