Kristen Schwendinger, JD, Mpa
About Kristen Schwendinger, JD, Mpa
Kristen Schwendinger, JD, MPA, serves as the Deputy Research Integrity Officer at The George Washington University, where she provides compliance support to researchers and manages quality improvement projects. With a diverse background in law, bioethics, and research integrity, she has held various roles in academia and government, including positions at the HHS Office of Inspector General and Indiana University Bloomington.
Current Role at The George Washington University
Kristen Schwendinger serves as the Deputy Research Integrity Officer at The George Washington University, a position she has held since 2023. In this role, she acts as a liaison between the Office of Research Integrity and external auditors, inspectors, and experts. Additionally, she provides holistic compliance support to researchers across ten schools and 100 research centers. Schwendinger is responsible for managing multi-year projects and workflow processes, with a focus on quality improvement plans. She also develops and delivers instruction on emerging risks and new compliance technologies.
Previous Experience in Research Integrity and Law
Before her current role, Schwendinger worked at the HHS Office of Inspector General in various capacities, including Associate Counsel from 2010 to 2015 and Senior Counsel from 2015 to 2017. She also served as a Law Clerk at the same office in 2010. Her legal experience extends to her time as Senior Counsel at Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP from 2019 to 2021 and as Senior Managing Consultant at Berkeley Research Group LLC from 2017 to 2018. These roles provided her with extensive knowledge in compliance and legal matters related to health and human services.
Educational Background and Qualifications
Kristen Schwendinger holds a Juris Doctor (JD) from Washington University in St. Louis, where she studied from 2007 to 2010. She also achieved a Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) from the same institution, starting her studies in 2002. Additionally, she completed a Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a focus on Social Entrepreneurship and Nonprofit Management at Indiana University Bloomington from 2005 to 2007. Schwendinger further enhanced her expertise in bioethics by studying at The Kennedy Institute of Ethics in 2008.
Teaching and Academic Contributions
In 2021, Schwendinger served as an Adjunct Professor at American University Washington College of Law for seven months. Her teaching experience complements her extensive background in research integrity and law, allowing her to contribute to the academic community by sharing her knowledge and expertise with students. This role reflects her commitment to education and the dissemination of best practices in compliance and ethics.
Diverse Professional Experience
Kristen Schwendinger has a diverse professional background that includes roles in various sectors. She worked as a Writing Tutor in the Department of Athletics at Indiana University Bloomington from 2005 to 2006 and as a Community Relations Associate at the same university from 2006 to 2007. Her early career included positions at Massachusetts General Hospital and Clarian Health Partners, where she focused on marketing and community relations. This range of experiences has equipped her with a broad skill set applicable to her current work in research integrity.