Serena Rao

Bio

Serena Rao is the Senior Associate Dean in the office of Vice Provost and Dean of Research (VPDoR). Reporting to the Dean, she provides oversight for resource planning and management for the independent and interdisciplinary labs, centers and institutes, and mission-support research administrative and compliance offices. She also leads and facilitates strategy development and implementation for research initiatives at Stanford. Prior to joining VPDoR in 2019, Serena was responsible for finance, facilities, and strategy functions at Stanford Libraries. She had also worked at the University Budget Office for over six years, where she was a member of the provost’s Budget Group, undertook complex analytical projects for senior leadership that informed strategic direction and decision, and contributed to the development of Stanford's annual consolidated budget. Prior to Stanford, she managed city-wide infrastructure planning initiatives, annual capital budget, and long-term debt forecast under the Mayor's Office of Management and Budget of New York City.