Laura J. Castillo
Laura J. Castillo is a higher education administration professional specializing in sponsored research operations, administrative leadership, and financial coordination within university environments. She currently serves as Research Administrative Coordinator and Supervisor for the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration (OSPA) at the University of Kentucky, where she oversees a team of administrative professionals, manages budget and expense reporting systems, and leads initiatives to modernize standard operating procedures and strengthen cross-training across departments.
With a career spanning more than three decades in administrative and operational roles, Laura has built extensive experience across higher education, corporate, and healthcare environments. Her professional journey includes roles at Mayo Clinic, Lexmark International, the University of Kentucky’s Office of Legal Counsel, and Eastern Kentucky University, where she spent a decade coordinating the TRIO Talent Search Program. Her expertise includes budget oversight, compliance documentation, operational coordination, and staff supervision, with a strong emphasis on efficiency and continuity in complex administrative systems.
Laura is known for her empathetic leadership style and her commitment to building supportive, people-centered work environments. She emphasizes emotional intelligence, trust, and open communication as foundational elements of effective team performance. Her leadership philosophy focuses on mentorship, cross-training, and empowering staff to recognize their strengths while maintaining operational excellence in high-demand academic research environments.
• Essential Leader Program (in progress)
• Eastern Kentucky University – Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Management and Operations
• Midway College – Business Management
• Influential Women 2026
• Society of Research Administrators
• Society of Admin Assistants
• Influential Women Network
• PTO and Booster Clubs (when son was in school)
• Domestic Violence Survivor Organizations
• Pregnancy Help Centers
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my ability to relate to the person I'm sitting across from. If I can sit down with someone and just talk with them on a more personal level, then I feel like we've established a relationship and we've gotten rid of the nicey nice stuff. I establish personal relationships with the people I work with and allow them to see that I do care. Empathy is a big part of who I am, and people see that before they really see my skills. It comes out pretty early. I've had one-on-ones with everyone on my team, so I have an idea of what their personal life is like. But probably the biggest thing for me that has really strengthened my success, especially in the last four or five years, is that I've overcome the imposter syndrome that plagued my entire career. I went through most of my career thinking somebody was going to find out that I really didn't know what I was doing, that I was just faking it until I made it. But I realized what changed everything was peace. I've come to peace with a lot of my past decisions and resentment that I carried from my childhood. That hard-won peace is what brought me to the role as a supervisor. I'm calm. When we're in crisis mode, I don't freak out. I have the same tone of voice that I do at the current moment. I'm very comfortable with who I am now, and I realize that I evolved from being a victim of a traumatic childhood to being a survivor and finally, an overcomer. I'm just very at peace with where I am. I'm happy with who I am, where I am, and I don't really want for anything. I'm just comfortable.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is to just be yourself. People want to know that you are genuine and that you really care. You don't have to fit a specific box. One of my past managers said to me, now that you've had the training to do the job, you know what you're supposed to do, now do it however you want to do it and make it yours. That was probably the most liberating and the most helpful advice. It aggravated the person that trained me because she felt like our boss wasted her time by saying go do it however you want, but it really was helpful because that's when I started to grow. That's when I got comfortable and started stepping outside of my comfort zone, when I knew I had the permission to do that. I learned a lot that way and I got more connected across the university. Being comfortable with who you are and drawing on your strengths is so important. And don't be afraid to show that you care.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say when you're interviewing for a position, be very open and honest about your weaknesses. And when I say it like that, it's not to drag yourself down or to point out spots that might trip you up along the way. You explain what your weaknesses are and how you have learned from those and switched gears so that they're no longer a weakness, but they become part of your building block. Because you're going to make mistakes no matter what, but it's what you do with those mistakes. Don't be ashamed. Don't carry resentment. Learn from it. Use them as a building block. However you figure out how to work around that, it demonstrates that you have the ability to think outside the box, to use strategy. That mistake becomes a stepping stone. You won't come back across that same one. You recognize it for what it is and you've moved on. You're past that now. You're building stronger skills. I've had many job offers from interviews, so I know that this approach works. Don't let anybody talk you into avoiding that question in an interview because it's very important. They see that you do take the time to examine and learn from it and use it going forward.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges include modernizing administrative systems and standard operating procedures, especially in the evolving post-COVID work environment. Another challenge is maintaining strong team cohesion and effective cross-training in increasingly flexible or hybrid workplaces. At the same time, these challenges create opportunities to improve efficiency and strengthen organizational resilience.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty is huge for me, no matter how difficult it is. I would rather you tell me exactly how you feel than to sugarcoat it, because eventually it's going to come out and it's going to be really uncomfortable if you've tried to hide it. My faith is just huge. I would not call myself a religious person. I would say I have a great relationship with Jesus. And just doing the right things, not doing it because you're supposed to or someone expects you to. Even if no one knows, always do the right thing. Even when no one's around. So I guess integrity, probably. So honesty and faith and integrity are my core values.