Faculty and Staff
The MMB program is an interdisciplinary program that has many faculty and staff from other departments at NC State. Collectively, NC State faculty have earned more than 100 National Science Foundation Career and Presidential Awards.
Sue Carson, Director
sdcarson@ncsu.edu
Dr. Carson’s area of scientific expertise is in molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis. She currently serves as the Director of the Master of Microbial Biotechnology Program and as a Fellow in the Office of Faculty Excellence. Prior to this appointment, she led the NC State Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), focused on faculty development to cultivate students’ critical and creative thinking skills across disciplines. During that period, she also acted as Executive Director of Academic Enrichment Programs, overseeing the Office of Undergraduate Research, Fellowship Advising, and the University Honors and Scholars Programs. Dr. Carson spent over ten years leading curriculum development for the NC State Biotechnology Program. She has received multiple awards for teaching excellence and innovation and was a member of the Howard Hughes Science Education Alliance, promoting and implementing inquiry-guided learning and authentic research in undergraduate curricula. She authored three molecular biology lab manuals, and has published numerous peer-reviewed papers in the area of course and curriculum development. She has mentored over 100 undergraduate students in research projects and was the PI and Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Integrative Plant and Microbial Systems Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program for over a decade. Most recently, she completed a 2-year rotation at the National Science Foundation in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources. Within the Triangle community, she has served on the Board of Directors of the Wake County Beekeeping Association and the Triangle Swing Dance Society.
- B.S., Biotechnology, Rutgers
- Ph.D., Microbiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Meaghan Nappo, Associate Director
mknappo@ncsu.edu
Meaghan Nappo received her Master of Arts in History with a concentration in Public History from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. After graduate school, she spent several years working at the University of Georgia, where she coordinated freshmen transition programs and a first-generation student scholarship. She then moved to Raleigh, N.C., to serve as director of the Joel Lane Museum House. Meaghan returned to higher education as the Coordinator of the Master of Microbial Biotechnology program in 2017. In 2021, Meaghan stepped in as the Interim Director of the program. Now, in 2022, Meaghan was named Associate Director of the Master of Microbial Biotechnology program.
- B.A., History, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
- M.A., History, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Faculty Advisory Board
The MMB Faculty Advisory Board serves to provide support to the MMB program and its Director by providing guidance and feedback. The members of this board also serve as partners in research and community collaborations.
William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor; University Faculty Scholar
Faculty
The MMB program curriculum includes courses by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the Biotechnology Program (BIT), the Biomanufacturing Program (BTEC), and the Poole College of Management. Seminars led by industry-leading guest speakers complement our interdisciplinary faculty to provide our students with the necessary foundations for a successful career in the biotechnology industry.