Education/Experience
| 2007 - present | Undergraduate Coordinator, NC State University, Department of Microbiology |
| 1999 - present | Associate Professor, NC State University, Department of Microbiology |
| 1998 - present | Associate member, NC State University, Department of Biochemistry |
| 1994 - 1999 | Assistant Professor, NC State University, Department of Microbiology |
| 1998 - 1993 | Postdoctoral Fellow, Indiana University, Department of Biology, with Prof. Norman Pace |
| 1993 - 1998 | Ph.D. student, The Ohio State University MCD Biology Program, with Prof. John Reeve. Thesis : RNA polymerase binding sites and polyadenylated RNAs in archaebacteria. |
| 1980 - 1993 | M.S. student, Miami University, Department of Microbiology, with Prof. Ronald Treick. Thesis : The synthesis and cloning of complementary DNA from total soybean poly(A)-containing RNA. |
| 1976 - 1980 | B.S. student, Ball State University, Department of Biology, with Prof. Carl Warnes (Major : Biology; Minors: Chemistry and Anthropology). Research : Morphology of Beggiatoa in Pluto Spring, French Lick, Indiana |
Professional Memberships
| The RNA Society |
| The RNA Society of North Carolina (Symposium committee, Steering committee) |
| American Society for Microbiology (ASM; Division R - Evolutionary and Genomic Microbiology) |
| North Carolina Branch of the American Society for Microbiology (NCASM: President) |
| The International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life (ISSOL) |
Consulting
| 1998 - 2004 | Ibis Therapeutics / Isis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA RNase P, molecular phylogenetic, comparative analysis of RNA structure |
| 2003 | PBS station KCTS, Seattle, WA Scientific advisor for Space Millenium, part 1 |
| 1996 - 1997 | Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA RNase P in Staphylococcus aureus |
Funding
| 2007 | $1,250 | Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in RNA Biology & Biopysics in CALS at NCSU (Valerie Yager) |
| 2001-2007 | $4,500 | NCSU Undergraduate Research Grants |
| 2006 | $4,000 | NCSU Faculty Research and Professional Development Award; Ribonuclease P protein function in Archaea. |
| 2005-2010 | $500,000 | NSF, Co-PI with Prof. Neocles Leontis, et al. Consortium Grant. RNC: RNA Ontogeny Consortium |
| 2005-2010 | $1,200,013 | NIH-NIGMS, Co-PI with Prof. Robert Kelly, et al. Training grant. Molecular Biotechnology Training Progam at NC State University |
| 2000 | $15,000 | Ibis Therapeutics, Unrestricted gift |
| 2000 | $88,000 | Reed, Smith, Shaw & McClay, LLP. Research Agreement. Thermus Experiments |
| 2000-2005 | $851,868 | NIH-NIGMS, Co-PI with Prof. Robert Kelly, et al. T32-GM08776 Training Grant. Biotechnology Training Progam at NC State University |
| 1999 | $5,000 | NSF, Co-PI with Prof. Eric Miller. MCB-9900513 Symposium grant. Symposium on RNA Biology III |
| 1998 | $30,000 | Isis Pharmaceuticals, Research Agreement. Computational Analysis of RNA |
| 1997 | $10,000 | Isis Pharmaceuticals, Unrestricted gift |
| 1997 | $1530 | NCSU Project 25 Education Grant. MB 409-002; Microbial Diversity On-line |
| 1995-2001 | $509,403 | NIH-NIGMSR29-GM52894. Structure and function of ribonuclease P in Archaea |
| 1995 | $21,000 | NCSU Animal Waste Utilization Program, Research grant. Molecular phylogenetic survey of methane-producing Archaea in animal-waste sludge |
| 1995 | $5000 | NCSU Faculty Research and Professional Development Award. Structure of an archaeal RNA enzyme: Ribonuclease P |
| 1995 | $3000 | NCSU Instructional Computing Grant |
| 1994 | $7000 | NCSU Undergraduate Studies Initiative Award |
| 1994 | $60,000 | NC Ag Foundation, Graduate Research Support. Gene expression in methanogens |
| 1994 | $94,500 | NCSU Startup Funding |
| 1992 | $20,000 | Walther Cancer Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship. RNase P RNA Structure in Thermophilic Bacteria |
| 1989 | $20,000 | Indiana University MCB Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship. Phylogenetic Analysis of RNase P RNA |
| 1987 | $12,000 | The Ohio State University Presidential Graduate Fellowship. RNA polymerase binding sites and polyadenylated RNAs in archaebacteria. |
| 1985 | $10,000 | NATO, with Prof. John Reeve (PI) Grant for International Collaboration in Research. Gene Expression in Archaebacteria |
Other Professional Activities
| The RNase P Database: Created, administer and maintain this database over it's 15 year history. Now contains 124 Mbytes of data in over 3000 files. The RNase P Database was the first to incorporate the RNA Society "Madison Format", RNAML, an XML designed for use with RNA data. |
| NC State University RNA Biology Group (Program Committee; Steering Committee), an increasingly formal group of faculty that work on questions related to RNA structure and function. |
| Biotechnology Graduate Training Program (Co-PI and Trainer) |
| NC State Genomic Sciences Graduate Program |
| NC State Animal Waste Management Program (defunct) |
| NC State Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Program (defunct) |
| NIH Biochemistry Study Section (June 2004) |
| NIH/NIEHS Bioremediation Study Section (July 2003) |
| The RNA Ontology Consortium, funded by the NSF, is designed to foster the development of a specified language for the description of RNA structure. |
| RNA Society "Madison" RNA Data Format Group, an informal group of RNA Society members that recognized the need for a standard data syntax for expressing RNA structure. Over the course of several years, it was decided to code this syntax in XML form; this was the origin of RNAML. |
| NASA Evolutionary Biology program workshop (May, 1998). |
| NSF LExEn (Life in Extreme Environments) program workshop (May 1998). |
| NSF RNA Informatics workshop (December 1998). |
| RNase P/MRP workshop, Organizer at RNA'98 and RNA'97, session chair at RNA 2000 |
| NC American Society for Microbiology Branch Meeting 2005 Organizer |
| NC American Society for Microbiology web site administrator |
| RNA Biology Symposium III: RNA, Tool & Target (October 2001) Chair of the Organization Committee |
| NIH/NIEHS Special Emphasis Panel (July 2003) RFA ES 03-005 "Molecular Structure/Function of Organisms Degrading Contaminants" |
| Ad hoc reviewer: RNA, EMBO Journal, Nucleic Acids Research, Molecular Microbiology, Journal of Molecular Biology, Journal of Bacteriology, Biotechniques, Wiley & Sons Publishers, Sinauer Press. |
| Ad hoc external proposal reviewer: National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Army Research Office. |
| NCSU Committees: Radiation Safety (ex-Chair), CALS Scholarship Committee, CALS Academic Computing Advisory Committee, and previously the CALS Compact Planning, Occupational Health and Safety Committee, BRITE University Advisor, CALS Research Committee, and Life Sciences Task Force |
| NCSU Graduate School (Full Member) Currently head a graduate student committee, serve as a member on many others in Microbiology, Biochemistry, Food Science, and Chemical Engineering. |
| Department of Microbiology committees: Planning/Advisory, Computer/LAN, Undergraduate Recruiting/Admission/Curriculum, Seminar, Tenure/Promotion, and Web Design committees. |
| Department of Microbiology web site: Developed and created the original web site |
| Undergraduate Advisor: Advise ca. 50 Microbiology majors |