Cray to Head Population Health and Pathobiology

Paula F. Cray, a leader in food safety research, has been appointed to head the Department of Population Health and Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. She will begin work on campus at the end of May.

Cray comes to NC State from the United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service in Athens, Ga. where she leads research on antimicrobial resistance in food-borne microbes. She also has an appointment as an adjunct professor at the University of Georgia.

“I look forward to leading the research, teaching and clinical programs in new directions building upon the faculty’s extraordinary areas of expertise and talents, strengthening stakeholder partnerships, and expanding national and international collaborations,” she said. “It is an exciting time for me and for the department.”

Cray received her doctorate in veterinary microbiology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1989. She also has a master’s degree in administrative sciences from Johns Hopkins, a master’s degree in bacteriology from North Dakota State University and a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Pennsylvania State University.

She formerly served as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Nebraska and at Iowa State University.

Her research focuses on the ecology and pathogenesis of antimicrobial resistance. Among her many honors, she was recognized by the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine for her contributions as a leading member of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System.