faculty and staff

Apr 13, 2014

Finding the Switch: Researchers Create Roadmap for Gene Expression

In a new study, researchers from North Carolina State University, UNC-Chapel Hill and other institutions have taken the first steps toward creating a roadmap that may help scientists narrow down the genetic cause of numerous diseases. Their work also sheds new light on how heredity and environment can affect gene expression. Pinpointing the genetic causes… 

Apr 11, 2014

Narayan Receives UNC System O. Max Gardner Award

Dr. Jay Narayan, John C. C. Fan Family Distinguished Chair Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University, is the 2014 recipient of the O. Max Gardner Award – the most significant universitywide honor given to faculty by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors. The award is presented each year… 

Apr 10, 2014

Enzyme ‘Wrench’ Could Be Key to Stronger, More Effective Antibiotics

Builders and factory workers know that getting a job done right requires precision and specialized tools. The same is true when you’re building antibiotic compounds at the molecular level. New findings from North Carolina State University may turn an enzyme that acts as a specialized “wrench” in antibiotic assembly into a set of wrenches that… 

Apr 7, 2014

Organic Solar Cells More Efficient With Molecules Face-to-Face

New research from North Carolina State University and UNC-Chapel Hill reveals that energy is transferred more efficiently inside of complex, three-dimensional organic solar cells when the donor molecules align face-on, rather than edge-on, relative to the acceptor. This finding may aid in the design and manufacture of more efficient and economically viable organic solar cell… 

Mar 28, 2014

Finding the Mix: Solar Cell Efficiency a Delicate Balance

Research from North Carolina State University reveals that solar cell efficiency is based upon a delicate balance between the size and purity of the interior layers, or domains. These findings may lead to better designs and improved performance in organic solar cells. Polymer-based solar cells are intended to have two domains, consisting of an electron… 

Mar 13, 2014

Researchers Describe Oxygen’s Different Shapes

Oxygen-16, one of the key elements of life on earth, is produced by a series of reactions inside of red giant stars. Now a team of physicists, including one from North Carolina State University, has revealed how the element’s nuclear shape changes depending on its state, even though other attributes such as spin and parity… 

Mar 5, 2014

Pigment or Bacteria? Researchers Re-examine the Idea of ‘Color’ in Fossil Feathers

Paleontologists studying fossilized feathers have proposed that the shapes of certain microscopic structures inside the feathers can tell us the color of ancient birds. But new research from North Carolina State University demonstrates that it is not yet possible to tell if these structures – thought to be melanosomes – are what they seem, or… 

Feb 26, 2014

Sischo Named Vice Chancellor for Advancement at NC State

Brian C. Sischo, a 23-year veteran of higher education fund raising, has been named vice chancellor for university advancement at NC State University and president of the NC State University Foundation. Sischo comes to NC State from Syracuse University where he has served as vice president for development since 2009. The NC State Board of Trustees today unanimously approved Sischo’s… 

Feb 19, 2014

New Satellite Images Reveal More About Interior Structure of Supernova

A new and powerful satellite has given researchers a way to see into the dark interiors of supernovae. Their observations of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A shed more light on the mechanics of these explosions. “The new Cas A images give us new information about not only the elements that are created in a supernova,… 

Feb 18, 2014

Grasso Named Dean of NC State’s Graduate School

Dr. Maureen Grasso, dean of the University of Georgia’s Graduate School, has been named dean of the Graduate School at North Carolina State University. She begins her appointment July 1. A nationally recognized leader in graduate education, Grasso has served as dean at Georgia since 2002, overseeing a graduate program with more than 6,600 students, 95… 

Feb 7, 2014

Carbonell Elected to National Academy of Engineering

Dr. Ruben Carbonell, Frank Hawkins Kenan Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Carbonell is one of 67 new members and 11 foreign associates announced today. He is the 12th current NC State faculty member to be elected to the NAE, a private,… 

Feb 6, 2014

Researchers Pinpoint Protein Associated With Canine Hereditary Ataxia

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found a link between a mutation in a gene called RAB 24 and an inherited neurodegenerative disease in Old English sheepdogs and Gordon setters. The findings may help further understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and identify new treatments for both canine and human sufferers. Hereditary ataxias are an important… 

Dec 4, 2013

Inventor, Electronics Innovator Baliga Wins IEEE’s Highest Award

Dr. Jayant Baliga, a Distinguished University Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at North Carolina State University and founding director of the university’s Power Semiconductor Research Center, has received the Medal of Honor from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Previous winners of the award include radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi and microchip co-inventor… 

Nov 26, 2013

Iron Preserves, Hides Ancient Tissues in Fossilized Remains

New research from North Carolina State University shows that iron may play a role in preserving ancient tissues within dinosaur fossils, but also may hide them from detection. The finding could open the door to the recovery of more ancient tissues from within fossils. Mary Schweitzer, an NC State paleontologist with a joint appointment at the… 

Nov 22, 2013

Colossal New Predatory Dino Terrorized Early Tyrannosaurs

A new species of carnivorous dinosaur – one of the three largest ever discovered in North America – lived alongside and competed with small-bodied tyrannosaurs 98 million years ago. This newly discovered species, Siats meekerorum, (pronounced see-atch) was the apex predator of its time, and kept tyrannosaurs from assuming top predator roles for millions of…