Postdoctoral Training
A unique postdoctoral training experience for innovative educators.
As part of the cutting-edge program offerings, BIT hires postdoctoral researchers to design new courses involving the latest methodologies in biotechnology and to teach up-to-date evidence-based practices. Postdoctoral scholars also contribute to the body of higher education literature. The BIT Program has opportunities for postdoctoral teaching scholars. Please NC State Human Resources to apply and learn about opportunities with the BIT Program.
BIT Postdoctoral Scholar Three-Year Training
- Independently teach one section of a three-section molecular biology course, coordinating with other instructors
- Earn a Reflective Educational Design Core Teaching Certification through the Office of Faculty Development (attend workshops, participate in reading circles, present a capstone project). For details, visit RED-CTC.
- Begin development of a novel, CURE-based lab course, including planning a related SoTL research project
- Continue to teach one section of a three-section molecular biology course, coordinating with other instructors
- Co-teach existing CURE-based courses with other instructors
- Teach their own novel, CURE-based lab course, collect data for SoTL study
- Continue to teach courses (co-teach and individual)
- Analyze data and publish SoTL study, attend a related conference
- Apply for faculty positions.
Current BIT Postdoctoral Scholars
| Name | PhD | Prior Postdoc | BIT Module |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emily Cartwright | UC Davis | – | Fly-ing Beyond the Transcriptome: Transcriptional Regulation and Gene Networks |
| Sophie Noel | NC State | Industry postdoc at Baebies | Experimental Assay Design |
| David Bullock | NC State | – | Plant Genetic Engineering |
| Phillip Brown | NC State | – | CRISPR |
| Hayden Huggins | East Carolina University | UNC-Chapel Hill/Enfuego Therapeutics Inc. | Found in Translation: Mechanisms of post-transcriptional control |
| Raymond Haggerty | UNC-Chapel Hill | UNC-Chapel Hill |
BIT Postdoctoral Scholar Alumni
| Postdoc (period of appointment) | PhD | Prior Postdoc | New BIT Module | Current Institution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lisa Lyford (1/2004 – 6/2005) | UNC-CH | UNC-CH | Mutagenesis | University of the Cumberlands |
| Joanna Miller (7/2005 – 6/2008) | Northwestern | Transzyme | RNAi | Drew University |
| Scott Witherow (1/2008 – 6/2011) | U Miami | Duke | Protein-Protein interactions | University of Tampa |
| Heather Miller (6/2009 – 6/2012) | Duke | – | mRNA splicing | High Point University |
| Melissa Srougi (6/2011 – 6/2014) | Case-Western | UNC-CH | Cell Signaling | NC State University – Associate Teaching Professor |
| Laura Ott (1/2012 – 12/2015) | NC State University | UNC-CH | Immunological Tools | UNC-Chapel Hill – Assistant Teaching Professor |
| Carlos Goller (7/2012 – 6/2015) | Emory | Duke | Metagenomics Yeast High Throughput Discovery | NC State University – Associate Teaching Professor |
| Thomas Lentz (7/2014 – 7/2017) | UW-Madison | UNC-CH | Virus Biotechnology | Promega Corporation |
| Christina Garcia (7/2015 – 8/2018) | Vanderbilt | Baylor | Epigenetics | Center College |
| Stefanie Chen (7/2016 – 6/2019) | Duke | UW-Madison | Protein Interactions | NC State University – Assistant Teaching Professor |
| Eric Lazear (7/2017 – 7/2019) | U Penn | Washington U | Protein Engineering | Vice President of Research at Courier Therapeutics |
| Lihua Stefan (7/2018 – 12/2018) | Indiana Univ | Duke | – | The Ohio State University |
| Leigh Ann Samsa (7/2018 – 7/2020) | UNC-CH | UNC-CH | Organoids | UNC – Chapel Hill – Research Development Manager |
| Arnab Sengupta (7/2019 – 12/2021) | U Alabama Huntsville | UNC-CH | RNA World | Assistant Professor, Georgia College and State University |
| Andrew Hasley (12/2020-12/2022) | U Wisconsin – Madison | BioQUEST | Environmental DNA Analysis and Applications | FAIR Data Resources Analyst employed by Covalent Solutions |
| Carly Sjogren (12/2020-7/2023) | UC Riverside | UNC-CH | Comparative Plant Transcriptomics | Associate Teaching Professor, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park |
| Jacob Dums (7/2020 – 7/2023) | NC State University | University of Delaware | Plant Genetic Engineering | University of Delaware |
BIT Postdoctoral Scholar Publications
- Thomas B. Lentz et al. Prevalence of Ranavirus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, B. salamandrivorans, and Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola in Amphibians and Reptiles of North Carolina, USA. Herpetological Review, 2021, 52(2), 285–293.
- Leigh Ann Samsa, Linnea Anderson, Adam Groth, and Carlos C. Goller. A CRISPR/Cas guide RNA design in silico activity. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2020.46. CourseSource. 2020
- Christina Garcia, Ian Chapman, Stefanie Chen, Eric Lazear, Thomas B. Lentz, Christina Williams, Jacob T. Dums, Carlos C. Goller, and Sabrina D. Robertson. Integrating Research into a Molecular Cloning Course to Address the Evolving Biotechnology Landscape. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21402. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 2020
- Stefanie H. Chen and Carlos C. Goller Shifting Faculty Approaches to Pedagogy Through Structured Teaching Postdoc Experiences. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v20i2.1789. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 2019
- Thomas Lentz, Laura E. Ott, Sabrina D. Robertson, Sarah C. Windsor, Joshua B. Kelley, Michael S. Wollenberg, Robert R. Dunn, and Carlos C. Goller Unique Down to Our Microbes-Assessment of an Inquiry Based Metagenomics Activity. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v18i2.1284 Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 2017
- Carlos C. Goller A Modern Twist on the Beaumont and St. Martin Case: Encouraging Analysis and Discussion in the Bioethics Classroom With Reflective Writing and Concept Mapping. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v15i2.771. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 2014
- Laura E. Ott and Susan Carson. Immunological Tools: Engaging Students in the Use and Analysis of Flow Cytometry and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bmb.20808 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 2014
- Melissa C. Srougi and Susan Carson Inquiry into Chemotherapy-Induced P53 Activation in Cancer Cells as a Model for Teaching Signal Transduction. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bmb.20741. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 2013
- Melissa C. Srougi, Heather B. Miller, D. Scott Witherow, and Susan Carson. Assessment of a Novel Group-Centered Testing Schema in an Upper-Level Undergraduate Molecular Biotechnology Course. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bmb.20701 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 2013
- Heather B. Miller, D. Scott Witherow, and Susan Carson. Student Learning Outcomes and Attitudes When Biotechnology Lab Partners Are of Different Academic Levels. http://dx.doi.org/10.1187/cbe.11-10-0094 CBE – Life Sciences Education, 2012
- D. Scott Witherow and Susan Carson. A Laboratory-Intensive Course on the Experimental Study of Protein-Protein Interactions. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bmb.20506. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 2011