North Carolina Central University named Kevin P. Williams, Ph.D., of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, as the university’s first Merck Distinguished Professor in Integrated Biosciences.
College of Arts and Sciences Dean Carlton Wilson announced the award, established through a $1 million Merck Foundation endowment gift. The professorship is intended to support Pharmaceutical Sciences research, as well as teaching and mentoring of students.
Wilson called Williams, who joined the faculty in 2006, “the perfect candidate for the chair.”
“He is an internationally respected scientist who mentors and supports our graduate students, in particular,” Wilson said. “Some of the first graduates of the Ph.D. program were his students, and he has supported them since the program started six years ago.”
Merck is a 125-year old manufacturing company that conducts research for disease treatment and prevention using biopharmaceuticals. NCCU’s Ph.D. degree in Integrated Biosciences was introduced in 2012. Seven doctoral students have so far graduated and another 17 are enrolled in the program, four of whom anticipate graduating in May 2020.
Williams joined the faculty at the Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) after more than a decade in the private sector, including research positions at Biogen Idec and Amphora Discovery Corp. His work has focused on drug discovery and protein therapeutics development, with his current research targeting breast cancer and alcohol induced birth defects. Williams holds nine registered patents.
A native of the United Kingdom, Williams earned his doctorate in biochemistry at the University of Cambridge. He conducted postdoctoral work in immunology and diabetes at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School before joining a private startup.
Williams called Merck a “strong partner” for the university’s Integrated Biosciences program at NCCU, providing internships and employment for graduates at its Durham manufacturing plant and other locations.
Although initially on track to become a university instructor, Williams said his experience in private industry has become a valuable component in preparing students for the pharmaceutical workforce in North Carolina and beyond.
“BRITE is all about making students workforce ready, and I am focused on bringing real-world experience into the classrooms,” he added.
The Merck Foundation gift will be invested and proceeds used annually to boost the professor’s salary, provide funds for research, staff and equipment. The initial appointment may be extended beyond two years upon evaluation by the dean.
“It’s a generous endowment and one that will make Dr. Williams and future holders really have an impact with their work,” Wilson added.
