Distinguished NCSU Microbiology Alumnus Passes Away, Endowment Established

Distinguished NCSU Microbiology Alumnus, Dr. Carl Cerniglia, passed away on April 9, 2021. Dr. Cerniglia earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology from NCSU under the mentorship of Professor J. J. Perry, and then went on to have an impressive career. He served as the Director of the Division of Microbiology at the National Center for Toxicological Research for decades and was also a recognized leading researcher with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Cerniglia received a plethora of awards over the course of his career, including the FDA Lifetime Achievement Award, the US Department of Health and Human Services Outstanding Leader Award, and the Outstanding Alumnus Award from NCSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. In his personal life, Dr. Cerniglia enjoyed traveling and was an avid runner, completing numerous marathons.

Dr. Cerniglia made significant and lasting contributions to the Department and to the Microbiology community. We remember these contributions with gratitude. An Endowment has been established in his name to provide aid for undergraduate and graduate Microbiology students.

This post was adapted from Dr. Carl Cerniglia’s Obituary.