Our Researchers
Scientists in the Agricultural Research Program (ARP) are active in funded research projects that reflect the 1890 land-grant university mission to serve agricultural industries, communities and individuals, with a strong emphasis on research that serves small and limited-resource farms, businesses, rural communities and families in North Carolina.
Whether you are an undergraduate agriculture major or a prospective graduate student considering a masters program at N.C. A&T, the faculty researchers below provide outstanding instruction and mentorship and exciting opportunities to learn within the context of their research projects in the lab and in the field.
Following are ARP research faculty, listed by department:
Administration, Agricultural Research Program
Shirley Hymon-Parker, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Research
B-16 C.H. Moore
(336) 285-4703
sjhymonp@ncat.edu
Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education
Paula Faulkner, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
A-21 C.H. Moore
(336) 285-4724
pefaulkn@ncat.edu
Research: Multicultural education; special populations; teacher education, experiential learning
Kenrett Y. Jefferson-Moore, Ph.D.
Professor
154-A Carver Hall
(336) 285-4829
jykenret@ncat.edu
Research: Marketing of alternative commodities; markets for nutritionally enhanced and organic products
Chyi-Lyi (Kathleen) Liang, Ph.D.
Kellogg Distinguished Professor, Director of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems
cliang@ncat.edu
105-B Coltrane Hall
(336) 285-468
Research: Multifunctional farm research; network analysis; community entrepreneurship; opportunities and challenges for sustainable food systems and food networks regarding small-scale farmers.
Terrence Thomas, Ph.D.
Professor
A-36 C.H. Moore
twthomas@ncat.edu
(336) 285-4733
Research areas: Human and community development/business-economic development
Chastity Warren English, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
242-A Carver Hall
(336) 285-4819
ckwarren@ag.ncat.edu
Research: Youth development and leadership; soft skills development; diversity inclusion in agricultural education
Osei Yeboah, Ph.D.
Professor
A-25 C.H. Moore
oyeboah@ncat.edu
(336) 285-4727
Research areas: International markets; trade policy
Department of Animal Sciences
Yewande O. Fasina, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
252-A Webb Hall
yfasina@ncat.edu
(336) 285-4805
Research: Enhancing immunocompetence of poultry using non-antibiotic feed additives; reducing intestinal colonization by foodborne and disease-causing pathogens
Radiah C. Minor, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
107-H Webb Hall
(336) 285-4787
rcminor@ncat.edu
Research: Immunology research using cell and molecular biology coupled with in vitro and in vivo models to investigate immune modulation by dietary supplements
Jenora Waterman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
229-C Webb Hall
(336) 285-4815
jdwaterm@ncat.edu
Research: Characterization of agricultural dusts and respiratory disease
Mulumebet Worku, Ph.D.
Professor
229-B Webb Hall
(336) 285-4816
worku@ncat.edu
Research: Health and genomic diversity in ruminants
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
Guibing Chen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Lead Scientist for Food Engineering, Center for Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies
Suite 4222, UNC Nutrition Building, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC
(704) 250-5701
gchen@ncat.edu
Research: Dietary fiber-enriched functional foods; microencapsulation of functional food ingredients and antimicrobial agents
Hye Won Kang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
171-D Carver Hall
hkang@ncat.edu
(336) 285-4858
Research: Obesity and diabetes prevention by activating brown fat and browning white fat using dietary compounds at the molecular biological and physiological levels, using mice and fat cell models
Sung-Jin Lee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
A-23 C.H. Moore
slee@ncat.edu
(336) 285-4735
Research: Aging-in-place; sustainable communities; housing affordability; secondary data analysis; mixed methods
Shengmin Sang, Ph.D.
Professor, Lead Scientist for Functional Foods, Center for Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies
Suite 4222 UNC Nutrition Research Building,
North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC
(704) 250-5710
ssang@ncat.edu
Research: Bioactive natural products from functional foods and herbal medicine to prevent/treat chronic diseases, such as cancer, obesity and diabetes
Reza Tahergorabi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
171-B Carver Hall
rtahergo@ncat.edu
(336) 285-4865
Research: Food processing and packaging; increasing the value of muscle-food by-products through sustainable uses
Leonard L. Williams, Ph.D.
Professor, Director and Lead Scientist for Food Safety and Microbiology, Center for Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies
Suite 4222, UNC Nutrition Research Building, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC
(704) 250-5703
llw@ncat.edu
Research: Food safety; microbiology and epidemiology of foodborne pathogens from food, veterinary and clinical sources
Jianmei Yu, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor
161-C Carver Hall
Office phone number: (336) 285-4861
jyu@ncat.edu
Research: Bioactive compounds of agricultural and food products; value added utilization of agricultural products and by-products; diet, nutrition and obesity prevention; food stability, shelf life and safety.
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design
Arnab Bhowmik, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
235-B Carver Hall
abhowmik@ncat.edu
(336) 285-4847
Research: Mechanisms that govern soil organic-matter dynamics and the biological networks that provide ecosystem services in sustainable agricultural systems
Sanjun Gu, Ph.D.
Horticulture Specialist (75% Extension, 25% research)
Coltrane 103
(336) 285-4954
Research: High/low tunnel and field vegetables and small fruits, both organic and conventional; season extension; tomato and cucumber grafting; industrial hemp
Omon S. Isikhuemhen, Ph.D.
Professor
207 Carver Hall
omon@ncat.edu
(336) 285-4841
Research: Mushrooms; truffles
Abolghasem Shahbazi, Ph.D.
Professor, Director of Biological Engineering Program, Director Bioenergy Center
107 Sockwell Hall
(336) 285-3830
ash@ag.ncat.edu
Research: Bioenergy systems; waste-to-energy conversion technologies; biobased products development
Lijun Wang, Ph.D.
Professor
121 Sockwell Hall
(336) 285-3833
lwang@ncat.edu
Research: Bioenergy processing technologies; waste-to-energy technologies; biobased products development; energy efficiency and management; computational process engineering
Guochen Yang, Ph.D.
Professor
224A Carver Hall
(336) 285-4853
yangg@ncat.edu
Research: Plant tissue culture and micropropagation related to plant quality and production improvement; agroforestry; intercropping and alley cropping
