A Note from the Director

Hello there and Happy Cinco de Mayo!!                                       

I know there is much distressing news right now on what we have historically known as our funding mechanisms, and our colleagues at EPA are entering a week of despair, but I want you to know that other P30 directors and myself are meeting regularly to write letters to elected officials, share news and reach out to those that may have answers. I have met with grants management officials at NIEHS and we are patiently awaiting news of funding from them. Awards are taking longer than they used to for various reasons. One thing that we must all be thinking about is educating policy makers - not advocating - educating. They only know what they are told. Continue to reach out to tell them stories about how existing budget cuts and other proposed cuts would impact your great research. Senator Tillis is spearheading the letter from Senate to the Appropriations Committee to support biomedical research, so you could also reach out to him to tell him thank you! We recently heard of an effort led by some of the Representatives that I met with last year on EHS Hill Day to increase Center funding because of the excellent work we do with and for affected communties. Speaking of communities, David and I spent time last week engaging with our Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB) - we will bring some of the interesting ideas to our upcoming IAB meeting, but will also reach out to some of you with ways that you may gain from collaborating with our SAB. This week I will be sending a request for a Seahorse PRO XF to ORI for an internal request to send an application to NSF for their MRI Program. If I have not reached out to you and you would like to give me your NSF CV and how this shared equipment would enhance your research, I will need that ASAP (tomorrow). I am also preparing snippets of our accomplishments for a report that ORI will present to the incoming Chancellor. Lots of good work going on!                

Enjoy your summer - I always have time to listen if you need an ear.  



Sue Fenton

sefenton@ncsu.edu 

Toxicology Bldg. 1104E

Upcoming Events

05/15: Cumberland County Community Meeting on PFAS, “PFAS in Household Dust: Findings from the GenX Exposure Study” 5:30–7:00pm JD Pone Recreation Center (Free & No Registration Required)

*Featuring NC State scientists

News

Student Poster Session Highlights Research on Climate Change and Airborne Contaminants

Students from East Carolina University (ECU), North Carolina Central University (NCCU), and NC State University (NCSU) presented their research at a recent poster session on May 1, 2025 session focused on Climate Change and Airborne Contaminants: Effectsof Environmental Exposures on Lung Disease Progression. The event fostered cross-campus collaboration and provided a platform for students to engage with faculty, researchers, and community partners on critical environmental health topics.

Sinan Sousan Publishes on Machine Learning Calibration of Air Quality Monitors

Dr. Sousan published a new paper in Environmental Pollution titled “Advancing low-cost air quality monitor calibration with machine learning methods.” The study introduces a novel machine learning-based approach to calibrate low-cost aerosol monitors using laboratory data, improving their application in both environmental and occupational settings. Article

Community Engagement Core (CEC) Attended Science Café: Brain Night

The CEC, along with several other CHHE members and labs participated in Brain Night at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences on April 17, 2025. Over 400 attendees of all ages were invited to build a neuron keychain out of beads and learn about how environmental contaminants impact brain health and function.

Owen Duckworth Received CALS Spirit of the Land-Grant Award

At the CALS Celebration of Excellence on April 22, 2025, Dr. Duckworth and colleagues received the inaugural CALS Spirit of the Land-Grant Award. Their Soils Strike Team received the award for their response to Hurricane Helene’s devastation in Western North Carolina. By combining expertise across multiple disciplines, they provided critical guidance to farmers, landowners, and communities, ensuring that recovery efforts were informed, effective, and sustainable. Part of this work was made possible through the CHHE purchase of a handheld XRF that has traveled to many parts of the state and detects heavy metals in soil and other samples. Article

*Dr. Duckworth wasn't able to attend the awards ceremony as he was at an Earth Day Event with our CHHE Community Engagement Core, using the XRF in a soils workshop.

Earth Day Event Engages Raleigh Teens in Hands-On Environmental Science



On April 22, 2025 the Community Engagement Core (CEC) partnered with NC DHHS and the Boys and Girls Club to host an Earth Day celebration for 25 Raleigh teenagers. The event blended soil science with art, games, and interactive activities to make environmental health both educational and engaging. It highlighted the power of collaboration between state agencies and academic institutions to support community-based learning. With CHHE’s new portable XRF Analyzer, the team looks forward to expanding future community-engaged environmental assessment efforts.

Recent Publications citing CHHE