Five Questions with Jeff Yoder, Executive Director of the Genetics and Genomics Academy
Academies at NC State facilitate faculty, student and staff connections and contributions to NC State’s areas of interdisciplinary strength. The Genetics and Genomics Academy (GGA) promotes and supports collaborations across all research, training and outreach activities at the university.
We recently spoke with Yoder about the academy, his work and what’s next in terms of research and growth.
What is the mission and vision of the Genetics and Genomics Academy?
The GGA’s mission is to sustain biodiversity and improve societal equity and well-being. Specifically, our vision is to promote a more interdisciplinary understanding of the genetic and genomic underpinnings of life on earth by NC State students and faculty, as well as K-12 students and adults across North Carolina. To achieve this vision, the academy focuses on four objectives: building new and strengthening existing interdisciplinary research programs related to genetics and genomics; advancing genetics and genomics graduate education across life-science disciplines; expanding genetics and genomics knowledge for all undergraduate students; and enhancing genetics and genomics outreach programs across the state of North Carolina.
What is your role within the academy? What do you enjoy most about your position?
In August of 2024, I took on the role of executive director of the GGA. I am fortunate to work with a fantastic executive committee that includes faculty and staff with expertise in the areas of our four objectives. What I enjoy the most about this role is that I get to meet so many amazing people across the university who are dedicated to not only making NC State an even better place to work and get an education, but also to strengthening K-12 education, improving the quality of life for North Carolina residents (and their animals), and building the state’s economy.
How does the Genetics and Genomics Academy embrace interdisciplinarity to advance scholarship and provide educational opportunities for students?
Interdisciplinarity is the foundation of our academy. I’ll use our Genetics and Genomics Scholars (GGS) program and weekly seminar series as examples.
The GGS program, led by Dr. Martha Burford Reiskind, is a first-year graduate training program that feeds into 16 different graduate programs at NC State, including, but not exclusive to, genetics and genomics, entomology, plant biology, microbiology, biology, comparative biomedical sciences and toxicology. The GGS program has a mission of preparing future scientists for cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research across the life sciences. It includes a one-year innovative curriculum integrating genetics, genome-scale techniques, big data analysis and professional development. Students who complete the GGS coursework receive a graduate minor in interdisciplinary perspectives in genetics and genomics, enhancing their careers in research, education, outreach, policy and industry. After this first-year program, students transition into their respective graduate programs for additional coursework and doctoral research. Throughout the GGS program, scholars join the GGA for continued support and professional growth through our world-class seminar series (see below), research interest groups and other university partnerships.
The GGA Seminar Series program, which is organized by Dr. Dahlia Nielsen, serves three purposes: it brings in expert speakers from across the nation who are doing cutting-edge genetics and genomics research; it highlights the latest research activities from faculty across various departments and colleges at NC State; and it provides a sense of community for NC State students, faculty and staff. The seminar series strives to feature speakers from diverse backgrounds, representing a broad range of scientific disciplines, from molecular to quantitative fields, as well as different stages in their careers and varied lived experiences. This diversity ensures that the GGA community, and in particular students, not only have the opportunity to engage with the scientific topics being presented, but also find relatable role models in the speakers, regardless of their own background or career trajectory. Since seminar topics range from the genetics of disease to genome engineering, gene and genome evolution, and strategies for improving crop and animal production and resilience, these weekly events also serve as a venue for idea exchange and building new collaborations.
What plans does the Genetics and Genomics Academy have for the coming year? What growth opportunities will you pursue?
I’m excited to share that the GGA is launching a new online YouTube video series entitled “Genetics, Genomics and…” which will highlight the broad range of research being conducted at NC State. The goal of the video series is to communicate scientific concepts to the residents of the state (and beyond) with a focus on how genetic and genomics tools are helping to improve human and animal health, our understanding of life on the planet, and/or the state’s economy. Our inaugural video, “Genetics, Genomics and Christmas Trees”, should be posted online very soon — so keep an eye out. Beyond this, we are actively looking at strategies for developing even larger-scale interdisciplinary research programs as well as new ways to integrate existing research into undergraduate education.
What is something that people may not know about the Genetics and Genomics Academy?
I can think of two things people may not know about the GGA. First, we have members affiliated with nearly all of the colleges on campus. Although most of our members are in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Sciences, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Natural Resources and the College of Engineering, we also have members in the College of Education, the Wilson College of Textiles, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Poole College of Management. Second, we are building relationships with programs whose mission is to strengthen K-12 education across the state, including The Science House and the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership.
I aspire for the GGA to become a “go-to” hub for all genetics and genomics resources related to research, training, education and outreach at NC State. As we work toward our mission and objectives, we are building and strengthening a range of programs through the GGA that I hope will have an impact, in one way or another, on the entire university.
