Fry to lead Gillings School’s Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering
August 19, 2024
The UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health has appointed Rebecca Fry, PhD, Carol Remmer Angle Distinguished Professor in Children’s Environmental Health, as chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, effectively immediately.
Fry has served as the interim chair since the summer of 2023, when she stepped into the role formerly held by Barbara J. Turpin, PhD, professor of environmental sciences and engineering. Turpin served as chair from September 2016 to July 2023.
In addition, Fry is the founding director of both the Institute for Environmental Health Solutions and the UNC Superfund Research Program at UNC-Chapel Hill.
“I am deeply honored and proud to serve as the chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering,” says Fry. “Our unique department, where engineers and environmental scientists collaborate to find solutions to today’s most pressing environmental issues, remains as vital to public health today as it was when founded in 1921.”
Fry joined the UNC-Chapel Hill faculty in 2008 and was named the Carol Remmer Angle Distinguished Professor in 2017. She earned her doctorate degree from Tulane University and conducted postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Now an internationally renowned environmental health leader, she is an expert in identifying biological pathways that underly the health impacts of toxic substances, including arsenic, cadmium, lead, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Her research group has discovered epigenetic mechanisms linking these toxic substances to pregnancy complications and adverse health outcomes in children and adults.
Fry has published more than 270 articles, edited two books, written 14 book chapters, trained more than 50 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and served as principal investigator for more than $58 million in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health.
She has served on advisory committees and expert panels for national and international agencies, including the National Academies of Science (NAS), the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Fry is passionate about identifying solutions to protect vulnerable populations from environmental harm through high-impact research, engagement with policymakers and partnership with communities.
“I look forward to seeing the fruits of Dr. Fry’s continued efforts at the helm of this highly accomplished department,” says Nancy Messonnier, MD, dean and Bryson Distinguished Professor in Public Health at the Gillings School. “She is an innovative researcher and stellar scientist, and her substantial leadership experience will be an important asset as the department moves forward.”
Contact the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@unc.edu.