An Eagle tops North Carolina’s American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and North Carolina Central University (NCCU) becomes the first historically black college or university (HBCU) to host the ASM’s annual meeting on Saturday, October 3, 2009, in Durham.

Dr. Daniel Williams became the first African-American male elected president of the NC ASM. “I am very proud to serve as president-elect for the NC ASM and even more proud to be the first African-American male to head the organization. This all dovetails with another important occasion—the celebration of NCCU’s first 100 years in education,” Williams said.

He is an assistant professor of microbiology in the Biology Department at NCCU. Williams is investigating the sexually transmitted disease, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which has become increasingly resistant to antibiotics. His efforts earned an NIH (National Institutes of Health) grant to further his research.

The NC ASM’s 2009 meeting comes at a fitting time because of the recent outbreaks of infectious diseases such as Salmonella typhimurium and the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus, which have received local and international attention. This year’s conference will address the affects and implications of many pathogenic and nonpathogenic microorganisms. Scientists will discuss recent advances made in fundamental and applied research areas of microbiology.

The statewide organization is part of the National American Society for Microbiologists. Some of the member colleges and universities are East Carolina University, North Carolina A&T State University, Appalachian State University, North Carolina State University, and Johnson C. Smith University.

The conference on Saturday, October 3, 2009, runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Mary Townes Science Building, Room 1111, on NCCUs campus in Durham. Registration is $10 for ASM members and $20 for non-members. Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to attend. For more information, please visit NC ASM’s Web site at http://www.asm.org/branch/brnc/ .