On June 18, colleagues, partners, and community members gathered at the NC Central University (NCCU) Pearson Cafeteria Banquet Hall to celebrate the career of Faye Calhoun, PhD, and honor her unwavering dedication to NCCU and the broader research community. Calhoun retired from NCCU as interim director of the JLC Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Institute.
Her 18 years of service at NCCU followed a distinguished career of more than 40 years at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she served as Deputy Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and as Deputy Chief for Review in the Center for Scientific Review. Her work earned numerous awards for advancing grant funding, expanding opportunities for minority faculty and students, and contributing to international research on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
At NCCU, Calhoun provided steady leadership, fostered innovation, and strengthened collaboration. As a founding member of the Duke–NCCU Partnership and co-lead of the Duke-NCCU Bridge Office, she helped build pathways for future researchers and students.
Speakers at the event, including Susanna Naggie, MD, director of Duke CTSI and vice dean for clinical and translational research at Duke University School of Medicine, highlighted Calhoun’s exceptional leadership, authenticity, and role as a trusted “truthteller” who guided others with clarity and purpose.
Lisa Davis, PhD, MSPH, director of operations for the Duke-NCCU Bridge Office said, “Dr. Calhoun’s leadership has been nothing short of extraordinary, driven by a deep commitment to ensuring every researcher and student can become their very best. I’ve had the opportunity to work side-by-side Dr. Calhoun since 2017 as our two great universities have built an extraordinary bi-directional partnership that has flourished and grown in so many ways.”