It’s been a busy several years for the Department of Chemistry at NC State. Construction began on a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary building that will unite chemists with other scientists at the university. Extensive renovations commenced at the nine-story Dabney Hall, the department’s home base. And faculty and staff expanded the department’s programmatic boundaries to better prepare students for the workforce.

Gavin Williams led the department through this pivotal time, shifting his focus from promising research on reprogramming the chemistry of life to overseeing academic, administrative and budgetary matters for a unit with nearly 400 faculty, staff and students. 

In August, he stepped down from the role, believing that after nearly five years it was a good time for another faculty member to take over. He also wants to spend more time with his family, including his four-year-old son, and return his attention to his research. Reza Ghiladi, professor and director of the department’s graduate program, was named interim head.

“As a department head, there’s always more to do,” Williams said. “I feel like I was able to get some things checked off my to-do list, but it was a very long list. I just hope the new head has a solid foundation to build upon.”

As head, Williams refocused attention on chemistry as the central science, work that was aided by the ongoing construction of Woodson Hall, which will be home to the university’s new Integrative Sciences Initiative. In addition, he entered the department into the Green Chemistry Commitment, which united the NC State chemistry community around sustainability goals in research and education.

“The department made enormous strides in research, teaching and outreach over the past several years, and Gavin’s leadership played a large role in these accomplishments.”

“Gavin has been a steadfast leader for the Department of Chemistry during an important time in its history,” said Lewis Owen, dean of the College of Sciences. “The department made enormous strides in research, teaching and outreach over the past several years, and Gavin’s leadership played a large role in these accomplishments.”

Williams also expanded the department’s executive team to bring in new perspectives and provide additional leadership opportunities for faculty and staff. And he worked with the College of Sciences and other units to build connections with industry and alumni, activities that included organizing American Chemical Society social events and promoting the ChemEd Summit.

“Gavin is one of the most intelligent, thoughtful, careful professionals I have ever worked with,” said Brian Space, a professor of chemistry who served as associate department head during part of Williams’ tenure. “It was always a pleasure to approach any issue with him and know he would be attentive and reasonable.”

As department head, Williams had the opportunity to work with community members across the college. Forging those relationships was one of the perks of the job, he said.

“Being a department head, you’re put in a position where you’re meeting so many different people — undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff and postdocs — not just in the department but in the whole college,” he said. “I want to maintain those connections.”

Looking ahead, Williams will be among the chemistry faculty relocating his lab and office from Dabney Hall, which is undergoing a top-to-bottom renovation, to the next-door Broughton Hall. The move will be temporary, as Williams will eventually move into the new Woodson Hall along with other scientists from Chemistry and across the university.

Through it all, he’ll continue his research, which over the years has been funded mostly by several National Institutes of Health R01 grants. His work combines biology and organic chemistry to provide platforms for the discovery of new medicines. He also hopes to continue serving in a leadership role in the Chemistry of Life Training Program, which aims to produce a cadre of chemists with significant life sciences training and is among the many recent chemistry-related programmatic advancements.

“Department heads owe so much to the great work of their colleagues in the department and college,” he said. “I can’t thank them enough for all their help and support.”