Longtime NC State chemist Reza Ghiladi has been named head of the university’s Department of Chemistry, effective April 1. Ghiladi had been serving as interim head of the department since August 2025.

As head of the department, Ghiladi oversees academic, administrative and budgetary matters for nearly 400 faculty, staff and students. The department offers both graduate and undergraduate degrees and features research programs in many areas of chemistry including analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, biological, polymers, materials, theoretical and magnetic resonance.

Ghiladi has been a member of the chemistry faculty since 2006 and attained the rank of full professor in 2021. Research in his lab focuses on the design, synthesis and development of novel photoactive and photothermal materials for infection control. Among his interests is preventing the transmission of pathogens from high-contact surfaces to new hosts in hospitals and related healthcare environments. He co-founded a startup, PhotoCide Protection, based on his research into developing self-disinfecting materials and antimicrobial coating solutions for high-touch surfaces.

Ghiladi previously served as the department’s director of graduate programs and as chair of the College of Sciences Faculty Advisory Council. He has been recognized with the National Science Foundation CAREER Award and as a University Faculty Scholar.

A native of Maryland, Ghiladi received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Haverford College and his master’s degree and Ph.D. in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University. He then completed postdoctoral research assignments at the Mayo Clinic and the University of California-San Francisco.