Carrie Kouadio

Since 2017, Carrie Kouadio has served as Executive Director for the National Science Foundation-funded Center of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (NSF-CREST) Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines (CCBM) at the University of California, Merced. The Center integrates around 30 faculty from six academic departments and focuses on research in the areas of biophysics, bioengineering, biochemistry, biomaterials, biological sciences, and scientific computation. She works with Center faculty, scientists, students, staff, and partners to achieve the Center's research, education, and outreach goals. She also serves as Co-PI for the NSF-funded Interdisciplinary Biological Engineering and Science Training (I-BEST) Research Experiences and Undergraduates (REU) Site (2024-26) and oversees STEM outreach for the Center. Kouadio previously worked in the domains of STEM education, outreach, knowledge transfer, and administration, in bioengineering and nanotechnology centers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, including the multi-site NSF STC Emergent Behaviors of Integrated Cellular Systems (EBICS), the NSF NSEC Center for Nanoscale Chemical - Electrical - Mechanical Manufacturing Systems (Nano-CEMMS), and the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology. Kouadio has a background in science education and received her M.S. in the Teaching of Chemistry and B.A. in anthropology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In her work with science and engineering researchers, she seeks to support their vision and goals, as well as to to build university research capacity, towards the creation of new knowledge, novel innovations, and development of solutions to complex global and societal issues. Her leadership of STEM education/training and outreach programming contributes to building the STEM workforce.