ECU Research

This investment has helped position the Eastern Region Pharma Center as a growing hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing, workforce development, applied research and regional economic competitiveness.

As the ERPC continues to grow, the next phase will focus on strengthening pathways from education to the workforce, expanding internship and industry engagement opportunities, and increasing the region’s research capacity.

A new $6.5 million federal investment will help expand its Eastern Region Pharma Center with industry-aligned biomanufacturing equipment, enhanced teaching labs and workforce training to support employers across eastern North Carolina.

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis and wife Susan Tillis visited the center today alongside ECU alumnus Trey Lewis (’16, ’18) to see how ECU is contributing to the region’s growing pharmaceutical workforce and research infrastructure.

SOLD OUT! 🎉

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who registered early and helped make the 7th Annual ECU Spring Pharma Conference another record-breaking success! The continued growth and excitement surrounding this event speaks volumes about the strength of North Carolina’s pharma and biotech industry.

What began as part of Greenville’s rich to***co growing history is fast becoming a hub of innovation, tech and regional collaboration. -TV and anchor visited to discover what’s next for this iconic space. Watch >> 6 pm Thursday.

Big ideas, industry insights, and great connections are coming this June 2-3 at the 7th Annual ECU Spring Pharma Conference! Don’t miss two exciting days of networking, breakout sessions, and the latest trends shaping North Carolina’s pharmaceutical industry. Register now! https://continuing-ed-registration.ecu.edu/portal/events/reg/participantTypeSelection.do?method=load&entityId=1490716

Ten standout faculty were recognized at the second annual Innovator of the Month ceremony. Selected from dozens of invention disclosures, honorees were chosen for patentability, market potential and impact. Hosted by Dr. Carlyle Rogers at the Downtown Greenville Hilton Hotel, the event featured keynote speaker Phil Williams, who shared his insights from decades in aerospace and biotech. The award began in 2024 to celebrate early-stage innovators.

A terrific week with the IDB Institute for Defense & Business hosting its Industry Based Broadening: Logistics seminar. From industry benchmarking tours to visits to our labs and Center for IOT Engineering and Innovation, it was a level jump in the partnership. Thank you John Glitz and IDB President Lt. Gen Mark Faulkner (ret.).

Inaugural Innovation Interns Erin Elsberry, Jahaviyouna Cruz, and Whanyi Frank-Ito developed a commercialization strategy for Step Walker inventor Dr. Phillip Burton, '81. Over lunch at the Isley Center, they presented it to him as well as internship supporters Sanford Bailey and Rena Pappas, and Emily Yeager, director of the Crisp Small Business Resource Center in the Miller School of Entrepreneurship.

Yesterday, IDB’s Industry Based Broadening Logistics course IB2 LOG completed an Industry Benchmarking Tour at the NC Global TransPark and site visits with Fly Exclusive and Draken International.

The tour highlighted real-world applications of aviation logistics, sustainment, and infrastructure integration that support DoD-relevant mission sets.

Strengthening understanding of how private industry partners drive efficiency, innovation, and readiness within complex logistics environments.

This week at ECU — active-duty military and federal civilians gather for the first IDB Institute for Defense & Business seminar in Greenville, advancing leadership, logistics, innovation and national security. Last night it kicked off with a dinner reception.

Nuclera let us try out their eProtein Discovery platform, which helps researchers speed up experiments on purified proteins with an input of DNA. This demo was a folo on a seminar last semester sponsored by ECU LaserTAG (Technology Applications Group). Students Joanna Kirkendoll, Jake Wilson and Abigael Kosgei joined postdoc Riley Bessetti and Prof Robert Hughes this morning in the lab along with Nuclera’s Eric Swanson.