Sue Fenton Tapped as New CHHE Director

Sue Fenton took over as the director of NC State University’s Center for Human Health and the Environment (CHHE) on Monday, Oct. 9. 

“I’m thrilled to be here and look forward to learning more about ongoing CHHE research projects, developing collaborations, and building relationships with new and current members of our center,” says Fenton, who spent nearly 15 years leading toxicology research for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) before coming to CHHE.

Fenton’s research in her new role at NC State will focus on the developmental and reproductive toxicity of PFAS chemicals.

Fenton has led federally funded research on reproductive toxicology for 25 years — first at the Environmental Protection Agency, from 1998 to 2009, before her time with the NIEHS. Prior to joining the EPA, Fenton completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Since 2013, Fenton has been an adjunct associate professor with NC State College of Veterinary Medicine’s Comparative Biomedical Sciences program. Throughout her career, she’s also held adjunct positions with North Carolina Central University, UNC-Chapel Hill, the University of Rhode Island and Duke University.

Fenton earned her B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

About CHHE

The Center for Human Health and the Environment (CHHE) seeks to understand how human health is impacted by environmental factors — and how to reduce adverse impacts. CHHE conducts a range of research and outreach projects around the impacts of environmental factors on human health; for example, on the potential connection between environmental contaminants and liver cancer. 

CHHE brings together researchers from 15 departments and six colleges at NC State; East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine; North Carolina Central University; and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.