Congratulations to Melissa Miller, PhD for being our first Department highlight! Dr. Miller is being recognized for being named as an endowed professorship from the University as the James D. Folds Distinguised Professorand for being awarded the 2025 ASM Award for Service!
She has been an ASM member and volunteer for 20 years–serving on numerous committees and held leadership roles related to clinical and public health. “I never did any of this to receive an award! I just engage in opportunities that have the potential to impact change – from diagnostics to regulations to education. It is quite special though to be recognized for something I would do without hesitation for no acknowledgment,” said Dr. Miller.In 2021, she was also awarded a Governor’s Award for Excellence, the highest honor given to a state employee for dedicated service to North Carolina and its citizens.
When asked about advice she’d give to others, Dr. Miller said “I heard this saying many years ago, ‘There is enough success out there for everyone,’ by Mel Robbins. So, while I have been honored with this award, service is something everyone can excel at!”
More about Dr, Miller:
Melissa Miller, Ph.D., D(ABMM), FAAM, FIDSA, is the James D. Folds Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine. She is the Director of the Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Microbiology Laboratories at UNC Medical Center. Miller received her Ph.D. in molecular biology from Princeton University and then completed the ASM CPEP Medical and Public Health Microbiology Fellowship at UNC Hospitals.
Miller has been a committed ASM member and volunteer for over 20 years. She has served on numerous committees and held leadership roles related to clinical and public health microbiology, public policy, and advocacy. She has participated in multiple Hill Days with ASM and other professional societies, written guidance documents, and liaised with federal agencies regarding research funding, clinical and public health laboratory needs, scientific education, and community education. As an AAM fellow, she served as a colloquium chair and a member of the AAM Subcommittee on Elections; she now serves as an AAM Governor. She is also an Editor for the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. Miller received the 2021 ASM Award for Research and Leadership in Clinical Microbiology and was a co-recipient of the 2021 ASM Special Recognition Award for leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to her clinical services as a clinical microbiologist, she participates in clinical and translational research and has an extensive teaching record.