- Advisor, Director of Research for 1890 Colleges and Universities
- Job Title: Dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, Director of Research for 1890 Colleges and Universities
- Affiliation: University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Carolyn B. Brooks presently serves as the Dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences and the 1890 Research Director at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in biology from Tuskegee University and her Ph.D. in microbiology from The Ohio State University.
Before coming to UMES in 1981, Dr. Brooks was a principal investigator in nutrition programs at Kentucky State University. At UMES she has served as the Principal Investigator on several research programs in microbiology and biotechnology and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in these areas.
Her research endeavors have included work in Togo, Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, and Egypt. Brooks was a recipient of the Faculty Award for Excellence in Science and Technology from the White House, the Outstanding Educator Award from the Maryland Association for Higher Education, the Faculty Award for Excellence and Achievement from the UMES National Alumni Association and a number of other university awards for research excellence. Her biography is included in “Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century.” She has also served as the Chair of the Department of Agriculture at UMES and Co-Director of the Center of Plant and Microbial Biotechnology.
Presently Dr. Brooks serves as Chair of the Association of 1890 Research Directors (ARD), and prior to that was an officer or a representative for the ARD on numerous committees/projects since 1995. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on Opportunities in Agriculture, on the ADEC Board of Directors, on the Board of Directors of the Northeast Aquaculture Center, member of the External Evaluation Panel of the Bean/Cowpea CRSP, and on numerous national and regional committees representing the 1890 institutions, the university and agricultural/science programs to help remedy the under-representation of minorities in science. She has also gained much experience by having served on research review panels, CSRS Comprehensive Reviews and Higher Education Accreditation reviews.