Beth Liles started out as a psychology student. She hadn’t been at NC State long, however, before a different discipline called her name.
Liles, a commuter student based in Apex, transferred to NC State after receiving her associate degree from Wake Technical Community College.
“We started learning about epigenetics in one of my psychology courses, and I thought genetic expression was really interesting. Eventually that led me to discover bioprocessing — and here we are.”
“Here” is the degree in bioprocessing that Liles receives this month.
Discovering this new passion of hers after starting in another major meant Liles needed an extra year in school. But then she received the Dr. Isadore and Cynthia Peppe Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences Scholarship.
The scholarship came at the right time: In addition to having the unexpected added cost of tuition, Liles’s family was paying medical bills for her father’s cancer treatments.
“College is never a linear path. I knew I needed more time, which meant more cost,” said Liles. “And this scholarship eased me and my family’s financial stress — you really can’t go wrong with giving to scholarships. You’re helping students like me.”
Because of the flexibility the scholarship gave her, Liles was able to complete the bioprocessing science degree — and she’ll also be graduating with three minors: biomanufacturing, psychology and microbiology.
Bioprocessing science, housed within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, addresses every part of product creation for food, enzymes, cosmetics and other biopharmaceuticals. While Liles has done food safety research, she’s been particularly interested in the biopharmaceutical process — and upon graduation, she’ll be officially starting her career with Holly Springs-based Fujifilm as a manufacturing support associate.
“I’ve learned a lot about local biopharmaceutical plants and companies through my program,” said Liles. “It’s really cool to see their process and how they create pharmaceuticals that are improving people’s lives every day.”
Liles has had plenty of hands-on experience since transferring to NC State. She spent most of her time at the university as a student research assistant, helping out with agriculture and food related studies. She was initially brought on to help with a US Department of Agriculture-sponsored study researching the effectiveness of food safety labels.
Since then, she’s stayed on to help with countless studies of all sizes. From interviewing and collecting participant samples to editing papers and doing site visits, Liles had a front seat to impactful agriculture and bioprocessing research.
She also joined the Agricultural Communicators Program, a student organization that brings in communications professionals who work in agriculture for students to learn from — recently, a communications representative from the Sweetpotato Commission spoke to the group.
“Because of the program and my work as an agricultural research assistant, I got to interact with a lot of people involved in the field locally,” said Liles. “That’s really shaped my outlook, because I got to meet with people from different backgrounds and perspectives, and I was able to learn a ton.”
Connecting with people was a highlight for Liles throughout her time at NC State. Bioprocessing is a relatively small major at the university, so Liles says all the students get to know each other well, something she really appreciates. One of her favorite memories is spending time with her classmates, for studying, drinking lots of caffeine, quizzing one another and, she admits, occasionally getting distracted and chatting.
Despite a hectic schedule, Liles made time for things like the Agricultural Communicators Program, study sessions and even Howling Cow breaks (her favorite flavor will always be Campfire Delight). She hopes that future students will have the same experience connecting with people and trying out new things.
“If you’re starting at NC State, make sure you track your schedule,” said Liles. “Things will book up fast, so start early if you can but don’t forget to also take breaks. Try out all the different stuff NC State has to offer.”
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