Carla Padilla Joins FSU as the Compliance Officer for the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs
Carla Padilla has joined Fayetteville State University’s (FSU) Office of Sponsored Research and Programs as the Compliance Officer. Padilla has an extensive background in compliance related matters, possessing several national certifications and a long track record of assisting agencies and institutions through designing and implementing procedures to maintain compliance with national safety and environmental protection regulations.
Padilla comes to FSU after serving for two decades at Methodist University in a variety of faculty, research, and administrative positions. As a faculty member, she designed and taught both the Environmental and Occupational Management, and the Interdisciplinary Studies of Clandestine Labs majors. As a grants administrator, Padilla was responsible for all aspects of contracts and grants, from writing, to bidding, to compliance reporting, to final products. Specific among her contracting responsibilities were pre-award and post-award compliance audits and inspections; developing and soliciting competitive bids for contracts for goods and services; examining contracts for clauses, requirements, and specifications; monitoring and analysis of contract progress; and coordination of staff and legal counsel. She has also successfully spearheaded several grants and appropriations from the Department of Justice Community Oriented ($150,000), Department of Justice COPS Methamphetamine Initiative ($400,000), and Department of Energy ($500,000). Prior to beginning her career as a research scientist and compliance expert, she spend several years working with political refugee resettlement in Oklahoma; providing refugees from throughout the world with legal, medical, and immigration assistance, along with education and life skills training.
Padilla has been through numerous compliance training programs from both federal and private agencies, and has a vast number of certifications to reflect this training. Among those agencies are FEMA, National Fire Academy (NFA), Compliance Solutions, National Center for Biomedical Research and Training (NCBRT), Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), National Association of Safety Professionals, and NCDOL. Padilla’s list of publications on issues pertaining to risk management and hazardous materials management is prolific, particularly in establishing safety and compliance protocols for Methodist University. These publications include: Environmental Management System for Methodist University; Bloodborne Pathogens and Exposure Plan for Methodist University; Chemical Hygiene Plan for Methodist University; Hazardous Waste Policy (and management plan) for Methodist University; and Spill Containment and Countermeasures Plan for Methodist University.
Padilla earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology, with minors in chemistry and English, from Methodist College. She went on to earn her Master of Science Degree in Biology from East Carolina University in Biotechnology and Estuarine Ecology. Presently she has completed her coursework for a Ph.D., in Public Safety Leadership with a specialization in Emergency Management, from Capella University, and has begun working on her dissertation in conjunction with the Fayetteville Fire Department’s Emergency Management division.
FSU is the second-oldest public institution in North Carolina. A member of the University of North Carolina System, FSU has nearly 6,000 students and offers degrees in more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
For more information, please contact the Office of Public Relations at (910) 672-1474, or via e-mail at jwomble@uncfsu.edu.