Dr. Monique Pairis-Garcia, an expert in the welfare of food animals, and Dr. Xinxia Peng, a computational biologist focusing on the translational genomics of infectious diseases, have been named NC State University Faculty Scholars for 2026.

The faculty scholars program, launched in 2012, recognizes outstanding academic achievements and teaching, service and scholarship contributions. Honorees carry the title through their NC State employment. Scholars are nominated by individual colleges, and these nominations are further reviewed by senior faculty.

“Drs. Monique Pairis-Garcia and Xinxia Peng represent some of the very best of the College of Veterinary Medicine,” says Dr. Kathryn Meurs, the Randall B. Terry Jr. dean of the college. “Their work spanning animal welfare, computational biology and infectious disease demonstrates the impact our faculty have when deep expertise is paired with a commitment to improving lives. We are proud to see them recognized as NC State Faculty Scholars.” 

Pairis-Garcia, who has a DVM and a Ph.D. in animal science with a focus on managing pain in swine, is board-certified in the American College of Animal Welfare and serves on the Pig Welfare Committee for the American Association of Swine Veterinarians and National Pork Board. Her research at NC State focuses on managing pain in livestock animals and on developing educational material on the timely and appropriate use of euthanasia on farms.

“I am very honored to receive such a recognition from the university and proud to be part of the CVM Wolfpack!” says Pairis-Garcia, who joined the NC State faculty in 2014. “There has not been a day that I have not learned something new and exciting here at the College of Veterinary Medicine. I am particularly proud to have the opportunity to support NC pig producers and work together to improve pig welfare on farms. This type of recognition not only is important for me but also demonstrates the commitment that our college and university have to serve our agriculture industries in NC.” 

Peng, a professor of infectious diseases at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, received his Ph.D. in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics from the University of Tennessee – Oak Ridge National Laboratory Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology. In 2016, he became part of the Dean’s Faculty Excellence cluster hires for the NC State Bioinformatics Research Center. 

His lab focuses on computational analysis of high-throughput omics data combined with experimental validation to better understand pathogen-host-microbiome interactions and microbial pathogenesis. The goal is to uncover underlying molecular mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis and to identify targets of intervention as well as biomarkers for clinical applications.

One of his most recent projects involved identifying markers that may predict whether a chlamydia infection is likely to ascend into the uterus and endometrium. The work could lead to new diagnostics that can predict a woman’s risk of severe infection. 

“It is such a great honor to be named as a University Faculty Scholar,” Peng says. “I really appreciate the strong support I have received at NC State, especially from the current and past members in my group, my department and our College of Veterinary Medicine. It is also a wonderful recognition of the hard work our group members put into research and training and the passion for improving human and animal health.”

CVM faculty members honored as scholars in previous years include:

• Yogesh Saini, a lung and liver immunotoxicologist 
• Glenn Cruse, a mast cell biologist
• Gustavo Machado, an infectious disease modeler
• Ben Callahan, associate professor of microbiomes
• Margaret Gruen, associate professor of behavioral medicine
• Santosh Mishra, associate professor of neuroscience
• Mike Nolan, professor of radiation oncology and biology
• Liara Gonzalez, associate professor of gastroenterology and equine surgery
• Cristina Lanzas, professor of infectious disease
• Casey Theriot, professor of infectious disease
• Lauren Schnabel, professor of equine orthopedic surgery
• Troy Ghashghaei, professor of neurobiology
• Jody Gookin, FluoroScience Distinguished Professor in Veterinary Scholars Research Education and professor of internal medicine
• Sid Thakur, professor of molecular epidemiology and the executive director of NC State Global One Health Academy.

“Our research is extremely collaborative,” Peng says. “I want to thank our colleagues and collaborators at NC State, Duke, UNC, ECU and various institutions across the country.”

Pairis-Garcia also thanked the students and postdocs who work with her in her lab.

“I am forever grateful for all students, past and present, who have put in the long hours to advance farm animal welfare,” she says. “It has been a pleasure to work with such innovative thinkers who have the compassion and work ethic to translate the science to the farm.”