Clifford W. Houston

Clifford Wayne Houston (born December 3, 1949) is a microbiologist, educator, and the first African American president of the American Society of Microbiology.

Early life and education

Childhood Clifford Wayne Houston was born to Mae Francis Hanley and Edgar Houston on December 3, 1949 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Other In 1994, Houston took part as an administrator in the Harvard Management Development Program. Houston served as a chair for the ABRCMS Steering and Planning Committee. In 1997, he was elected to the American Academy of Microbiology. He was on the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences External Advisory Council. Houston was the chair of the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. Kathleen Sebelius, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services at the time, appointed him to the National Advisory Board for Bio Security in 2011.

Accolades Houston was named a Herman Barnett Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and the Academy of Microbiology elected him in 1997. In 2000, he received the Presidential Award in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. In 2007, Houston became the first black person elected as the president of the American Society of Microbiologists.

Personal life He lives in Galveston with his wife and son while continuing to mentor youth in STEM in the community.