Curriculum Vitae

Carson Stacy

Ph.D. Candidate – Cell & Molecular Biology | M.S. Student – Statistics
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR

Email: contact@carsonstacy.com
Springdale, AR
https://clstacy.github.io

Professional Summary

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Cell & Molecular Biology and an M.S. student in Statistics with hands-on experience in building reproducible data analysis pipelines and applying statistical methodologies to complex biological datasets. My doctoral research focuses on identifying genomic determinants of stress tolerance, from yeast models to broader applications. I’m passionate about leveraging advanced statistical techniques to deliver practical, timely solutions to novel biological questions.

Education

University of Arkansas — Fayetteville, AR

• Ph.D. in Cell & Molecular Biology (Expected December 2025)
  Dissertation: “Genomic determinants for natural variation in stress tolerance”

• M.S. in Statistics & Analytics (Concentration: Statistics) (Expected May 2025)
  Thesis: “Analysis of ordinal data in genomic and molecular experiments”

University of Arkansas — Fayetteville, AR

• B.S. in Anthropology (Minor: Biology), May 2017
  Magna cum laude, GPA 4.0

Professional Experience

Graduate Research Assistant

Lewis Lab, University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, AR
January 2020 – Present

• Pipeline Innovation: Spearheaded a novel analysis pipeline for CRISPR screens of pan-genomic libraries in wild yeast. Integrated ordinal logistic regression into phenotype analyses, contributing to a high-impact publication.
• Big Data Management: Analyzed 200+ RNA-seq samples using a reproducible Nextflow pipeline; improved gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) visualizations with a custom R package; utilized regularized regression to identify phenotype-associated genes.
• Educational Impact: Served as a Teaching Assistant for five semesters (avg. student evaluation score of 4.8/5). Co-designed an interactive Genomic Data Analysis course, boosting student learning outcomes.

Laboratory Technician

Ceballos Lab, University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, AR
August 2019 – January 2020

• Model Development: Applied weighted phenotype analysis to quantify virus-induced changes in neuronal signaling, leading to two co-authored research publications.
• Process Optimization: Authored and maintained a comprehensive SOP for FPLC operations, streamlining ion exchange and size exclusion protocols.
• Innovation: Developed a neuron-tracing algorithm for detecting changes in signaling kinetics post-viral infection.

High School Chemistry Teacher (Peace Corps Volunteer)

Kolahun, Lofa County, Liberia
May 2017 – October 2018

• Curriculum Development: Designed culturally responsive STEM curricula for grades 10–12, engaging 1,200+ students in interactive lab activities.
• Capacity Building: Organized teacher training workshops to foster modern pedagogical strategies, serving as the only chemistry teacher in town.
• Community Engagement: Co-led the Girls Club of Kolahun, encouraging science education and community involvement.

Supplemental Instruction Leader (Chemistry)

CLASS+, University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, AR
January 2014 – May 2017

• Instructional Excellence: Guided small-group tutoring sessions and interactive drills to enhance first-year chemistry comprehension.
• Mentorship: Designed lesson plans and mentored new SI leaders, creating a supportive, peer-driven learning environment.

Projects & Open Source Contributions

• Sinhala & Cherokee Alphabet Learning Apps (2025)
  Developed in-browser JavaScript/HTML applications to aid learners of the Sinhala and Cherokee alphabets.
  • Sinhala Alphabet App
  • Cherokee Alphabet App
• R Shiny App for Automated Grading (2024)
  Created an automated grading tool for peer evaluation scores, saving ~100 hours each semester.
  • Demo
• Paralogs R Package (2024)
  Developed an R package to display paralog expression patterns on KEGG pathway visualizations.
  • GitHub Repo
• Genomic Data Analysis Course (2023 & 2025)
  Created interactive exercises and served as TA, teaching bioinformatics techniques to graduate students.
  • Curriculum
• Yeast Gene Knockout Doubling Time Repository Web App (2022)
  Built an interactive tool to reference the doubling times of yeast knockout strains.
  • Web App
• R Package for Weighted Spectral Difference (2021)
  Published a package analyzing Far UV Circular Dichroism data across temperature gradients for reproducible research.
  • GitHub Repo

Technical Skills

• Programming & Software
  • Proficient: R (tidyverse, Shiny), Python, Unix/Bash, Git/GitHub, SLURM/HPC, ggplot2
  • Familiar: SAS, SQL, scikit-learn, caret, Nextflow (Groovy)
• Bioinformatics & Data Analysis
  • RNA-seq, CRISPR screen analysis, NGS pipeline development, flow cytometry, Mass Spec
  • Ordinal regression, Bayesian & frequentist statistics, experimental design, phenotype correlation

Honors & Awards

• Delbert Swartz Endowed Graduate Fellowship, University of Arkansas (2024)
• Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship, University of Arkansas (2020–2024)
• Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship – Honorable Mention (2021)
• Phi Beta Kappa (Inducted Spring 2017)
• Alpha Epsilon Delta – Volunteer Coordinator (2015)

Additional Information

• Professional Memberships
  • American Statistical Association
  • Graduate Student Congress Representative & Facilities Chair, Cell & Molecular Biology (2022–2024)
• For a list of publications and talks, please visit the Publications and Talks sections on my website.

Last Updated: February 2025