Clay Gosnell

CJ joined the Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein in September 2024 as their Finance Manager. In this role, he oversees the Center’s financial operations, research administration, and compliance activities, including budgeting, accounting, and grants management. CJ’s role involves ensuring compliance with federal and institutional regulations, managing pre- and post-award processes, providing financial summaries and forecasts to leadership, and acting as a liaison with various university offices. Before joining the Bezos Center, he started my career at NC State University in 2014 as an Undergraduate Student Worker for the ASSIST Center, eventually becoming the Administrative Support Specialist when he earned my Bachelor’s in Business Administration in 2018. In this role, he managed financials for federally awarded projects, vendor coordination, and compliance with university policies. In June 2021, CJ transitioned to the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as a Contracts and Grants Manager, where he collaborated with faculty researchers, processed grant proposals, managed budgets, and handled post-award activities including forecasting budget expenditures and overseeing award closeouts.

CJ greatly enjoys working at NC State University due to its strong sense of community and diverse environment. CJ comes from a small town in the western part of North Carolina so having the opportunity to learn more about the world around us and interacting with students and faculty from all around the world has been an amazing experience that has greatly expanded his perspective and knowledge. And as he puts it, “NC State has truly become my home, and I am proud to continue being a member of the Wolfpack”!