Eight faculty members in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have been named William Neal Reynolds Professors at N.C. State University, one of the highest distinctions available to college faculty members.

The Reynolds Professorships were established in 1950 by William Neal Reynolds, long-time president and board chairman of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., to recognize and support outstanding faculty achievement in research, teaching and extension.

Since then, N.C. State and the College have awarded 80 William Neal Reynolds Professorships, including this year’s eight:

• Dr. Robert Anholt, zoologist and the founder and director of N.C. State’s W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology. He conducts a diverse and innovative research program that has grown from its foundation in biochemistry and neurobiology to include the fields of animal behavior and genetics.
• Dr. JoAnn Burkholder, professor of plant biology and director of the Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology. She is recognized internationally for her ground-breaking studies into the ecology of aquatic ecosystems. Burkholder co-discovered the toxic dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria, a causative agent of estuarine fish kills.
• Dr. John Cavanagh, professor of molecular and structural biochemistry, who was the first to develop a method to increase the sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis and co-authored the most well-known book available on biomolecular NMR.
• Dr. Eric (Rick) Davis, plant pathologist who specializes in plant-nematode interactions. His research led to the development of new approaches in engineering plant resistance to nematodes. His program is currently the most frequently requested by incoming students in the Department of Plant Pathology.
• Dr. David Dickey, professor of statistics, one of the most highly cited scientists in statistics and economics in the world. Two of his first published papers are cited in support of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Economics. Another paper of his is recognized as one of the 10 most influential papers published in the Journal of Business and Economic Statistics.
• Dr. Peter Ferket, professor of poultry science, one of the most highly respected poultry nutritionists in the United States, who is recognized internationally for his expertise in feed formulation and feed milling technology. As a North Carolina Cooperative Extension specialist, he provides leadership as a nutrition expert nationwide.
• Dr. Steven Lommel, professor of plant pathology and genetics and interim associate dean for research in the College, manages an internationally acclaimed research program in plant virology. His ground-breaking research on virus structure led to a new approach for the delivery of foreign genes to cells that has the potential to fight diseases like cancer and HIV.
• Dr. Michael Vepraskas, internationally known soil scientist, studies wetland soils and their interactions with the environment. He discovered the unique color patterns created by soil-groundwater interactions that now form the basis for identification of all jurisdictional wetlands in the United States and abroad. His research has spawned a new field in soil science called “hydropedology.”

— Suzanne Stanard