In ceremonies on Sept. 13, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences celebrated the accomplishments of two of its graduates. Lois G. Britt of Mount Olive was named 2002 - 2003 Distinguished Alumnus for Agriculture, and Dr. Michael A. Luther of Raleigh received the 2002 - 2003 Distinguished Alumnus Award for Life Sciences.
Britt, who was recognized for her exemplary career in agribusiness and distinguished service to the college and the university, currently serves as special assistant to the president of Murphy-Brown LLC. Luther, who was honored for distinguished service to the College and for exemplary achievement in his field, is vice president of High-Throughput Biology at GlaxoSmithKline.
Britt received her B.S. degree in home economics from East Carolina University in 1956 and her M.S. degree in adult education in 1969 from N.C. State University. She served 34 years with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, including 14 years as county Extension director, and received several national awards prior to beginning her tenure at Murphy-Brown LLC.
Her career in agribusiness includes service on the National Pork Producers Board of Directors, the N. C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, N. C. Agricultural Advancement Consortium, Rural Economic Development Center Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee of the N. C. Forum for Research and Economic Education (NCFREE). She is a past president of the N. C. Agribusiness Council.
Britt also has served on the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and has been appointed to the Chancellor’s Board of Visitors for N.C. State University. She is currently a member of the N. C. Agricultural Foundation Board of Directors and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni and Friends Society Board of Advisers.
Luther received his B.S. degree in biology with a concentration in biochemistry from N.C. State University in 1978. He continued his education at St. Louis University School of Medicine, obtaining a Ph.D. degree in physical biochemistry in 1985. He then served as a Muscular Dystrophy Fellow at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and received an MBA degree from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business in 1999. Before his present role at GlaxoSmithKline, he served there as project leader for phosphodiesterases and nuclear receptors and for chemokines and HIV, as department head of molecular sciences, and as director of Applied Diagnostics and Surrogates.
Luther has been active in many professional societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Association for Clinical Chemistry, American Chemical Society and Sigma Xi. He has served as chair and co-chair of several national conferences and meetings, has given invited presentations and serves on numerous boards, teams and groups.
His contributions to the university include service as an adjunct faculty member for the Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry. Luther also has assisted with funding support for the Glaxo Seminar Series, which brings leaders in the field of structural biology to N.C. State. He continues to support N.C. State academic programs through employment of interns and alumni.
College
of Agriculture and Life Sciences Distinguished Alumni Awards are given
annually to two alumni who have shown excellence in implementing progressive
state, national and/or international programs; development of improved
technology or science; development of talent and provisions for its
application or other outstanding achievements in the fields of agriculture
and life sciences.
—Terri
Leith
