Sykes and Fleming are 2004 CALS Disinguished Alumni
Larry M. Sykes (left) and Mark Fleming were honored during CALS Tailgate 2004 weekend.
Dr. Larry M. Sykes and R. Mark Fleming were named the 2004-2005 Distinguished Alumni of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
The awards are given annually to former College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students who have made outstanding contributions in their field of expertise and have a record of distinguished service. Awards are presented in the areas of agriculture and life sciences.
Sykes, a native of Franklin County, earned three degrees from the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department: a bachelor's in 1966, a master's in 1968 and a doctorate in 1971. Until his 2004 retirement, Sykes was director of agricultural programs in the leaf department of Philip Morris USA.
He has been instrumental in making Philip Morris the single largest corporate donor to N.C. State University, where Philip Morris contributes more than $600,000 annually to support tobacco programs. He also spearheaded the effort that culminated in Philip Morris announcing a grant of $18 million to N.C. State to support tobacco genome mapping.
Sykes and his wife have endowed the Larry M. and Rita P. Sykes Scholarship to benefit students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at N.C. State.
Fleming, the Distinguished Alumnus in life sciences, is a native of Raleigh. He earned a bachelor's degree in zoology from N.C. State in 1982 and a master's in business administration in 1991 from Bellarmine College in Louisville, Ky. He is currently associate vice president for state government affairs for the University of North Carolina system, where he is the primary representative to the North Carolina General Assembly.
Previously, Fleming served as the first executive director of the CALS Alumni and Friends Society. In 1998, he became former N.C. State Chancellor Marye Anne Fox's assistant for governmental affairs. He left that role in 2002, when UNC System President Molly Broad appointed him to his current position.
Sykes and Fleming were presented their awards at a Friday reception during the 2004 CALS football Tailgate weekend festivities in October.
Tailgate Saturday activities also included recognition of achievements of outstanding alumni and faculty.
Named as Outstanding Alumni were Dr. Lynn Turner (Ph.D., food science, 1977), an N.C. State professor of food science; Beth Eakes Turner (M.S., food science, 1974), a senior food scientist at Gannett Fleming Inc.; and Eric Brinsfield (M.S., zoology, 1980), director of Solutions and Services, Health and Life Sciences, SAS Institute.
Outstanding Young Alumni award winners were Sharon Rogers (B.S., animal science, 1993), director of Consumer Education, N.C. Cattlemen's Beef Council, and Charlie Solomon (B.S., poultry science, 1991), vice president of Operations, Food Services Group, Tyson Foods Inc.
The Outstanding Faculty/Staff award winner was Dr. Carmen Parkhurst, Alumni Distinguished Professor in the Department of Poultry Science. (Award winners are pictured in "Scenes from Tailgate".)
- Terri Leith
The awards are given annually to former College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students who have made outstanding contributions in their field of expertise and have a record of distinguished service. Awards are presented in the areas of agriculture and life sciences.
Sykes, a native of Franklin County, earned three degrees from the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department: a bachelor's in 1966, a master's in 1968 and a doctorate in 1971. Until his 2004 retirement, Sykes was director of agricultural programs in the leaf department of Philip Morris USA.
He has been instrumental in making Philip Morris the single largest corporate donor to N.C. State University, where Philip Morris contributes more than $600,000 annually to support tobacco programs. He also spearheaded the effort that culminated in Philip Morris announcing a grant of $18 million to N.C. State to support tobacco genome mapping.
Sykes and his wife have endowed the Larry M. and Rita P. Sykes Scholarship to benefit students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at N.C. State.
Fleming, the Distinguished Alumnus in life sciences, is a native of Raleigh. He earned a bachelor's degree in zoology from N.C. State in 1982 and a master's in business administration in 1991 from Bellarmine College in Louisville, Ky. He is currently associate vice president for state government affairs for the University of North Carolina system, where he is the primary representative to the North Carolina General Assembly.
Previously, Fleming served as the first executive director of the CALS Alumni and Friends Society. In 1998, he became former N.C. State Chancellor Marye Anne Fox's assistant for governmental affairs. He left that role in 2002, when UNC System President Molly Broad appointed him to his current position.
Sykes and Fleming were presented their awards at a Friday reception during the 2004 CALS football Tailgate weekend festivities in October.
Tailgate Saturday activities also included recognition of achievements of outstanding alumni and faculty.
Named as Outstanding Alumni were Dr. Lynn Turner (Ph.D., food science, 1977), an N.C. State professor of food science; Beth Eakes Turner (M.S., food science, 1974), a senior food scientist at Gannett Fleming Inc.; and Eric Brinsfield (M.S., zoology, 1980), director of Solutions and Services, Health and Life Sciences, SAS Institute.
Outstanding Young Alumni award winners were Sharon Rogers (B.S., animal science, 1993), director of Consumer Education, N.C. Cattlemen's Beef Council, and Charlie Solomon (B.S., poultry science, 1991), vice president of Operations, Food Services Group, Tyson Foods Inc.
The Outstanding Faculty/Staff award winner was Dr. Carmen Parkhurst, Alumni Distinguished Professor in the Department of Poultry Science. (Award winners are pictured in "Scenes from Tailgate".)
- Terri Leith