College celebrates record fund-raising success at 2008 donor gala
Donor Recognition guests dine near College exhibits.
Photo by Marc Hall
Last fall, N.C. State University closed its seven-year Achieve! Campaign, having raised more than $1.3 billion. Of that total, $347 million was raised by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences – the most of any of N.C. State’s 10 colleges. Moreover the College Advancement Office’s total of $96 million in funds raised in 2008 was a new record for the College, the university and any U.S. college of agriculture.
Thus there was much to celebrate at the 2008 CALS Donor Recognition and Campaign Celebration held Nov. 2. As has been the annual custom of the event, the reception and luncheon program was an opportunity to celebrate and thank College benefactors; donors of scholarships, fellowships and professorships; and supporters of CALS research, extension and academic programs.
But new this year was a ballroom dining area encircled with exhibits and displays illustrating the important work CALS donors have made possible. This year’s interactive agenda invited guests to visit displays and talk to faculty and students about the activities displayed there. The exhibits and faculty consultants included the Jimmy V-N.C. State University Cancer Therapeutics program, with Dr. John Cavanaugh; the Williamsdale Farm and Bio-Energy display, with Dr. Robert Evans; the Center for Environmental Farming Systems/Breeze Farm program, with Dr. Nancy Creamer; the JC Raulston Arboretum, with Dr. Dennis Werner; and a mountains-to-coast aquaculture exhibit of the LaPaz sturgeon project in Happy Valley and the Marine Aquaculture Research Center in Marshallburg, with Drs. Tom Losordo and Jeff Hinshaw.
Stations throughout the room ran the gamut from viticulture and beekeeping to specialty crops and plant breeding to nutrition and fitness; from FFA camps to Yates Mill; from value-added alternative agriculture to the Tobacco Genome Initiative — all illustrating the variety and depth of CALS programs supported by donor generosity.
And dominating this circle of accomplishment, in the center of the room giant silver balloon letters spelled out “ACHIEVE.”
Sydney Jarrett, Pioneer Hi-Bred Fellowship holder and a CALS graduate student in crop science, welcomed the attendees to the gala and thanked them for “outstanding support and leadership.” John Campbell, a sophomore biochemistry major and Park Scholar, led the invocation.
“Our College is very fortunate to have nearly 700 endowments and restricted funds supporting our programs and departments,” said Jarrett, who led applause for endowment holders and annual award donors, while acknowledging the student scholarship and fellowship recipients in attendance and faculty members benefiting from professorships and other endowments.
Capping off the ceremonies was Dr. Johnny Wynne, College dean, who honored the CALS Achieve! Campaign co-chairs, Joe and Ginger Taylor, Ruby McSwain and Dr. Larry Sykes, as well as Bill Culpepper (who was absent). Wynne presented each of the attending co-chairs a framed print inscribed in commemoration of their leadership of the campaign.
—Terri Leith
Thus there was much to celebrate at the 2008 CALS Donor Recognition and Campaign Celebration held Nov. 2. As has been the annual custom of the event, the reception and luncheon program was an opportunity to celebrate and thank College benefactors; donors of scholarships, fellowships and professorships; and supporters of CALS research, extension and academic programs.
Dr. Johnny Wynne, Ginger Taylor, Joe Taylor, Ruby McSwain, student Matthew Greene (state FFA vice president) and Larry Sykes (from left) pose after awards presentation.
Photo by Marc Hall
Photo by Marc Hall
Stations throughout the room ran the gamut from viticulture and beekeeping to specialty crops and plant breeding to nutrition and fitness; from FFA camps to Yates Mill; from value-added alternative agriculture to the Tobacco Genome Initiative — all illustrating the variety and depth of CALS programs supported by donor generosity.
And dominating this circle of accomplishment, in the center of the room giant silver balloon letters spelled out “ACHIEVE.”
Scholarship student John Campbell leads the invocation.
Photo by Marc Hall
Photo by Marc Hall
“Our College is very fortunate to have nearly 700 endowments and restricted funds supporting our programs and departments,” said Jarrett, who led applause for endowment holders and annual award donors, while acknowledging the student scholarship and fellowship recipients in attendance and faculty members benefiting from professorships and other endowments.
Capping off the ceremonies was Dr. Johnny Wynne, College dean, who honored the CALS Achieve! Campaign co-chairs, Joe and Ginger Taylor, Ruby McSwain and Dr. Larry Sykes, as well as Bill Culpepper (who was absent). Wynne presented each of the attending co-chairs a framed print inscribed in commemoration of their leadership of the campaign.
—Terri Leith