Spring 2012 Issue
Features
Student Perspectives: Justin Hills
Working in the laboratory of Dr. Rob Dunn has given N.C. State University biological sciences student Justin Hills insight into – and passion for – public health and science communication. This summer, he’s headed to Ghana to investigate liver cancer, a first step in his quest to help address health disparities that exist among different communities nationally and internationally. Hear more in this audio slideshow, with photos by Becky Kirkland, N.C. State University Communications.
Read Full Story »Student Perspectives: Alex Johnson
A member of the Wolfpack’s basketball team, Alex Johnson is a self-described go-getter with three career goals: playing basketball, working in sports communication and serving as a mentor for troubled youth. Hear more about this CALS graduate student in this audio slideshow (Photos by Becky Kirkland, N.C. State University Communications, and Mark McIntyre, N.C. State Athletic Media Relations)
Read Full Story »Feeding future populations is the issue at 2012 Commissioner’s Series kick-off session
The event was the first of two sessions in this year’s Commissioner’s Speaker Series, hosted by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Agricultural Institute, Agri-Life Council, Alpha Zeta and the CALS Alumni and Friends Society. The next session is April 11.
Read Full Story »Student Perspectives: Rachel Turner
In this audio slideshow, CALS senior and aspiring conservation veterinarian Rachel Turner discusses her published research on equine colic as well as an internship that took her to Sri Lanka to work with elephants.
Read Full Story »Wildly Popular
VetPAC makes history as hundreds of pre-vet students travel to N.C. State to attend the largest and most activity-packed ever APVMA national symposium.
Read Full Story »Garden classroom offers ‘endless possibilities’ in Caswell County
A new outdoor classroom on the grounds of Caswell County’s Stoney Creek Elementary School promises to be a healthy learning environment in more ways than one. The facility was built at the school through a project led by Brandi Boaz, assistant 4-H Extension agent.
Read Full Story »Emily Meineke: Scaling up research on tiny pest
Will climate change make scale insects more abundant? That’s one of the questions Ph.D. student Emily Meineke is trying to answer as she studies these tiny — and abundant — pests.
Read Full Story »Kelly Bryant: Dancing with heart
An award-winning dancer talks about her experience with NC State’s Dance Program and as an animal science major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Read Full Story »Lifelong learners, lifelong leaders
Nutrition Leaders come together one last time as they wind up decades of service to N.C. State University’s seafood extension education program.
Read Full Story »Noteworthy News
Tyre Lanier named IFT Fellow
Dr. Tyre Lanier, professor of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, has been named a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists.
CEFS receives regional Magrath Award
Two North Carolina land-grant universities affiliated with the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) – N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State University –were among those named regional winners of the C. Peter Magrath University Engagement Award for 2012, presented by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU).
USDA Under Secretary to help launch Produce Ped’lers program
U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Kevin Concannon will be on hand in Goldsboro Wednesday for the launch of an innovative program designed to get fresh, local produce into city neighborhoods with limited access to fresh food.
Military youth, Wolfpack baseball team celebrate together
As N.C. State University’s baseball team took to the field against Duke University on April 28, military youth and their families — representing all branches of North Carolina’s military — were on hand to participate in the third annual Military Appreciation Day Baseball Game.
Dr. Randy Rose Memorial Garden dedicated
The garden is part of the scenic plaza in front of the Toxicology Building, home of the department where Rose, an internationally renowned toxicologist, taught and conducted research beneficial to human health.
Nigerian agriculturist visits CALS
Smallholder farmers in southeast Nigeria don’t have access to expertise from an extension service. But thanks to an enterprising journalist, farmers there can learn basic lessons about agriculture simply by turning on their battery-powered transistor radios to FARM 98.0 FM.
Dairy Science Club hosts regional American Dairy Science Association meeting
Student members of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Dairy Science Club played host to 120 students and faculty advisers from nine colleges and universities.
CALS’ Fred Gould is 2012 O. Max Gardner Award winner
Gould brings to 27 the number of O. Max Gardner Award winners from N.C. State University since 1949, when the awards program began. It is the most significant honor given to faculty members by the UNC Board of Governors.
Ken Esbenshade receives Friend of Great Plains Idea Award
Esbenshade was a key player in creating AG*IDEA, a program of agriculture-related online degrees, certificates and course shares among a consortium of universities.
Save the date for CALS Tailgate 2012!
Get ready to kick off the season right on Sept. 15, 2012 in Dorton Arena, before the N.C. State versus South Alabama game!
Landscape design students’ bamboo creation adds whimsy to sustainable farm
The latest project, a bamboo weathervane called “Pond Promenade,” depicts an 8-foot orange fish that appears to be jumping to catch a dragonfly with a wingspan of 11 feet.
CALS faculty members named outstanding teachers
The subject matter with which three College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty members who have been chosen to receive 2012 North Carolina State University Outstanding Teacher Awards is disparate, ranging from economics to leadership and human-animal interactions. But all three share a commitment to imparting knowledge.
Farm Animal Days puts children, animals in proximity
March may have come in like a lamb this year, but for more than 10,000 children and adults who attended Farm Animal Days, it went out like chickens and turkeys and horses and cows, rabbits, pigs and, well, there were lambs too.
CALS students among N.C. State’s latest Goldwater Scholars and NSF Fellows
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has seven students among the university’s four Goldwater Scholars and 20 National Science Foundation Fellows recently selected.
Morrow receives AASV Meritorious Service Award
Dr. W.E. Morgan Morrow has been named the 2012 recipient of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians’ Meritorious Service Award. Morrow is a professor in the CALS Department of Animal Science.
Crop Science Department head named
The director of a University of Florida research and education center has been named head of the North Carolina State University Department of Crop Science.
Lecturer shares USAID experience of feeding the world
Guest lecturer Iowa State University Professor Dr. Max Rothschild has spent the last year as a Jefferson Science Fellow at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington, sharing his ideas on how healthy livestock can play a key role in helping feed the world.
North Carolina communities receive planning support for incubator farms
Several North Carolina communities will receive support in establishing incubator farms, thanks to the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) and the Bringing New Farmers to the Table Project. Incubator farms provide new farmers with plots of land to begin their operations and hone their farming skills before they make an investment in a more permanent location.
Simunovic honored with Tung Award
Dr. Josip Simunovic, research associate professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, has been honored with the Marvin A. Tung Achievement Award given by the Institute for Thermal Processing Specialists.
Lowes Foods pledges support to 10% Campaign
Lowe’s Foods Stores, Inc. of Winston-Salem has signed on as a major partner of the 10% Campaign, a North Carolina initiative designed to encourage consumers to spend 10 percent of their food budget on locally-produced foods.
College names sustainability coordinator
Dr. Danesha Seth Carley, a 2006 doctoral graduate of the North Carolina State University departments of Crop Science and Plant Pathology, recently was named coordinator for sustainability programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is the first person to hold this new position.
Schulman recognized as mentor
Dr. Michael Schulman, William Neal Reynolds Professor and Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor, has been honored by the North Carolina State University Sociology Graduate Student Association with its Lifetime Mentorship Award.
4,000+ Extension Master Gardeners help make N.C. a greener place
With spring on its way, Extension Master Gardeners across the state are working in full gear, helping fellow gardeners – beginners and experts, young and old – enhance their landscapes, grow their own fruits and vegetables and learn about the science behind gardening.
Extension Master Gardener, Master Messenger
Wake County grower practices on his farm what he preaches as N.C. Master Gardener Volunteer Association president.
People, pigs and infant formula
People, pigs and infant formula would seem a strange combination, but a study involving baby pigs reveals much about what makes a nutritious (human) infant formula.
North Carolina home economics legend Ada Dalla-Pozza honored by NC State University Alumni Association
Ada Dalla-Pozza received the 2011 North Carolina State University Alumni Association Award of Merit. The Alumni Association awards honor alumni and friends of the university for their professional and personal accomplishments and their continuing support of NC State.
Klaenhammer honored with Harris Award
Dr. Todd Klaenhammer, university distinguished professor and William Neal Reynolds professor of food, bioprocessing and nutrition sciences, is the 2012 recipient of the Harris Award for Excellence in Food Science and Technology given by the Ohio State University Department of Food Science and Technology.
CALS lab nurtures high school student’s interest in science
Jacobo Rozo Posso developed an interest in science and plants as an 8-year-old. He’s 17 now, a junior at Cary High School. Science is still his passion and an interest that is being nurtured in a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences laboratory.
Virus discovery holds mystery, potential
A previously unknown virus discovered by North Carolina State University scientists may hold keys to managing another virus that causes a debilitating disease.
Mike DeGruy, CALS 2010-11 Distinguished Alumnus, has died in helicopter crash
Michael V. DeGruy, award-winning nature cinematographer and marine scientist, died Feb. 3 in a helicopter crash in Australia.
Micropropagation and Repository Unit recognized with McLaughlin Award
N.C. State’s Micropropagation and Repository Unit has been recognized with the 2012 Foil McLaughlin Award, which notes work that impacts North Carolina’s seed industry.
Daubert named department head
Dr. Christopher Daubert has been named head of North Carolina State University’s Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences.
CALS entomologist John Meyer honored as top Envirothon mentor
Meyer has been named the 2011 Envirothon Mentor of the Year by the Wake County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Foegeding, Gould named AAAS Fellow
Dr. Allen Foegeding and Dr. Fred Gould have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Students’ State Fair garden earns Commissioner’s Award
What started as a learning opportunity for a landscape class at N.C. State University resulted in some new, permanent landscape features for the State Fair’s garden area. The effort also received the Commissioner’s Award for the fair’s garden area this year.
Right as rain
When it comes to lessening the effects of water pollution, residential and commercial rain gardens are becoming increasingly popular in North Carolina, thanks in large part to N.C. State University and its Cooperative Extension Service.
Noteworthy Alumni
Alumnus Richard Brooks awarded Honorary American FFA Degree
CALS alum Richard Brooks recently received the Honorary American FFA Degree during the 58th annual State FFA Land Judging Career Development Event in Robeson County. The award is given to those who advance agricultural education and FFA through outstanding personal commitment.
CALS students, faculty, alumnus among 2012 GSD honorees
On April 25, the N.C. State University chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the Honor Society of Agriculture, recognized academic achievement and contributions to agriculture.
Dr. Clyde Chesney, former Extension administrator, dies
Dr. Clyde E. Chesney, former North Carolina Cooperative Extension district director who from 1998 until his retirement in 2009 was an administrator at Tennessee State University, died April 18 in Nashville, Tenn.
Environmentalist Tom Quay, one of the first to receive a Ph.D. from N.C. State, has died
Dr. Thomas L. Quay, professor emeritus of zoology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, died April 16 at the age of 97.
Alumnus-owned Tull Hill Farms wins award from NC Department of Labor
Tull Hill Farms, co-owned by Kendall Hill, a 1962 graduate of the College’s Department of Horticultural Science, received the Hudler Safety Training Award from the North Carolina Department of Labor. The award is given each year to a North Carolina grower who demonstrates excellence in farm safety.
Bob McGuire, CALS grad and former Extension agent and specialist, has died
Dr. Robert L. “Bob” McGuire, professor emeritus at Auburn University, died February 27. McGuire, a native of Brevard, received his 1957 bachelor’s degree in animal husbandry and his 1960 master’s in animal science from N.C. State.
Williams is Watauga Medalist
Cassius Williams, a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences alumnus and a former member of the N.C. State University Board of Trustees, has been named one of three recipients of the 2012 Watauga Medal.
Harrell, historic CALS alumna and Duke microbiology professor, retires
Dr. Lizzie J. Harrell, the first African-American to receive a Ph.D. in microbiology from N.C. State, recently retired after 33 years of service at Duke University Medical Center, where she was associate director of Clinical Microbiology.
CALS grad leads People’s Garden program
CALS grad Livia Marques leads the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s popular and growing People’s Garden Program.
Noteworthy Giving
2012 Dock of the Bay event is a seaside success
More than 300 guests enjoyed an evening of casual elegance May 5 at the ninth annual On the Dock of the Bay fund-raiser at the Eastern 4-H Environmental Education Conference Center in Columbia.
JCRA’s 2012 Gala in the Garden is a red, white and green celebration
The annual garden party and fund-raising event doubled as a birthday party for N.C. State.
Wynne, College supporters honored at spring joint foundations event
Award recipients include the Animal Science and Food Science clubs, the Student Organization Resource Development Award winners, recognized for their efforts in support of the Dairy Foundation Campaign for Excellence.
Campaign for beloved North Carolina FFA center gets jump start from Murphy-Brown LLC
Murphy-Brown LLC, livestock production subsidiary of Smithfield Foods Inc. and the world’s largest producer of pork products, kicked off a fundraising drive for the North Carolina FFA Center at White Lake with a $50,000 gift.
The 10% Campaign receives $5,000 gift from Carolina Farm Credit
Carolina Farm Credit, based in Statesville, has given $5,000 to support the 10% Campaign, a North Carolina initiative designed to encourage consumers to spend 10 percent of their food budget on locally produced foods.
Scholarship to honor innovative agribusinessman
The late Livio Ferruzzi, an agricultural business entrepreneur and innovator with a global reach and local presence, was honored Dec. 8 when family, friends and associates gathered at the Center for Marine Science and Technology in Morehead City to establish an N.C. State University scholarship endowment in his name.
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