M AGAZINE
We’ve Got Plans PLUS > MOSQUITO RESEARCHER
· BILTMORE SHEPHERD · FOOD ENTREPRENEURS
I AM CALS Ph.D. Candidate Emily Reed A stowaway sneaked aboard trans-Pacific cargo ships en route to the United States in the 1980s: the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, the most aggressively invasive mosquito species in the world. CALS doctoral candidate Emily Reed suspects that those ships aren’t the only human infrastructure hijacked by the tiny bloodsuckers for their invasion. Reed is studying how our own sidewalks and roads may correlate to Aedes albopictus’ travel and spread. “This has the potential to impact how we manage our invasive mosquitoes,” Reed says. “This has the potential to inform how we design our cities and improve quality of life.” Using the same cutting-edge toolkit that allows genealogists to track down human family trees, Reed compares the genetic signatures of different populations of mosquitoes to see how closely related they are. Then she looks at the geography between those populations. “My hypothesis was that there’s humanmediated travel, so that ... our human infrastructure and our hard surfaces somehow allow mosquitoes to spread and travel more than they would on their own,” Reed says. “On the flipside, I also want to identify ... what’s stopping them from getting from point A to point B, or from being genetically connected.” Continued on page 42
NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Fall 2019 12 FROM BRICKYARD TO BILTMORE Animal science alumnus Kyle Mayberry has one of the most unusual jobs in agriculture: director of livestock at the largest private home in North America.
18 WORKING FOOD From pound cake to produce to honey sriracha potato chips, CALS students and young alumni sink their teeth into entrepreneurship.
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CALS’ YEAR OF TRANSFORMATION In just one year, CALS saw six new major projects break ground or open doors – the largest infrastructure expansion in college history. A look at what’s up, what’s next and why you should care.
4 New William Neal Reynolds Professors
8 Extension Agent – and Author
5 Young Alum Builds New Program
11 “Groundbreaking” Plant Sciences Initiative Event
6 Talking `Bout Genetic Engineering
44 Rural Health Advocate Minnie Brown
ONLINE EDITION go.ncsu.edu/CALSMagazine
FROM THE DEAN
In the past few issues of CALS Magazine, we highlighted two areas we’re proud of as we work to solve local and global challenges here at CALS: our people and our interdisciplinary programs.
around the state and across the globe. Both on- and off-campus, we’re making a calculated investment in facilities whose benefits will reach beyond our lifetimes.
But there’s a piece we haven’t shared yet, though it’s literally the backdrop to everything we Think and Do: our infrastructure improvement projects.
On top of that, improved buildings mean a better work environment with better technology, which allows us to continue attracting top-level students, faculty and partners.
What do we mean by infrastructure? Buildings designed to recruit the best and promote the collaboration that leads to innovation. Laboratories where breakthroughs are made and thoughtleaders are formed. Field labs, research stations and Extension offices where solutions are refined and delivered. Spaces and places that shape the memories alumni cherish for a lifetime.
A college is nothing without its people – and those people need a place to call home. What does this mean for you, for students and for our state, nation and world? Just turn to page 24 and start reading. Go Pack and Go CALS!
Just check out the NC State University Plant Sciences Building on Centennial Campus, or the N.C. Food Innovation Laboratory in Kannapolis: both are engineered to grow the solutions and opportunities that, in turn, grow local economies
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Richard Linton, Dean College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
CALSNEWS Where Are They Now? Cody Burton: I Am CALS, Fall 2017 Last time we talked to Cody Burton, she was a first-year student moving from rural eastern North Carolina to an NC State dorm room in the state capital. Now, Burton is a senior on track to graduate from the Prestage Department of Poultry Science in May 2020. “It’s a big jump from crying when I moved in the first day,” Burton says. “It was a big adjustment, but now it’s just normal.” Burton fits right in on the bustling NC State campus. In the 201819 academic year, she served as a representative on the crossdisciplinary Agri-Life Council and an officer in the Poultry Science Club, as well as working in Professor Matt Koci’s research laboratory. In summer 2019, Burton nabbed a job in quality control at Perdue Farms, taking feed samples and analyzing data. The summer job is a great learning experience, she says – and 30 minutes from her family home. “Going back to a small town after being in Raleigh so long was another adjustment,” she says. “Out here, when I go outside, I don’t see anybody. It’s actually been weird not seeing hundreds of students all day, milling around. I guess I’ve gotten used to it.” Harry Palmer: I Am CALS, Spring 2017 Last time we talked to Harry Palmer, he was fresh from a semester at the University of Ghana. He and a squad of volunteers created a working farm for a primary school using only machetes, hoes and their bare hands. Now, he’s using the grit, organization and respect for agricultural roots he learned there for another important purpose: preventing farm erosion and keeping unwanted materials out of the Chesapeake Bay. Palmer graduated from CALS with a degree in agricultural and environmental technology in May 2018. He now works for the Maryland Department of Agriculture as a soil conservation associate, surveying and supervising the building of best management practices in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Resources Conservation Service. He’s grateful for how his time in Ghana shaped his worldview. “When things get tough over here, I think of how good we have it,” Palmer says. “At work, I often visit farms where they have great technology … and I 100% support that—but when they ask me to solve problems, I try to break things down to the basics of biology, chemistry and agriculture as a whole.” cals.ncsu.edu 3
Meet CALS’ Newest William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professors Six CALS faculty members recently nabbed one of the college’s highest honors: being named a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professors. Founded in 1950 by the WNR Endowment, the professorship was created to recognize outstanding scholars, leaders, teachers and mentors. The award was designed to strengthen teaching, research and extension programs in various fields of agriculture to improve the quality of life in rural North Carolina. The new William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professors are: Jose M. Alonso Professor, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology His basic science research has increased understanding of the molecular circuits plants use to integrate environmental and developmental signals to produce specific responses. He has won multiple National Science Foundation grants and published more than 100 articles in refereed science journals. Carolyn Dunn Professor and head, Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences She is known for developing high-profile healthy eating and physical activity programs, including Color Me Healthy for preschool children and Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less for adults. She also has been a pioneer in the use of online technology in health education. Rob Dunn Professor, Department of Applied Ecology and University Faculty Scholar Through research focused on microbial biodiversity, he has more than 200 peer-reviewed publications since 2005. He also is a frequent contributor to news and TV documentaries, and he has written best-selling books about science. He is also widely recognized for his citizen science efforts. 4 CALS Magazine
Amy Grunden Professor, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University Faculty Scholar, NASA Institute Fellow Her research focuses on extremophile biology, stressresistant crops, biofuels and environmental decontamination, and it has attracted substantial extramural funding. James Walgenbach Professor, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology He has made major contributions to his discipline and to stakeholders, especially apple producers. His work has served as a model, both nationally and internationally, for implementing successful approaches to pest management that present less risk to farmworkers, the environment and consumers. Todd Wehner Professor and plant breeder, Department of Horticultural Science With more than 40 years of contributions, he is considered a leading expert in cucurbits, such as cucumbers and watermelons. He has released 94 cultivars and breeding lines and published nearly 200 research papers. His trainees credit him with excellent job placements and successes in both industry and academia.
CALSNEWS
Quick Start: Young Alumnus Building Program From Scratch When James Quick entered the animal science program at NC A&T University, he knew his future career path for certain: veterinarian. But when he came to CALS to earn his animal science master’s degree, he was in for a surprise – Quick fell in love with teaching. He graduated in May 2019. Now, he’s building an animal science program from scratch as an animal science and horticulture instructor at Surry Community College, where he uses his CALS education every day. Is this your dream job? I never dreamed of building something from the ground up, but now I can say this position is a dream position. I think the payoff will be great once the program is fully up and running. Right now, it’s my baby. It’s like a blessing that I didn’t have to pray for. Is there anything you learned at CALS that you use every day? All my teaching skills. ... In grad school, you also have to figure things out, be independent and make the best of what you have, and that’s literally what I’m doing right now. How did you discover your love for teaching? It started with Dr. Billy Flowers, seeing how he knew so much about so many things and how students look up to him – that’s something I aspire to. And TAing with Dr. Jeannette Moore, because she’s a great teacher who loves teaching. As a TA, it was cool to see at the end of the semester that students left as more confident animal
scientists, and it’s nice to feel I had something to do with that, because someone had to do that for me. Do you remember your first and last days at CALS? I felt overwhelmed at first. I didn’t know anybody. But I realized as time went on that everybody around me felt the same way. My last day was
bittersweet, of course. It was great to be graduating with my master’s, but I also knew I was going to miss the people. What’s your advice to current students? Be open-minded. Agriculture is such a huge field. There are so many career opportunities out there. cals.ncsu.edu 5
Talking `Bout Genetic Engineering In entomologist Fred Gould’s 40 years at NC State, his work has purposely spanned disciplines. “Fred is building,” Dean Richard Linton says, “but not with bricks and concrete.” A William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and internationally known expert in genetic engineering, Gould has also played a lead role in creating NC State’s highly regarded Genetic Engineering and Society Center (GES), plus two innovative interdisciplinary graduate student training programs funded by the National Science Foundation.
Agriculture and food systems are often misunderstood, and aspects of those systems can be controversial. How do we as a college tell their stories? The biggest battle I see ahead is how to deal with misinformation on all sides. We understand that there’s misinformation on the internet, but who’s the trusted voice? And how does NC State develop itself to be the trusted voice? Which is what the GES center has been doing. To stay a trusted voice, we don’t take any funds from industry, or from anti-biotech NGOs (nongovernmental organizations). The GES center is a lot about how to engage the public; how to be more transparent. But once you get all that input from the public, I think the hardest thing is to figure out what to do with that. The question in the long run is how do we help the agriculture economy flourish? Who’s the trusted voice? NC State’s got to be the trusted voice, and we don’t become the trusted voice by always saying the industry is right. I think that’s NC State’s role, and our extension people are looked to for that. We need to maintain credibility to the widest audience, and how we are going to reach out to them is a big deal.
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What are you building at NC State? And how have you gone about it? How? With a lot of help from my friends. What we’re trying to do is to gain from the broad expertise that we have at the university. We are knocking down walls, and that’s not easy. I’ve been amazed at how things have unfolded. Initially, we got involved with genetic engineering from the entomology side with crops, and we were right in the middle of the controversy about that. We started growing from there, especially when it became possible to build genetically engineered insects. ... But we realized we had to reach out to the social sciences and humanities if we were to move forward in a world where science and technology doesn’t decide what society needs. The question was, how do you include society in these decisions in a better way, so that you are not pushing an idea and all of a sudden – surprise – you get this big pushback. ... Sometimes we’re not so good at predicting outcomes, and we should at least be humble enough to involve other people. And you need to hear consumers’ voices. Bricks and mortar get people excited, but what we need is more interactions.
CALSNEWS
What would you like your legacy to be? The GES center is ... known throughout the world. We worked together, we published together and we’ve been invited to meetings all over the world, so the center is known. We asked, “How can we make NC State stand out?” Can we say, “Look, we’re a technical university that thinks more about society?” This should not just be with genetic engineering. We need to think deeply about
what is in the public good when it comes to artificial intelligence, neurobiology and other technical disciplines that could have profound impacts on humanity. We’ve always done that with extension and agriculture. I would love to see, in the future, NC State using this approach not just in agriculture. ... I’ve been here for 40 years, and I’m not done yet. – Dee Shore
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CALS Book Club Extension’s Jim Hamilton Mystery. Intrigue. Meth. Murder. Not the first things that come to mind when you think of Extension agents, are they? But that’s exactly what you’ll find in Jim Hamilton’s recently published novel. As an agricultural agent and director of North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Watauga County Center, Hamilton has written plenty of technical and academic articles. “The Last Entry” is his first foray into fiction. It’s a page-turner that builds on themes of family, loss and redemption. It also carries Hamilton’s message about the importance of conserving dwindling wild populations of American ginseng and other woodland botanicals. Hamilton, an agroforestry expert, considers ginseng “one of the coolest things that grow in the mountain woods.” The demand is high, especially in Asia, because its roots have been used for centuries to enhance health. Today ginseng can fetch around $1,000 a pound. The high price, plus reality TV shows focused on ginseng hunting and theft, led to phone call after phone call to the Extension office. Folks wanted to know if and how they could grow ginseng on their property.
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CALSNEWS One of those calls set Hamilton on the fiction-writing path – a path that turned out to be as contorted as mature ginseng’s roots. A Watauga County resident named Glenn Bruce called to see if he could grow the plant on family land. Turns out that Bruce had experience writing Hollywood movie scripts, and Hamilton wondered aloud if ginseng hunting might make a good movie. Bruce encouraged him to sketch out the story. After work that night, Hamilton jotted down the bare bones of a story in the margins of the town of Boone’s Tree Board minutes. In coming weeks, he and Bruce swapped ideas as they fleshed out characters and finessed plot lines. Bruce then produced a polished script, and Hamilton decided to try writing a book. “That led to what was essentially an independent study in creative writing,” Hamilton says. “I learned how to integrate dialogue to push the story along, showing instead of telling.”
He spent two years writing and refining the prose before approaching Working Title Farm, a small publishing company in Boone, with his manuscript. In September 2019, “The Last Entry” debuted at the Southern Indie Booksellers Alliance trade show. Through both the book and his extension work, Hamilton hopes to help the legitimate side of the ginseng industry remain a part of the local economy and its culture. Thanks in part to Hamilton, 4,000 pounds of seed have been planted in Watauga County over the past six years. “The reason we still have ginseng in the woods today is because our forebears replanted as they went,” he says. “They harvested in the right time of year. They collected the wild seed and propagated it in the woods ... or they brought it back to their home woods and regenerated it there. “To keep a good thing going,” he adds, “you have to continually plant.” — Dee Shore
About the author Jim Hamilton, an Alabama native, has been with North Carolina Cooperative Extension for over 12 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and natural resources at the University of the South, a master’s in forestry from Auburn, and a Ph.D. in forestry from NC State. His work as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay led to a passion for teaching and doing agricultural extension work.
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CALS Magazine FALL 2019 A Publication of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Editor Design and Layout Writers
Photographers Videographers
Chelsea Kellner Patty Mercer Chelsea Kellner Dee Shore Stacy Chandler Katelyn Ferral Marc Hall Becky Kirkland Ken Ellzey Chris Liotta
Dean and Executive Director for Agricultural Programs Richard Linton Senior Associate Dean for Administration Harry Daniels Associate Dean and Director, NC State Extension Richard Bonanno Associate Dean and Director, N.C. Agricultural Research Service Steve Lommel Associate Dean and Director, Academic Programs John Dole Assistant Dean and Director, CALS Advancement Sonia Murphy Assistant Director, CALS Alumni and Friends Society Lindsay Skinner Chief Communications Officer Richard Campbell
NC State University promotes equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination and harassment based upon one’s age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation and veteran status. Send correspondence and requests for change of address to CALS Magazine Editor, Campus Box 7603, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 -7603. 16,500 copies of this public document were printed at
a cost of 69¢ per copy. Printed on recycled paper.
Crop Resilience is Focus of New Interdisciplinary Research, Grant William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Plant and Microbial Biology Amy Grunden is leading a new interdisciplinary research collaboration between NC State University and three Danish universities. Their task: Examine the roles of plant-associated microbes and their interactions with plants. The goal: Help make crops more resilient against environmental stresses while reducing the need for chemical treatments and irrigation. The new Collaborative Crop Resilience Program (CCRP) is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the parent organization of NC State partner and biological solutions leader Novozymes. NC State will receive approximately $8 million of the project’s $30 million in funding over six years. The University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University and the Technical University of Denmark will collaborate on the project. “The CCRP positions NC State at the forefront of discovery in plant sciences and in translating these discoveries into solutions for farmers, life-sciences companies and consumers,” NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson said. To read more about CALS’ cuttingedge work in plant science, turn to page 28.
CALSNEWS Can You Dig It? Groundbreaking for NC State University Plant Sciences Building Farmers talked. NC State University leaders listened. And a revolution in how NC State approaches plant sciences has begun. The university ceremonially broke ground Friday, September 6, on a major new Centennial Campus building aimed at speeding agricultural progress. The 185,000-square-foot NC State University Plant Sciences Building will be headquarters for the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative, an effort to make the state into the world’s leading hub for plant science innovation. The building will allow for what Flad Architects calls “creative collisions”
to spark problem-solving. The building will not house a specific discipline or department. Instead, it’s being built with the flexibility to allow interdisciplinary teams of scientists working on specific projects to move in and out of the building. Through private-public partnership, the building has received financial support from more than 45 commodity groups and $85 million from the Connect NC bond, and moved from concept to construction with the combined grants of $48 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation. CALS fundraisers are working to secure the additional funds not just for the building but for the overall initiative.
“The idea here is to create different combinations of scientists than would tend to naturally occur to really change agriculture and food in a big, systemic way.” – Steve Lommel Associate Dean, CALS
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CALS grad Kyle Mayberry has one of the most unusual jobs in agriculture. When Kyle Mayberry attends a cattlemen’s convention or agricultural trade show, one of his favorite parts comes right at the start of every conversation: telling people where he works. “It usually generates a lot of excitement,” he says. Less than a year after collecting his animal science master’s degree from CALS, Mayberry is livestock director at the historic Biltmore Estate, a top North Carolina tourist attraction and site of the largest private home in the United States. Down winding roads from the Gilded Age chateau, past the international array of visitors who stream through the house and gardens each year, Mayberry and his staff oversee about 600 head of cattle and about 250 purebred sheep behind the scenes of the estate’s 8,000 acres. It’s not your usual first full-time job. In fact, it’s one of the best first-placements of an animal science master’s student ever, says Department Head Todd See. “Biltmore is so unique,” See says. “The fact that they picked Kyle is huge – especially for his age, it’s a big deal.” The department aims to give students an edge in the job market by equipping them with a diverse agricultural background, one that’s balanced between research and practical experience. The department’s success can be seen in alumni like Mayberry. “Kyle has been an excellent addition to our agricultural team due to his academic accomplishments as well as his field experience,” says Biltmore Vice President of Attraction Operations Rick Conard. “He has already proven he will continue to be a major asset to our program.” >
go.ncsu.edu/Mayberry
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From the
BIL
Brickyard to the
LT MOR E
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“...We shall all be proud of our parts in it” Biltmore was the brainchild and passion project of shipping and railroad heir George W. Vanderbilt. After visiting the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1888, he began construction of a home there one year later. The stately limestone mansion would ultimately house 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces, a grand setting for important visitors ranging from U.S. Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt to famous novelists Edith Wharton and Henry James. But Vanderbilt wanted more than just a nice house in the mountains. Inspired by European estates and his sister’s farm in Vermont, Vanderbilt’s vision was for a selfsufficient agricultural enterprise. He enlisted the help of renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York City’s Central Park. It would be Olmsted’s last and largest private project. “It is a great work of peace we are engaged in, and one of these days we shall all be proud of our parts in it,” Olmsted wrote during construction. Biltmore-raised meats, poultry, fruits and vegetables were for use in the Biltmore House kitchens. Later, the venture grew into commercial operations, including Biltmore Dairy, that provided crucial revenue to sustain the estate’s operations. Today, farming might not be top-of-mind for most Biltmore visitors – but if you keep your eyes open, references to Vanderbilt’s agriculture-based vision are everywhere. Step into Biltmore Winery, and you’re walking through a renovated milking parlor. A former horse barn has been converted into a mini-museum with a model farmyard outside. Photographs of the farm families who once lived and worked on the property line the hallways of one of the property’s two hotels, Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate. >
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Mayberry’s commission is to guide the livestock operation into a sustainable future, but he also plays a key role in preserving its historic past. Where most operations have the luxury of demolishing and rebuilding aging structures, Mayberry and his crew get creative with what’s already there.
On the job As with any new job, there was a learning curve. Mayberry spent his first two months getting lost on the estate’s curving labyrinth of often-unpaved mountain roads – “it involved a lot of trial and error,” he says. Any farmer can attest that livestock operations are a full-time job and then some; if a cow jumps a fence at 4 in the morning, Mayberry gets the phone call. One big lesson from his first few months on the job: delegate. He also assigned staff and interns to load the farm’s particulars into the most up-todate agricultural software. Animal care is a top priority as well: “I preach cow comfort,” he says.
“We find new ways of revitalizing and reusing original structures,” Mayberry says. “It’s pretty neat – I get to see these older structures come to life and evolve as the industry evolves.” “Soft-spoken and very funny” Growing up in rural Taylorsville, North Carolina, Mayberry raised award-winning goats and was a member of FFA. All three of his high school agriculture teachers were NC State alumni, so deciding where he wanted to go to college was easy. He graduated from CALS with his bachelor’s degree in animal science, then enrolled in the master’s program, where he won multiple departmental research awards. His “soft-spoken and very funny” communication style made him a popular choice for teacher’s assistant positions. “He can take technical things and explain them in a way that makes things relevant and connects with people,” See says. As Mayberry’s time in the program drew to a close, two of his animal science professors, Matt Poore and Daniel Poole, told him about the livestock director job opening at Biltmore and encouraged him to apply. Mayberry thought it was a long shot – until he got the phone call.
One of Mayberry’s favorite parts of the job is the chance to work on the Biltmore’s long-term strategic agricultural plan, mapping the operation’s road to continued expansion and success. He consults regularly with his CALS mentors, Poole and Poore. “They’ve both been here to provide counsel and feedback from their extension roles,” he says. “The same way N.C. Cooperative Extension is pivotal in agricultural communities everywhere, they’re pivotal here at Biltmore.” Home sweet home One of the most unexpected perks of Mayberry’s job at the Biltmore: getting to live there. Not in the big house, of course, though its 35 bedrooms saw their share of guests before the house converted to primarily a tourist enterprise in 1930. Mayberry and his wife, Sara, who is also a CALS alum, live down a winding road about two miles away, in a historic 1940s-era cabin with a wide front porch. Their first home together is also their dream home – and not just for them. “There’s basically a waiting list for our guest room,” Sara says.
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A Match Made In CALS First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes ... a move to their first home on the historic Biltmore Estate. Read Kyle and Sara’s very NC State love story: go.ncsu.edu/MatchMadeInCALS go.ncsu.edu/BiltmoreKyle
Working Food How CALS students and young alumni are taking the North Carolina food industry to the next level.
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Snack King by Stacy Chandler
North Carolina is known for a lot of famous foods — Mt. Olive pickles and Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Pepsi and Cheerwine — but when he was still a CALS undergraduate, Josh Monahan noticed the lack of a crucial comfort food: potato chips. An agribusiness management student, Monahan decided to fill that niche by founding his company, 1in6 Snacks, in 2016. Three years later, 1in6’s Carolina Kettle Chips are on grocery store shelves across the tri-state area. The company is expanding into salsa and flavored tortilla chips. And Monahan is involved in every step. “I’m involved with a little bit of everything,” Monahan says, from strategic planning right down to driving the delivery truck. 1in6 Snacks takes its name from a statistic that caught Monahan’s attention back in his dorm room at CALS: at the time, he read, 1 in 6 people in the U.S. didn’t know where their next meal would come from. He already knew he wanted to start a company; now that company had a cause. A portion of the proceeds from every 1in6 snack sold is donated to a local food bank. So far, that’s over $40,000, Monahan says, which covers more than 175,000 meals. With 1in6 headquartered in a storefront on Hillsborough Street, Monahan travels to trade shows and festivals to get his product in the hands of potential new fans. “It’s fun,” he says. “It doesn’t seem like actual work.” He’s also had a hand in developing the (for now) 13 flavors of Carolina Kettle Chips, from Bee Sting Honey Sriracha to The “Mama Gin” Dill Pickle, named after Monahan’s grandmother. “The part that I like best,” he says, “is dealing with different seasoning companies to really perfect the flavors and figure out what’s trending and what would really do well where we are.” Besides, he adds, “Who doesn’t like samples?” Other snack food forays, like salsa and flavored tortilla chips, are underway. As the company grows, Monahan can refer back to lessons he learned as an agribusiness management student not so long ago. Some classwork, he admits, didn’t seem terribly pertinent at the time, “but a lot of it comes in handy,” he sees now. “You’ll be like, ‘Oh wait, I learned this in class.’” cals.ncsu.edu 19
Fresh Prince By Katelyn Ferral Seven years ago, growing vegetables on an acre of family farmland was just a way for Collin Blalock to make some summer cash. Now, the 22-year-old from Wilson is leading a produce and flower enterprise, Collin’s Produce LLC, spanning 25 acres. Don’t get him wrong; that first summer was real rough. No tractor, no extra hands. Blalock planted and picked vegetables by himself and wanted to stop when the season ended. His father convinced him to try it for one more year and, with the help of a tractor, things improved. Collin’s Produce now has four employees and offers 15 different types of fruits and vegetables, including watermelon, cantaloupe, cabbage, corn, collards, kale, cucumbers, squash, butter beans and peas. Sales have increased by more than 100 percent in the last two years. “The only thing we sell is what we grow,” Blalock says. “Everything the customer gets is picked within a short amount of time before they take it back to their house ... like if they were to pick it from their own garden and bring it back to their table.” He provides produce and flowers to five grocery stores and four florists in the Wilson area. His newest addition is a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program at NC State, the Centennial Campus Produce Box, which ran for eight weeks in summer 2019. Blalock graduated from CALS in May and is now heading into a master’s program in crop science. His undergraduate degree has been fundamental to his business, he says, teaching him some core skills for running an agriculture-based business: how to efficiently grow and manage crops, effectively use fertilizer and manage pests. Blalock says he has been surprised and humbled by the support people have given him and his business. “I didn’t expect it,” he says. “Expanding the farm would be my dream ... to support my family and build a career.”
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Carolina Soul By Katelyn Ferral
Baking pound cakes to the sound of soul music: It’s Southern, it’s sweet and it’s the inspiration behind junior Kye Parker’s first business venture. After a breakup, childhood memories of baking as a form of Southern food therapy sparked Kye Parker’s idea for a business. The 24-year old junior from Raleigh recently launched a pound cake company using a new twist on the Southern staple. “I didn’t want a traditional recipe, story or even business model,” Parker says. “I wanted to challenge myself by using a poor man’s baking technique similar to what they used during the Great Depression. … For me, it was about going back to the roots.” Baking-centered entrepreneurship runs in Parker’s family. Her great-grandmother whipped up sweet potato pies to sell to the butcher. Her grandmother sold cakes to folks from church. So, when her relationship ended, Parker marched into the kitchen to concoct the cake that began her love affair with them all: butter vanilla. She tinkered with the recipe for several weeks – the batter had to be right, the flavors balanced. After hitting the mark, she came up with a business name from the “tender loving care” she says she did not get from her ex-boyfriend. This cake would instead be a TLC: “Taste Like Carolina.” Soon after, Parker transferred to NC State. Last year, she joined the Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program, a hands-on business training initiative of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and the Poole College of Management that gives students access to the expertise of local business owners. Taste Like Carolina cakes are baked in small disposable containers that look like hockey pucks. Parker is working with restaurants and grocery stores who plan to sell her cakes throughout the Triangle. A basic cake without icing costs about $5. She’s also working on a skincare line. “The business has evolved from a simple concept to a triple bottom line model,” Parker says. “Learning how to structure the business has been challenging, but the professors at NC State have helped me in so many ways.” Because her work with the business management program was so helpful, she plans to transfer into the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics in the spring. Having mentors with real-life business experience has been crucial, Parker says. “The professors here are absolutely amazing at taking the material and applying it to a real-life situation,” Parker says.
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YEAR OF TRANSFORMATION
It’s the largest infrastructure expansion in college history: In the space of one year, six major CALS building projects have either broken ground or opened their doors. More are on the way. Here’s your behind-the-scenes look into an unprecedented period of growth – and why you should care.
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By Chelsea Kellner
“This year has been a milestone, but we’re still on the journey.” – Dean Linton
For department head Eric Davis, it was a matter of supply and demand: The demand for certified disease-free sweetpotato plants had quadrupled, but Davis knew that NC State’s greenhouses were not designed to provide that supply. For Howling Cow Ice Cream co-founders Gary Cartwright and Carl Hollifield, it was overheard conversations both on- and off-campus that suggested a gap in public education: “Where does ice cream come from?” “The grocery store.” For CALS Dean Richard Linton, it was his first year on the job in 2014. As he listened to requests and concerns across departments, Linton noticed a consistent obstacle to CALS’ next level of growth: infrastructure. CALS faculty, staff and students needed a better foundation. Literally.
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“New and updated spaces create a better work and learning environment, with better technology and a fresh sense of energy and excitement,” Linton says. “We attract top-notch faculty, staff and students by providing them with a strong foundation.” Now, Davis, Cartwright and Linton – among many CALS faculty and staff across campus – are seeing their visions become reality: In 2019 alone, six major projects either opened, broke ground or reached key planning stages.
> NC State University Plant > > > > >
Sciences Building NC Food Innovation Lab Sweetpotato Micropropagation Greenhouses Dinah E. Gore Teaching and Research Kitchens Randleigh Dairy Museum Howling Cow Dairy Education Center and Creamery
And that doesn’t begin to cover the renovations, upfits and major new projects on the horizon. “We’re not just focused on next week or next month or even next year,” Linton says. “Our goal is to create lasting positive impact and momentum for decades and even generations to come.” A capital idea The official lingo for “much-needed buildings and renovations” is “capital projects.” To turn a capital project need into a brick-and-mortar reality takes leadership, teamwork – and hours upon hours of meetings and paperwork. In addition to multi-year new construction like the NC State University Plant Sciences Building, there are important smaller projects, like the transformational gifts and naming of the E. Carroll Joyner Beef Education Unit and the Dinah E. Gore Teaching and Research Kitchens.
Classroom and laboratory spaces are also receiving attention, with major new facilities improvements in the departments of Horticultural Science, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Molecular and Structural Biochemistry and Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Keep checking with CALS for updates – momentum continues to build, and not just on campus. On deck: the 18 research stations, crucial hubs across the state managed in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. The plan is to upfit them with world-class technology, says Natalie Hummel, director of university field labs and research stations, and catapult research and extension toward the agricultural technology innovation needed to feed a growing world population. “This year has been a milestone,” Linton says, “but we’re still on the journey.”
Here’s how it turned out for Davis: Four new sweetpotato greenhouses opened their doors on 10,000 square feet of additional growing space at the Horticulture Field Labs in May 2019. Building happens via vision and generosity; a “timely and substantial” grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation is what got the project off the ground, says Davis, who is head of the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. Big projects like these, however, require a stomach for uncertainty. During the greenhouse project, Davis says, unexpected costs associated with utilities infrastructure threatened to derail the whole thing. Funding from the National Clean Plant Network, the NC State Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology and the Micropropagation and Repository Unit provided the light systems and back-up generator to complete the project. To read more about the greenhouses – plus Cartwright and Hollifield’s double buildingbased reasons to celebrate – turn to page 36. cals.ncsu.edu 27
NC State University Plant Sciences Building NC State’s Centennial Campus The launchpad for the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative, this building is designed to turbo-charge collaborative, interdisciplinary innovation as the world’s foremost plant sciences enterprise. What’s the big idea? Gather the brightest minds of academia, government and industry under one roof to drive research innovation. Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration by awarding research space on a project basis rather than by department or discipline. Partner to solve grand agricultural and environmental challenges, support the evolution of plant science and solve complex problems. Provide global reach for NC State and North Carolina. What’s inside? Eventually: 185,000 square feet slated to include collaborative labs and a rooftop greenhouse that can accommodate biosafety level three experiments. For now: mostly excavators, hard hats and a foundation. Construction is expected to continue through the end of 2021. What will the impact be? A global home for plant science innovation that drives new and improved production methods, plant varieties, agricultural technology tools, increased crop yields and enhanced sustainability. The plan: turn out the strongest possible workforce, trained to address tomorrow’s grand challenges in agriculture. Has it opened yet? No. Watch for: > Virtual reality installations showcasing up-to-the-minute field data from around the state > Sustainability focus, including a connection to the City of Raleigh’s reuse water line and bioretention basins putting effective stormwater management on public display > Plant materials highlighted in design elements and finishes throughout the building
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What major donors helped make this possible? AgCarolina Farm Credit
NC Agricultural Foundation, Inc.
NC Soybean Producers Association
Blackland Farm Managers Association
NC Blueberry Council, Inc.
NC Strawberry Association
Cape Fear Farm Credit
NC Cattlemen’s Association
NC SweetPotato Commission
Carolina Farm Credit
NC Composting Council
NC Tobacco Foundation, Inc.
Carolina Feed Industry Association
NC Cotton Producers Association
NC Tomato Growers Association
Carolinas Irrigation Association
NC Dairy Foundation
NC Vegetable Growers Association
Coastal AgroBusiness
NC Dairy Producers Association
NC Watermelon Association
Corbett Timber Company
NC Fisheries Association, Inc.
North Carolina Farm Bureau
Corn Growers Association of North Carolina
NC Forage & Grasslands Council
North Carolina Green Industry Council
NC Muscadine Grape Association
North Carolina Herb Association, Inc.
Corteva Agriscience
NC Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc.
North Carolina Irrigation Society, Inc.
The G. Brantley DeLoatche Family
NC Peach Growers’ Society, Inc.
North Carolina State Grange
Fair Products, Inc.
NC Peanut Growers Association, Inc.
Tobacco Associates, Inc.
Golden LEAF Foundation
NC Pork Council
Jack and Gladys Lee
NC Poultry Federation
Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina
NC Agricultural and Life Sciences Research Foundation
NC Small Grain Growers Association, Inc.
Turfgrass Council of NC
NC Sod Producers Association
U.S. Tobacco Cooperative, Inc.
NC Agricultural Consultants Association
Weed Science Society of NC
cals.ncsu.edu 29
Dinah E. Gore Teaching and Research Kitchens Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences, 512 Brickhaven A state-of-the-art teaching and research kitchen that replicates a typical North Carolina home to facilitate real-world research. What’s the big idea? This innovative kitchen complex is designed to amplify learning, observation and communication. Users develop healthy recipes, teach food preparation and preservation and investigate research questions around food safety, ingredient use, labeling and healthy cooking. What’s inside? Architects and designers crafted the space to glow with light and color despite its location in the center of the building. They created an open flow between the large kitchen and the internal lobby, then chose bright colors to enliven the atmosphere, enhance food presentation and reinforce the NC State brand. Who’s Dinah E. Gore? Dinah and her late husband, Edward, have been longtime benefactors of NC State’s family and consumer sciences programs. Has it opened yet? Yes, in February 2019. For a list of donors who helped make this possible, check out go.ncsu.edu/kitchens_donors
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Watch for: The playful custom door pulls in the shape of kitchen utensils, inspired by Department Head Carolyn Dunn’s travels.
North Carolina Food Innovation Lab North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC A hub for plant-based food science and manufacturing whose goal is to help great food-related business ideas get to market. What’s the big idea? Help smaller-scale entrepreneurs scale up and commercialize ideas into market-ready products. Connect national and international companies for collaboration and consulting with entrepreneurs and faculty. Engage university researchers on how to translate technology into commercial products. What will the impact be? Boost the North Carolina economy by helping value-added food entrepreneurship stay in-state. What’s inside? State-of-the-art equipment to process grains, fruits, vegetables and raw plant materials by every imaginable method. A product development laboratory and test kitchen, staffed by on-staff food scientists, to support product development and formulation tweaks. It’s also the nation’s only facility with Current Good Manufacturing Process capabilities: An FDAregulated system of controls will ensure a high level of quality at every step. What major donors helped make this possible? The state of North Carolina (General Assembly) Golden LEAF Foundation NC State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Castle & Cooke (founding partner of NCRC) NCDA&CS and NC Commerce (EDPNC) Has it opened yet? NCFIL is scheduled to open in winter 2019.
What does “value-added” mean? If you enhance the value of a product by changing its physical state – for example, making strawberries into jam – that’s valueadded processing, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Randleigh Dairy Heritage Museum Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratories, Raleigh, NC An interactive museum that doubles as a dairy teaching and learning facility.
What’s the big idea? Educate the public on how milk gets from farm to table – and the Howling Cow ice cream carton. Highlight the scope of key state and national impacts from NC State dairy research. What’s inside? Interactive exhibits and a life-size model showing how a cow produces milk. To see your dairy herd in action, look out the windows to see rolling pastures and a sparkling pond – and its sister facility, the Dairy Education Center and Creamery (see next page), on the neighboring hill. What major donors helped make this possible? The Randleigh Foundation William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust Thomas S. Kenan III Foundation Thomas S. Kenan III Has it opened yet? Yes. Watch for: The Jersey cow herd out front – descended from NC State donor William Rand Kenan’s original stock. 32 CALS Magazine
Howling Cow Creamery Cafe and Dairy Education Center Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratories, Raleigh, NC A full-service learning center that allows visitors to learn about dairy production and processing while enjoying NC State-made dairy treats. What’s the big idea? Provide focused agricultural education through seeing, tasting and doing. Draw attention to NC State’s remarkable cow-to-cone dairy facilities, which provide hands-on research and experience capabilities whose operating funds are self-generated. What’s inside? An NC State-themed ice cream shop with both indoor and outdoor seating. Live video feeds of the Howling Cow plant in operation. Interactive video exhibits on North Carolina’s dairy industry. What major donors helped make this possible? The Titmus Foundation, Inc. NC Dairy Foundation The Scott Family Has it opened yet? No. Watch for: The outdoor deck – especially around sunset.
cals.ncsu.edu 33
Sweetpotato Micropropagation Greenhouses Horticulture Field Laboratories, Raleigh, NC Expanded growing space dedicated to the production of elite sweetpotato plants. What’s the big idea? Expand growing capabilities of certified disease-free and true-to-type sweetpotatoes for the Micropropagation and Repository Unit (MPRU). What will the impact be? Growers who start with certified disease-free and true-to-type sweetpotato plants reap enormous benefits: reduced pesticide use, increased yields and better quality. With demand for MPRU plants quadrupling in recent years, the greenhouses will accelerate elite plant production that drives sweetpotato quality improvements and ensures that North Carolina remains a world leader in sweetpotato production. Has it opened yet? Yes. What’s inside? Space! The opening of the greenhouses is designed to provide capacity for growing up to twice the number of certified plants. What major donors helped make this possible? NC Certified Sweetpotato Seed Growers Association, Inc. Golden LEAF Foundation This project is supported in part under an agreement with USDA’s National Clean Plant Network. 34 CALS Magazine
Fun fact: ‘Sweetpotato’ isn’t a typo. Outside the grocery store, the scientific spelling is one word, not two.
What’s your favorite spot at CALS and why?
adamlawing Polk Hall, because I thank all of the ANS faculty that has helped me get to where I am now!
warner.jarrett Fox greenhouses because I can go sit and relax in the sun between classes.
marygray_davis Scott Hall because it is my second home.
callie_yvonne Having class in Williams Hall and conversations with the awesome Professors there!
the_boochness Gardner Hall because it’s where I met my husband! #CALSalums
katherine.grace.miller Dr. Patterson’s office! He makes you feel like you can accomplish anything!
David Crouse Williams Hall, my home away from home the past 29 years. I walked through the front door in Aug 1990 to start a graduate program and never left. After 6,897 students, every day in the classroom and teaching lab is still a gift.
@NCStateCALS
jarachel10 Ricks!! The Ag Ed department is like one big happy family.
❤
ciara_dear_wolfy My favorite place is Scott Hall where I can hang out with all my peeps to work homework.
agsmith7 The dairy’s sunrise and sunset are unmatched.
morgann-lynn97 Bob Patterson’s office, he always has snacks and will talk about anything academic or not.
taylormebane Kilgore Hall to sit and relax around all the beautiful plants
shaunasomerville Randleigh Dairy Heritage Museum! If you volunteer for an event, you might get free Howling Cow!!
maddiedwyer Agroecology Farm. It’s a relaxing place, but it’s only a short drive to downtown!
CALSNCState
On Giving By Dee Shore
Serial entrepreneur and philanthropist Carroll Joyner reflects on the power of giving. E. Carroll Joyner’s time as an animal science undergrad at NC State wasn’t easy. He was homesick, and he struggled with coursework. Giving up was never an option. But giving back always has been. Since graduating in 1956, Joyner has become one of NC State’s most generous and lauded philanthropists. He holds an honorary doctorate, and the university’s visitor center carries his name. As of September 2019, so does the Beef Educational Unit at CALS’ Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratories. The impact of Joyner’s $1.5 million gift to the unit can’t be underestimated, says Todd See, head of the Department of Animal Science. “It’s in good shape, but it needs care,” See says. “This gift will help sustain that care forever.” Joyner was motivated to give because the project “would have a big impact on other people … all over the country.” Dishwashing his way through college Joyner’s connection to NC State’s livestock programs started when he was a child. He raised calves and pigs as a 4-H’er and dreamed of owning a large beef cattle ranch – the goal that ultimately drew him to NC State’s Department of Animal Science. Joyner credits his desire to give back to his upbringing on a 25-acre family farm near Newton Grove. Joyner was close with his mother. She awed him with her hard work and her habit of helping others going through tough times.
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At NC State, Joyner drew on the dedication and persistence he learned from her. He says he came to college unprepared and had to take every remedial course the college offered. His parents couldn’t afford the full cost of college, so he juggled studies with a dishwashing job. The pay wasn’t enough to cover expenses, so he began selling potatoes he’d grown to the cafeteria. Entrepreneur with a philanthropist’s philosophy After graduation, Joyner’s hard work paid off. In the course of his career, he’s had a cattle farm in Wake Forest, feeder cattle operations in Chicago and Arizona, and a stocker cattle operation in Waynesville. He was also instrumental in starting the North Carolina Cattle Foundation and in giving Warren Wilson College a cattle herd. While Joyner raised cattle, it hasn’t been his only occupation. He’s also been a serial entrepreneur. He owned and operated a Western Auto store in Zebulon, then opened the second and third Golden Corral restaurants. He went on to serve as Golden Corral’s president for real estate in its early years, growing the chain to about 140 restaurants. He’s also had a drywall business, oil wells in Oklahoma and Texas and a series of realestate projects. Not every business venture did well, but the failures haven’t shaken his belief in what he calls his “three-bucket philosophy.” Success and satisfaction, he says, can come from spending within your means, saving and investing for the future, and sharing money, time and insight with others. Today, at 86, he devotes time to managing his investments and helping ensure that the projects he funds get off to a good start. In addition to his efforts at NC State, he’s donated land for
two parks, one in Louisburg named for his late daughter and one in Wake Forest that bears his name. He’s also paid for a dorm and for better computers at Louisburg College and set up a foundation for his parents’ church. The projects Joyner pursues must meet three criteria: They must have the potential to help a lot of people, meet demonstrated needs and last a long time. He also prefers that they involve risk. “When I put my money or my bank’s money that I borrow on the line, I’m involved in that particular business more than most people would be,” he says. “And I’m not easy to work with. I don’t mind telling you that because there are three things that are important to me: I don’t lie, I don’t cheat and I’ve got integrity.”
Joyner’s ‘Udder Genius’ E. Carroll Joyner’s book, “Udder Genius,” is part memoir and part instruction manual for life. According to “Udder Genius,” giving shows... ... faith in your fellow man. Giving to someone or to a group shows that you care about and value them. ... your faith in what charity and generosity can do in the world. ... that you know you can make the world better after you’re gone and ... sets up a model for others to give in the next generation.
cals.ncsu.edu 37
Simpson’s Vision When Department Head Melanie Simpson arrived at CALS in 2017, about 3,500 square feet of laboratory space in the Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry hadn’t been upgraded since the mid-1960s. Now, that plus another 5,000 square feet of the department’s physical space – some of it unusable – has been rehabilitated, thanks to Simpson’s vision of a modernized department with facilities to match. The upgraded spaces are full of natural light and easily accessible collaboration space:
> The third floor west wing project, housing the 5,000 square feet of laboratory space from the `60s, required complete demolition and abatement. Now, half has been upfitted to open-concept lab space, with future phases designed for multi-office suites with central collaboration space, shared equipment lab, and additional office or lab support space as needed by new hires.
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> Unrenovated since 1987, the department’s front office previously had dated functionality and no collaboration space or room for students to study or relax between classes. Now, the office boasts a welcoming reception area leading to conference rooms, offices, a multipurpose room and a lounge.
> Three formerly cramped rooms are now 1,350 square feet of open-concept laboratory space, plus areas for common equipment space for biological macromolecular preparation, analysis and quantification.
> 2,300 square feet that used to be small, dark laboratories, offices and closets are transformed into open concept lab space, plus room set aside for cell and tissue culture, cryopreservation and microscopy equipment.
Fox’s Fixes Since Department Head Garey Fox took the helm of the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in 2017, he’s made facility upgrades a high priority—leading to the ongoing transformation of the 63-year-old Weaver Labs complex. The complex covers nearly 83,000 square feet of classroom and lab space, housing the entire department. In its Research Shop, students gain hands-on experience designing and building problem-solving tools and machines. It’s also a go-to for university faculty needing specialized tools and prototypes—everything from prosthetic legs for biomedical research to a grinder that can cut up sweetpotatoes for drying and storing. When Fox arrived, many work and lab areas were sectioned off into single investigator spaces. These rooms have since been converted into shared research spaces that support collaboration, an ideal important to Fox and the culture of the department.
Today, years of hard work and collaboration from Fox and his team (read more about one award-winning team member on the following page) are paying off: Rooms that were used for storage have been turned into working laboratories for faculty members and their students. A women’s restroom too small for a department with a rising number of female faculty members and students has been expanded and upgraded. Fluorescent lights in Weaver’s hallways are no longer wired to the fire-alarm system—which means they no longer have to stay on 24-7. The lights have been replaced with brighter, more efficient LED lights with energy-saving sensors. “I’m proud of the hard work and teamwork that has gone into this transformation,” Fox says. “I’m even more excited to see the academic, research and extension work of our students, faculty and staff as they use these facilities to engineer the future.”
cals.ncsu.edu 39
Staff Behind The Scenes: BAE’s Neil Bain Neil Bain has heard comments aplenty about Weaver Labs. “They used to say, ‘It’s so depressing,’” Bain says. Such complaints are getting fewer and farther between. Today, Weaver Labs is lighter, brighter, less cluttered and more energy efficient—thanks in part to Bain’s coordination. His work recently won him a CALS Award of Excellence, the highest honor the college bestows on staff. Point out the plaque, however, and he’s quick to credit others. “There’s been a lot of work from everybody – not just me,” he says. “I didn’t do it alone. I’ve got a great staff that works for me and a great boss that I work for.” Bain also acknowledges his wife, Sonia, for her ongoing support. “She rarely complains about my late hours, that I answer emails at 11 p.m. or that I take phone calls on vacation,” he says. “She always has my back.”
Long and winding road Bain first came to NC State as an undergraduate in 1982, still figuring out what he wanted from life. When he learned that a four-year degree wasn’t going to lead him to the answer, he transferred to Central Carolina Community College in
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Sanford. He then took on a 4-year apprenticeship at Tarheel Tooling in Smithfield that led to his state credentials as a journeyman. From there, Bain went on to a series of jobs in the private sector and, at one point, owned his own machine shop.
Bain arrived back on campus six years ago to work in BAE’s Research Shop, the largest machine shop on campus. In 2016, he became the supervisor. In addition to managing and working in the shop, Bain serves as the liaison between his department and NC State’s facilities division – a role that has expanded since Department
make a difference,” he says. Days can be long, he adds, and things are as likely to break in the evenings and on weekends as they are during regular work times.
Career advice Though he’s not a big talker, especially when the topic is himself, Bain offers three bits of career advice he’s learned over the years. First, know the people you work with and what they do – and when you need something, ask. “All they can do is say yes or no,” he says. “A lot of times I get told no, but more often than not I’ve found that I have been getting yeses.”
Second, help others, because that will make them more likely to help you later. Third, be open to possibilities. “You know that saying, ‘We’ve always done it that way?’ I despise that,” Bain says, “because just because you’ve always done something doesn’t mean you’re doing it right. “People may be resistant to change, but even your worst critics, once they see that something’s working, will want to help and be part of it,” he says. “They also want to know what’s next.” — Dee Shore
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Head Garey Fox’s arrival in 2017 (see page 39).
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He says he was happy to wind up back at NC State, though he knew the job would be challenging. “I knew the building was old when I came here, but I thought I could
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cals.ncsu.edu 41
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I AM CALS continued from page 1 Like many invasive species, the Asian tiger mosquito is extremely adapted to live around humans. That’s why it’s able to exploit our infrastructure to spread. First, it lays its eggs in puddles. The eggs dry out, then hatch when reimmersed in water. In the 1980s, Aedes albopictus eggs crossed the Atlantic in puddles that collected inside tires in Asia and hatched in the United States. That was right around the time Reed was born. Reed grew up in rural Chatham County, North Carolina, and had nightmares about insects as a child. As she grew, however, she developed a fascination with the bugs you can find under any log or rock in a walk through the woods. If you like larger animals, she now notes, there’s no guarantee you’ll spot one in the woods; but those who love insects will always have an exciting hike. Wake County is ideal for Reed’s studies in the Department of Applied Ecology. It’s in the center of Aedes albopictus’ U.S. range, for one, so she’s engaging a larger population. Reed can test her paved surfaces hypothesis on the busy network of roads and highways
connecting Raleigh’s urban core with the populous surrounding suburbs. For her work, Reed sets mosquito traps at sites from gas stations to forest glades. She analyzes genetic samples and pores over urban maps. And Aedes albopictus isn’t the only invasive mosquito under Reed’s microscope. Palm Beach County, Florida, is the southern tip of the Asian tiger mosquito’s range, and it’s forced to share territory with Aedes aegypti — the yellow fever mosquito. It’s a dynamic place to study invasive mosquito populations, Reed says. All this is a far cry from Reed’s original career path. She spent her first three years of college as a French major. “I grew up thinking I should excel in English and avoid math and physics,” Reed says. “I never took a genetics class before I came here, but now I’m a population geneticist. … I’ve learned to be a lot more confident in myself.”
FROM THE ARCHIVES
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman presents the USDA’s Superior Service Award to Minnie Brown in Washington, D.C., in 1966, for advancing an extension program that “serves rapidly changing family-living needs in North Carolina.”
For the late Minnie Miller Brown, food was a gateway to improving the lives of rural people, especially the poor, minorities and women. An extension educator and administrator from 1947 to 1981, Brown helped pioneer the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The program improves the health of limitedresource youth and families. In 1971, Brown took Extension news editor Tom Byrd to rural North Carolina to see EFNEP aides’ impact.
Excerpt: “An Afternoon with Minnie Miller Brown” By Tom Byrd “Our first stop ... was at a dilapidated house that sat precariously on several large boulders. The porch had rotted away. One entered by walking on two boards that had been placed from the steps to the front door. ... Many of the 44 CALS Magazine
window panes and much of the ceiling were gone. Gusts of wind caused the heater to give off huge puffs of smoke. “The woman of the house and her 12 children had been abandoned a few years earlier by her husband. Four of the children had since left. One of the remaining ones, a 16-year-old girl, had a two-year-old child. ... “While aides usually bring the food ... for demonstration purposes, they always try to use the [family’s] cooking utensils and facilities. This particular family had only two or three pots and pans, all quite dirty. Two or three of the smaller children crowded into the kitchen to listen to the lesson and watch the food preparation ... “Returning to Raleigh that night, [we] analyzed our observations from many standpoints. Two points seemed clear. The problems of the poor are usually complicated, and progress in helping them is painfully slow. But evidence is mounting that the Expanded Nutrition Program can make a contribution.”
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