BUILDING THE NEXTGENERATION STUDENT Kelly Blanton Turns Tragedy Into Triumph Inventing The Perfect Pork Sausage Bob Patterson’s 50 Years at CALS
NEWS FROM NC STATE’S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES
I AM CALS “Listen, class. This is important.” In Bob Patterson’s 50 years as a CALS faculty member, he’s spoken those words to thousands of students. He’s built a reputation for caring about students and for their success. He’s inspired students around the world with his passion for agriculture, the Earth and its people. Patterson is also legendary for going on a tangent or two in his talks. But listen closely – listen to how often he mentions by name the people who’ve touched his life in ways big and small – and it’s easy to see what his tales have in common. Most come back to empathy, trust and gratitude – values that Patterson holds dear. Continued on page 42
go.ncsu.edu/BobPatterson
NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
BUILDING THE NEXTGENERATION STUDENT
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INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK: TRAGEDY INTO TRIUMPH When a high school rodeo accident left her paralyzed from the neck down, Animal Science’s Kelly Blanton was still determined to attend her dream university – but broadened her focus to help others.
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BUSINESS FOCUS: PERFECTING PORK SAUSAGE Two North Carolina farmers wanted to merge two of their biggest commodities into a unique new product – and a food science class transformed into a team of entrepreneurs.
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INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE: WILDEST DREAMS When wildlife conservation students step off the plane into South Africa, they walk into long days, hard work – and a pre-veterinary experience like no other.
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COMMUNICATION: SPEAKING MATTAMUSKEET Applied Ecology’s April Lamb is a graduate student researcher studying invasive carp in North Carolina’s largest natural lake – and learning to translate that research for those who need it.
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TEAMWORK: SISTER ACT The five Harward sisters run their growing independent beef operation from their family farm in western North Carolina, led by eldest sisters (and CALS grads) Brooke and Catherine.
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How We Build
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Researching Tomorrow
38 Business Minded
40 CALS Grads 44 #AgPackStrong: Make Good BAE’s Charlie Suggs
ONLINE EDITION go.ncsu.edu/CALSMagazine
FROM THE DEAN The next-generation student needs strong communication skills. Real-world experience. The fire and vision of an entrepreneur and a mind trained to think and do with a global perspective. How do we know? We asked the experts: job recruiters for key employers around the region and the world. And we learned that subject matter knowledge is still important – but the agriculture and life science community that hires our students wants more. On the following pages, we let you know what they told us and how we here at CALS are growing those forward-thinking students who are workforce-ready. And we can prove it. We have students like Applied Ecology’s April Lamb, whose science communication training at CALS got put to the test on her very first field research visit. And then there’s recent alumna Katelyn Thomas, left, who earned a promotion at Bayer CropScience just one year after graduation (read her story on page 40). When we hear we’re lacking something important, we listen – and take action. Like when key companies at Research Triangle Park told us they lacked applicants trained in agricultural regulatory policy: First, we created a class. Now, we are launching a whole new certification program. We’re staying strong at what we do well here at CALS – and we’re continuing to grow talent that will lead us all into tomorrow. Why are we doing this? Because our students ARE the future! Join us.
Go Pack and go CALS!
Richard Linton, Dean College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 2 CALS MAGAZINE
WHAT YOU’RE SAYING
Mattie Frazier Great video, and just the reminder I needed right now heading into finals. 3
Patti Boggess Cox All David has ever wanted to be is a vet. NC State has surpassed our wildest dreams for our son. From the Pack Planner to the transfer credits website to advisors who truly take an interest to professors who hold Sunday evening study sessions to administrative staff who keep an eye out – we truly could not have asked for a better experience during David’s first year. And we are looking forward to so many more wonderful experiences as part of the Wolfpack family. Take good care of him until he gets to come home!
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Michelle Cox Phipps Very proud of you David! I hope teens from Alleghany County know that they can do this too! 1
Sandra Walker CALS alumnus, Class of 1983, also from Alleghany...really proud of this young man. 1
Kim Horner Dunnagan We need more students like David to reach out to our western N.C. kids. I have students in Watauga who need to hear that leaving the mountain is OK!! You can come back! 1
Patrick Woodie @PatrickWoodie · Apr 21 A don’t-miss issue that gives us every reason to be optimistic about “Our Rural Future” – right down to Alleghany native David Cox on the cover! Thanks for all that you do for rural NC #CelebrateRural #RuralCounts #ncga #ncpol Jonathon Smith @EasternNCguy · Apr 23 A timely edition of the @NCStateCALS magazine! Rural NC students have much to gain from attending college and will make a huge impact when they return to rural NC if jobs are available there #RuralCounts #studentaccess
CALS Magazine BUILDING THE NEXTGENERATION STUDENT | 2018 A Publication of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Editor Design/Layout Writers Photographers Videographers
Chelsea Kellner Patty Mercer Chelsea Kellner Dee Shore Suzanne Stanard Marc Hall Becky Kirkland Roger Winstead 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. 25,000 copies of this public document were printed at
a cost of 48¢ per copy. Printed on recycled paper.
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CALS Taps New NC Food Innovation Lab Director A research and development expert with more than 30 years of experience in corporate and academic settings, Bill Aimutis has been named director of the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab, a one-of-akind enterprise. The 15,000-square-foot facility headquartered at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis will open its doors in 2019, after an extensive upfit of existing space in the Core Laboratory Building. “Our hope is that this initiative will help build up the tax base and revive local economies in many of the counties that need it most,” said CALS Dean Richard Linton. “Bill is one of the most experienced food scientists in the country. … The FPIC is in wonderful hands – entrepreneurs and large food companies alike will benefit.”
Did You Know?: METRIC Makes Waves A partnership between CALS and the College of Sciences, the Molecular Education, Technology and Research Innovation Center (METRIC) is positioned to become one of the leading analytical facilities in the Southeast. Providing NC State researchers and university partners with world-class state-of-the-art measurement science facilities, it encompasses three key molecular characterization technologies, including mass spectrometry, magnetic resonance (NMR and EPR), and x-ray crystallography. METRIC is primarily located in Dabney Hall and Polk Hall, with satellite facilities in the Molecular Toxicology Building and Partners III on Centennial Campus.
Toward Inclusive Excellence In The Life Sciences Two colleges with life sciences programs at NC State – CALS and the College of Sciences – have teamed up to win a $1 million Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant. Their goal: to improve the inclusion of students from diverse backgrounds in life sciences education. “These grants are prestigious awards and will engage a lot of people working together,” said Vicki Martin, the project’s principal investigator and assistant director of CALS Academic Programs. The project, she noted, reinforces CALS’ strategic goal of having an inclusive and diverse environment where faculty, staff and students reach their full potential.
CALSNEWS Louws Named Head Of Horticultural Sciences Department Frank Louws joined CALS 22 years ago, rising through the ranks to become a plant pathology professor and director of the National Science Foundation Center for Integrated Pest Management at NC State in 2011. Louws has developed and advanced new integrated pest management strategies, pest analytic tools and decision support systems for federal partners, companies, farmers and others. Associated with vegetable and fruit production throughout his career, Louws is an expert in designing integrated disease management practices and in conducting research to advance the horticultural industry.
CALS Book Club: Extension Gardener Handbook A national award-winner, the North Carolina Extension Master Gardener Handbook compiles research-based information on gardening and landscaping in the Southeast for Master Gardeners and beginners alike. NC State Extension specialists Lucy Bradley and Kathleen Moore explain the “why and how” of gardening, from soils and composting to vegetable gardening and wildlife management. There’s advice on garden design, preparation and maintenance covering all types of plantings, from lawns and ornamentals, to fruits, trees and containers. It’s a compendium of expert, professional wisdom from an array of CALS faculty, Extension specialists and agents, and Master Gardener volunteers. Read it online or buy a hard copy at go.ncsu.edu/eg-handbook-intro.
New FFA Construction Allows For More Female Campers Two construction projects at the North Carolina FFA Center in White Lake – the oldest FFA camp in the United States – will allow for more than 500 additional female FFA members to attend camps there each summer. A new female dormitory is slated to be built in fall 2018, supported and named by the State Employees’ Credit Union. Renovations on the existing female dormitory opened in time for summer 2018 programs.
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First Person: “This Is What I Want To See In Uganda Within My Lifetime” By Bonny Oloka
My Research: Fighting Hidden Hunger The average Ugandan eats 220 pounds of sweet potatoes in a year, and Uganda is the world’s third-leading producer – but Uganda’s farm fields yield only about four tons of sweet potatoes an acre, compared to as much as 22 tons per acre in the United States. Uganda’s white- or cream-fleshed varieties are also lower in beta carotene, leading to “hidden hunger”: People who eat only the sweet potatoes may feel full yet be malnourished. Bonny Oloka’s research with CALS experts has involved identifying quantitative trait loci – sections of DNA that correlate with specific traits – for resistance to sweet potato weevils and sweet potato virus disease as well as for better beta carotene, starch and dry matter content. With those QTLs, scientists can improve the crop faster using markerassisted selection.
My name is Bonny Oloka, and my work at CALS is part of a broader effort to improve our staple foods in sub-Saharan Africa by making them more resilient and nutritious. I want to alleviate hunger, poverty and malnutrition. Back in Uganda, like most of the region, all sweet potato planting and harvesting is done by hand, mostly by women farmers. Here, it has been a great experience walking behind the tractor and watching it plant slips in the soil in just the right depth and spacing. This, among various other experiences, is something I want to see back in Uganda in my lifetime. The beauty about CALS is that students don’t learn only about the crop they are working on. ... My adviser is Craig Yencho of NC State’s Department of Horticultural Science. I also have an animal scientist on my doctoral committee who taught me most of the practical quantitative genetics and computer skills I needed to execute my own genomics research. Two postdoctoral research scholars in the Bioinformatics Research Center helped analyze my data. In Uganda, I will continue with the work that we started here on sweet potato, alongside Benard Yada and [2016 World Food Prize winner] Robert Mwanga – both former students in CALS. In the GT4SP project, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, we have developed genomic, genetic and bioinformatics tools. Harnessing those tools has immense potential – we can advance understanding of the complex genetics of this crop, then deploy these tools to breed better varieties in the shortest possible time. I will continue working on this even after I graduate. This is just the beginning.
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CALSNEWS
Student Researcher Seeks Cleaner Biofuels By Dee Shore Plant-based fuels offer particular promise for reducing the world’s dependence on nonrenewable petroleum deposits for energy. But turning plant matter into fuel isn’t easy, and the energy costs for doing so can be high. Amy Grunden’s lab in CALS’ Department of Plant and Microbial Biology has found a few bacteria that may hold potential – and doctoral student Mara Cuebas-Irizarry is taking the research further. She’s searching for ways to use the bacteria to break down lignin, a component of plant cell walls that gives plants strength and rigidity and resists degradation. “There’s a lot of information about fungi, for example, and how we can use fungi to degrade
lignin,” she says. “Bacteria, though, are easier to work with. So we are using both genetic and growth studies to screen bacteria that can make enzymes that degrade the compound. We are trying to understand how they break down and grow on lignin and identify which enzymes they are producing that help with this process.” Right now, Cuebas is studying a promising bacterium the lab found in carpenter bees as well as one that was isolated from black liquor, a byproduct of the paper-making process. “We are trying to understand how they grow and to do a lot of physiological studies to see if we’ll be able to identify the enzymes that the microbes use to grow on lignin,” she says.
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SEEKING THE STUDENT OF TOMORROW What qualities are you looking for in the student of tomorrow? What can we do at CALS to build you the employees you need for the future? To find out, we contacted 14 of the top employers of CALS graduates. And across disciplines, we found some common answers – know your subject matter, of course, but after that, things like strong communication skills, interdisciplinary thinking, international awareness, the ability to collaborate in teams, real-world experience and an entrepreneurial spirit all mattered just as much. And then we searched CALS for students who exemplify those qualities. They weren’t hard to find. Just keep reading. (And check out the online magazine for full interview transcripts.)
NC State College of Veterinary Medicine The student of the future is one who appreciates what different disciplines bring to how we work in the world – and that includes everything from information technology to social psychology to communications. Laura Nelson Associate Dean and Director of Academic Affairs go.ncsu.edu/CVMQA
BASF Corp. I think a key component of building a strong talent pipeline is training students that represent a high level of diversity – and that includes gender, ethnicity, background and experience. Diversity ... encourages new ideas, reduces the possibility of stagnant thinking and helps us be better innovators. Luke L. Bozeman Director, Research and Development Crop Protection, North America go.ncsu.edu/BASFQA
SAS Now is the first time you have four generations in the workplace at the same time. That means the ability to flex your communication style depending on who’s around you – and understanding that can vary based on company culture as well – is very important. Kayla Woitkowski Senior Manager of University
Prestage Farms Inc.
IQVIA
We’re always looking for someone who is willing to take on new challenges. You can always find someone to do the work, but it’s harder to find people who will step out of their comfort zone.
We always appreciate a go-getter attitude: We’re looking for people who are going to ask for help and provide value to the business.
Warren Perry Assistant HR Manager NC State ‘85
go.ncsu.edu/IQVIAQA
go.ncsu.edu/PrestageQA
Bland Landscaping Co.
Outreach and Recruitment go.ncsu.edu/SASQA
John Deere We’re always looking for demonstrated leadership and the ability to work in teams, because in the real world, you’re rarely working in a vacuum. Lynn Novak Manager of Finance Integration NC State MBA ‘12 go.ncsu.edu/JohnDeereQA
Coastal AgroBusiness We look for people who have the ability to solve problems. … The best thing a student can do while in school is have internships, the more the better. Josh Allen Regional Sales Manager Ag Institute ‘96 go.ncsu.edu/CoastalAgroQA
Katherine Keith Early Talent Recruiter NC State ‘13
NC State Extension The key is building not only content knowledge but also experiential opportunities. Internships, jobs, summer development opportunities – anything that expands both knowledge and experience. Mike Yoder Associate Director and State Program Leader, 4-H go.ncsu.edu/ExtensionQA
BioResource International Some of the most important skills … are the ability to communicate well, to work together in groups and to adequately convey their thoughts.
We’re looking for self-starters and employees who are going to take initiative. … They’re not just doing their jobs – they’re asking for more. Jarrett Hathcock Vice President, Operations NC State ‘97 go.ncsu.edu/BlandLandscapingQA
USDA-APHIS Develop students with a healthy worldview. Our employees are located throughout the United States, in multiple U.S. territories and in countries worldwide. ... Our agency reflects the diversity of the U.S. public we serve, and every person who stands to benefit from our services must do so equally. Melissa Barbour Intern Support Office Director, Human Resources
Susan Coggins HR Manager go.ncsu.edu/BioResourceQA
go.ncsu.edu/USDAQA
BUILDING THE NEXT-GENERATION STUDENT 2018 9
go.ncsu.edu/Kelly 10 CALS MAGAZINE
“MY MIND AND MY VOICE ARE MY INDEPENDENCE” By Chelsea Kellner
Imagine sitting down to do your calculus homework – but not being allowed to use your hands.
“I would direct you to the final three words of the NC State song: Love and pride,” he says, as Reagan fans Kelly with a graduation program.
Figure out in your head how to solve each complex equation, then explain to a stranger how to write it all down for you, step by step. Correctly. And then on to the next problem. And the next.
“The love of the family and friends here with you today, and the pride you should have in yourselves for what you have accomplished.”
Finally finished? Good. Now dictate a term paper from your head. You will not be able to jot down notes or page back through the book for source material. For Kelly Blanton, that was college. And she did it – with two majors, animal science and psychology, magna cum laude. Next up: combine those interdisciplinary majors to make the world a better place.
Begin With The End In Mind The Animal Science graduation ceremony in the McKimmon Center on May 12, 2018, is standing room only. The graduates are seated in the front few rows and called up in shifts. Kelly sits at the end of a row with one of her closest friends, Reagan, who massages her arms and smooths her hair as they wait to go onstage. Senior Associate Dean Harry Daniels is finishing his speech.
For Kelly, that love and pride includes both the fun of football games and the challenge of dictating term papers to academic aides. It’s the invention of creative workarounds for laboratory dissections and dairy farm shifts. It’s the lonely first semester in an accessible apartment with either her mother or a nursing aide while other students bonded in freshmen dormitories. NC State has been “as close to perfect as humanly possible” about accommodations, says Kelly’s mom, Geri Blanton. Professors worked with Kelly on modifications to meet her needs without easing up on academic requirements. Aides made sure she didn’t miss a note in class. Friends aligned schedules for spring break trips. Visits from her mom, her nephews and niece, and her dog brightened Kelly’s days and reminded her of home. Most of all, though, it’s boiled down to Kelly herself. Getting to graduation has taken determination. It’s taken grace. And it’s taken a nearly unimaginable amount of hard work. “I challenge you all to do one last thing,” Daniels finishes. “Go out and do all the great things we know you’re capable of doing.”
“North Carolina Cowgirl Paralyzed…” When Kelly was growing up in rural Taylorsville, North Carolina, she rarely held still. She played on the tennis team, the track team and the softball team. “Kelly’s not a spectator, let’s put it that way,” her mom, Geri, says. When her older brother started riding in rodeos when Kelly was in middle school, she insisted on following in his footsteps. She had always wanted to be a veterinarian, and here was a chance to combine her love of animals with her passion for athletics. The 2011 International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee, Oklahoma, was Kelly’s last scheduled competition as a breakaway roper before starting college classes. She’d been accepted to the Department of Animal Science at NC State starting that August. On July 11, 2011, it was 113 degrees in Shawnee. Kelly was running late for practice and didn’t have time to warm up. All of the horses were keyed up in the heat.
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“When I got ready to practice, my horse just started bucking,” Kelly says. “I knew I was going to come off.” Her forehead hit the ground first. She lost all feeling and movement from the neck down. “My main concern was that I couldn’t breathe,” Kelly says. “I was gasping for air, that’s all I wanted.” The next two weeks in the trauma unit, she dipped in and out of consciousness. Due to the swelling, doctors couldn’t predict how recovery would – or wouldn’t – progress. They told her mother that Kelly would probably never be able to breathe without a ventilator. Geri would sit with her daughter all night, stroking her forehead and singing “You Are My Sunshine” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” Kelly was eventually airlifted to the Shepherd’s Center in Atlanta, which specializes in spinal cord injuries. “They sit you down and tell you, ‘This is a marathon, definitely not a sprint,’” she recalls. “It was hard to hear.”
Finding A New Calling What followed was a grueling schedule of physical therapy and medical treatment. But two things that happened during that time would shape her calling for the future. First, Kelly met with a mental health counselor. During a crushingly difficult time, her counselor acted as advisor and confidant. Their long conversations gave Kelly a crucial medicine she wasn’t finding in her other treatments: hope.
“After we talked a lot, I thought my life was being called somewhere else, to help others in need and others in similar situations to myself,” Kelly says. “I felt like if someone could help me feel that I had options in my situation, I’d like to be able to do that for someone else.” Second, the center brought in therapy dogs. They would sit with patients during difficult physical therapy sessions and provide emotional support on bad days. It was Kelly’s first experience with animal-assisted therapy – a growing field, one with limited availability but proven results. BUILDING THE NEXT-GENERATION STUDENT 2018 13
“Animals build a bridge,” says the University of Basel’s Karin Hediger, secretary for the International Society for Animal-Assisted Therapy. “They communicate directly but nonverbally, and they don’t judge.” For Kelly’s birthday, the center let Geri bring Kelly’s dog, Tucker, as a surprise. “That was a cry-fest,” Kelly says, “but they were happy tears. In the beginning, everything is emotional, because you’re trying to deal with a new normal.” After four months of in-patient rehab in Atlanta, Kelly stabilized enough to head home and think about what was next. She could no longer fulfill the physical requirements of a veterinarian, but her experiences had given her a new idea for how to use her love of animals in the future. In fall 2012, she signed up for two classes at her local community college as a test run for NC State: If she could figure out how to handle the coursework, she would resubmit her application to her dream school. She got A’s in both classes and was accepted to CALS for the second time. This time, she added an extra major: psychology.
Equal Opportunity = The Foundation For Success The NC State Disability Resource Office offers help with eligibility, accommodations and assistive technology. They are located at 304 University College Commons, and online at dro.dasa.ncsu.edu
Determination, Patience And Grace The Animal Science curriculum is rigorous, emphasizing hands-on experience in real-world settings. By adding a second major, and one in the humanities, Kelly was choosing to double her coursework. But she knew an interdisciplinary approach would strengthen her resume. She dove right in. “Kelly is indomitable. Irrespective of physical challenges, she is a force to reckon with,” says Shweta Trivedi, Kelly’s professor for Anatomy and Physiology sophomore year. “She is a role model for students who are disabled and want to do a science-intensive curriculum.” Trivedi and Kelly worked out a system where a teacher’s aide acted as Kelly’s hands during dissections. “I never held her to lower standards,” Trivedi says. “She wanted to be treated as any other student, and she came through.” At the end of that semester, Kelly had the highest grades in the class.
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“Kelly Can Help Lead The Way” In her senior-year internship at RHA, an organization that provides support services for individuals with intellectual, physical and developmental disabilities or substance abuse challenges, Kelly was a liaison for client services. She worked with RHA after the accident, so she understands the system.
“Although availability is growing, it is sometimes still seen as ‘exotic’ and not very easy to get access,” Hediger says. “What we need is a growing professionalization, and it is important that the students get proper education.” Those who know Kelly see her as perfect for the task.
“With the future headed towards animal therapy as part of pain management and emotional and mental wellbeing, “She’s been where these families are, so I think it’s a hope disabled individuals can go through daily life in a richer way,” and encouragement for them to see how she’s navigated the Trivedi says. “Kelly can help lead the way.” system,” says her supervisor, Director of Case Management Services John Gibbons. “She can reach out and help Her long term physical prognosis is still uncertain; she still advocate for others.” has very little movement capability below her shoulders, and remains reliant on a diaphragmatic pacing system to breathe. After her internship ended, there was one final hurdle to Another straw-like device allows her to direct her wheelchair cross – but she made it. Kelly was accepted to NC State’s with small movements of her tongue. graduate program in social work. She returns to campus in the fall. “I have hope that one day technology will advance or that I’ll be healed, but I’m going to do the best I can with what Her goal is to combine the disciplines that helped her so I have right now,” Kelly says. “Talking to my counselor, I much during recovery: counseling and animal-assisted realized that my mind and my voice are my independence. therapy. Involvement from students like Kelly is key for the And I can still use those to make my own future.” future of the animal-assisted therapy field, Hediger says.
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THE BUSINESS OF SAUSAGE By Suzanne Stanard When two North Carolina farmers wanted to merge two of their biggest commodities into a unique sweet potato pork sausage, they called CALS for help – turning a class of food science students into a team of hands-on entrepreneurs. Megan Mackowiak never expected her food science senior design project to impact her future in any big way. But it comes up in every job interview. And, she says, it helped prepare her for her current internship at AgBiome. The task? Research and develop a sweet potato pork sausage that can be manufactured and sold by a local farm. “This project has been on my resume since graduation,” said Mackowiak, who earned her bachelor’s degree in food science in 2016 and is now pursuing a master of microbial biotechnology at NC State. “Being able to share this experience has connected me to every interviewer.” Same goes for Lynde Ring, another student who worked on the project team. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in food science in 2016 and now works as an associate scientist for MedPharm U.S. Working on the sweet potato pork sausage project gave her invaluable experience in R&D – and the “messy work” of product development. “What I took most from this experience is to never underestimate a project at first glance,” she says. “It was much more complicated than ‘make a sweet potato pork sausage.’ Having to communicate and collaborate with my team, my professors, Sharp Farms, various suppliers and our sensory panel participants was a good segue into working and communicating with different people in the pharmaceutical development process.” BUILDING THE NEXT-GENERATION STUDENT 2018 17
So how did this unique project land in their laps? Through a series of connections that epitomizes the college’s land grant mission. Alan and Pender Sharp (both CALS grads who come from a long line of NC State alumni) of Sharp Farms in Sims, North Carolina, raise hogs and grow row crops like tobacco and sweet potatoes. After birthing the brilliant idea to combine two of their biggest commodities, they had been trying – fruitlessly – to develop a sweet potato pork sausage. So they contacted their local Extension agent, Walter Earle, who put them in touch with NC State Extension Meat Specialist Dana Hanson. Hanson then submitted the idea as a senior design project candidate to the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences.
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It was a hit. “No one else in the world is producing this kind of sausage,” says Alan Sharp. “And so we worked to put something together ourselves, and we tried four or five different recipes and techniques, and just couldn’t do it. At the same time, we were awarded an N.C. AgVentures Grant from NC State Extension via the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, and it really helped us a lot in the process to come up with the recipe we’re using now.” Today, Sharp Farms sweet potato pork sausage graces the menus of several farmto-table restaurants in the Triangle area, including the Root Cellar in Chapel Hill. Hanson refuses to take credit for any of the project’s success. Students did everything, he
says, from initial research to flavor formulations to conducting taste panels through the department’s Sensory Service Center. “To give the students that kind of experience was so great,” Hanson says. “I was the mentor for the group that semester. … I think one of the biggest things they gained is handson experience in food processing, particularly with a meat product, which is unique.” The students experimented with a number of different sweet potato products, like juice and dry pumice and, of course, sweet potato cubes – all sourced from North Carolina suppliers. The final formulation is 80 percent sausage and 20 percent sweet potato products, Hanson says. Finding the perfect balance of flavor and texture was key. The Sharp brothers agree. “This sausage has done very well for us,” said Alan Sharp. “We’re grateful for the partnership with N.C. State.”
“This wasn’t an academic exercise – these students had direct impact. We were working with a funding source and farmers who wanted to make income off a new product. This was the real deal.”
Growing Business The sign on the side of the road — NC 581 in Sims, to be exact — reads “Sausage for Sale.” And the buzz it’s generated draws people from all over Wilson County and beyond for fresh, locally produced Sharp Farms pork sausage. Don’t live within driving distance? Never fear: Sharp Farms pork sausage is now available at sharpfamilyfarms.com.
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go.ncsu.edu/WildestDreams 20 CALS MAGAZINE
WILDEST DREAMS By Chelsea Kellner To relocate an aggressive 5,000-pound white rhinoceros, you need three things: a big truck, a blindfold and complete silence from all bystanders.
In addition to the white rhinos, students work with antelopes and snakes, with giraffes and cheetahs, with massively horned cape buffaloes and sleek tsessebes, the fastest species of antelope on the continent.
And make sure there are no open cuts on your hands before you touch the sedated animal, wildlife veterinarian Christiaan “Bossie” Boshoff told the 17 Animal Science students gathered around his truck on the South African savannah in May. Because the sedative that slips a rhino into a short nap will stop a human heart within three minutes.
“I want students to understand the difference between the romantic notion of wildlife practice versus reality,” Trivedi said. “It is a lot of tough days, long days, arduous days – but very rewarding, and imparting a lifelong learning. “It opens your mind to things we cannot teach in the classroom.”
Improvising In The Savannah
crucial resume item for college students. Companies cite the need for employees who understand the global connections of the modern business world, along with the communication skills and ability to navigate diverse cultures that international travel cultivates.
The class is Wildlife Management and Conservation in South Africa, ANS395. Trivedi set up the partnership in 2015 with local veterinary practice SA World Vets, which includes veterinarians Boshoff, Nina Kisch and co-owner Susan Osmers. During the spring semester, Trivedi preps her students before they arrive so they’re able to start work right away.
For the past three years, Teaching Associate Professor Shweta Trivedi has led one of NC State’s unique, hands-on study abroad programs: 15 days of full-time work with a wildlife veterinarian on his rounds across Limpopo Province and Greater Kruger National Park area in South Africa.
Bossie doesn’t change his routine for the students. They rise at 4:30 a.m. and crisscross the savannah til sundown. Students help collect blood, conduct respiratory, DNA and heart rate assessments, and give intramuscular injections of dewormers and vitamins.
Along with building firsthand veterinary knowledge and experience, the course helps set students apart on highly competitive veterinary school applications. For most, it’s their first time experiencing veterinary medicine abroad.
Many of the farms that play a key role in South Africa’s agricultural economy are located within ranging distance of the park. Part of Bossie’s work encompasses management practices like disease control and prevention. This has broad implications for similar work in the U.S.
International experience has become a
continued on page 24
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“I had an amazing learning experience that couldn’t be achieved in a classroom setting.” – CALS Senior Emily Wiloch
“They now have that cutting-edge knowledge where they can take what they learned abroad and apply it back here in management practices, disease surveillance and reporting,” Trivedi said. Day one of the May 2018 trip. The group encounters an elusive caracal, a breed of wildcat. This one is in need of a neutering procedure due to genetic defects in its progeny. There’s no veterinary practice for miles. Bossie swings down the back gate of his truck: instant operating table. Students gather around. It’s a far cry from the carefully antiseptic tables of a small animal veterinary practice, or even the barns and paddocks of a large animal vet. Still, there is overlap. “Exotic animal veterinary work parallels with large animal practice – needing to be able to improvise in the
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field, needing to be able to react to situations that can quickly go wrong,” Trivedi said.
“Life-Changing Experience” Step one after arrival, and on repeat throughout the trip: intensive safety briefings.
All was well with the caracal, however. Within half an hour, the animal was safely recovered from sedation and “Love for animals is one thing, but observed for any changes in behavior. you also must be cautious,” Trivedi said. “Students can be so enamored Leading The Way In that they at first may want to throw Rhino Research caution to the wind. I tell them, ‘don’t try to be imprudently brave – respect In addition to the routine health the fact that these are wild animals checks, Trivedi and Bossie are and unpredictable.’” using the rhino’s blood chemistry assessments to compare and contrast Students are required to keep journals white rhinos in captivity with those in during the trip, tracking both personal the wild. Trivedi hopes to have some and professional observations. results from the ongoing study ready to publish by late 2018. “My passion for veterinary medicine “We’re putting ourselves in the forefront through undergraduate research,” Trivedi said. “I cannot wait to see how this will unfold toward our students’ success.”
was reaffirmed in South Africa,” senior Emily Wiloch said. “I had an amazing and rewarding learning experience that couldn’t be achieved in a classroom setting.”
Aspiring Veterinarians, Look Here The veterinary school preparation and application process can be daunting – and competition is fierce. The Veterinary Professions Advising Center helps any NC State student or alumnus become a uniquely competitive applicant. Founded by VetPAC Director and Teaching Associate Professor Shweta Trivedi, VetPAC provides guidance and resources, plus valuable partnerships with top vet professionals and organizations. Learn more at cals.ncsu.edu/VetPAC.
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SPEAKING MATTAMUSKEET By April Lamb
Applied Ecology graduate student April Lamb talks about using her CALS training in a deceptively unrelated field: communications.
As a master’s student and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, I’ve checked a lot of the boxes for “things every graduate student should know how to do” – write grants, search scientific literature, analyze data and so on – but never have I faced an issue as inherently complex or collaborative as the one at Lake Mattamuskeet. You may be familiar with the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child”; well, this sentiment couldn’t be truer for the current and future health of North Carolina’s largest natural lake. I just needed to make sure that local stakeholders agreed.
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My name is April Lamb, and I am part of a diverse team working to assess the current and future health of Lake Mattamuskeet, the centerpiece of the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge. Raised in a small house in the woods of rural China Grove, North Carolina, I have always harbored a passion for science and the outdoors. Now, that passion translates into my graduate studies at NC State and my work at the lake. Because Lake Mattamuskeet is in trouble.
How Did This Happen? It started in the mid-1990s, when the density of submerged aquatic vegetation in the lake’s western basin began to decline. Not long after, the eastern basin saw drastic and more catastrophic declines. Where boaters once looked down upon fields of vegetation swaying beneath the surface, they now see nothing but brown muck. In addition to supporting the boating and fishing that bring key tourism to the area, the lake’s vegetation is an important food and habitat source for its fish, mammals and waterfowl. To make matters worse, the lake is also now dominated by algae and plagued by large, toxic algal blooms that occur each summer. Water quality has declined so drasticly that Lake Mattamuskeet is now deemed a degraded system by North Carolina water quality standards. If something isn’t done, its health will likely worsen.
Soon after my project on the lake was conceived – you can read the details in the box below – and before it was funded, I had to give a presentation at the Technical Working Group meeting, an open forum discussion for the lake’s primary stakeholders. This included Hyde County residents wholly invested in the well-being of the lake and its surrounding region, as well as members of its farming and hospitality communities. The audience also held Refuge staff and representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the NC Coastal Federation and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, members of whom inform research and management actions at the lake. My adviser, Jesse Fischer, and I were two of the academic researchers invited to present a proposal at this meeting. I was extremely nervous. Sure, I had written proposals before, but never had I presented one in front of such a large audience – and this audience would decide whether my proposal was legitimate and worth funding. When I stepped up to the podium alongside Dr. Fischer, it felt like stepping under a microscope. At first, I was incredibly shaky. I had met a few of these people before, but most were new faces. In that moment, I conjured up all the public speaking tips I had learned over the years: look everyone in the eye, stand up straight, don’t fiddle – and most importantly, know your audience.
But wait, my audience was extremely diverse. How was I supposed to effectively present this proposal? I was genuinely worried that I would say something too science-y – or just plain wrong – and jeopardize the whole endeavor. But looking around, I realized something that resonates with me to this day – we’re all on the same team. Despite differences in background, occupation, personal biases, whatever, every person in that room shares a common goal: to make Lake Mattamuskeet healthy again. My presentation that day was a success, met with nothing but support and encouragement, and marked the beginning of an incredible partnership which I’m grateful to be a part of. When I started graduate school, I thought that I had a good grasp on what it meant to be an effective researcher, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. Each stakeholder I have worked with since that meeting has helped me in some way to grow and develop as a researcher and as a professional. Perhaps the most important lesson that I’ve learned is that with patience and effective communication, incredible feats are possible.
My Research: Carping On Mattamuskeet My project investigates the role of common carp in the recent ecosystem changes in Lake Mattamuskeet. They are highly invasive and often act as ecosystem engineers, impacting a number of processes through “middle-out” effects. These include an increased availability of nutrients and suspended sediment, which can result in the loss of aquatic vegetation and associated shift to a phytoplankton-dominated system like the one currently observed in the lake. My approach: 1. Summarize basic population characteristics of carp in the lake and perform exploration modeling to determine parameter combinations that would elicit a population crash. 2. Evaluate the short- and long-term effects of carp by physically reducing their density within a large representative portion of the lake and monitoring a suite of physiochemical and biological characteristics for 18 months. 3. Assess the influence of carp biomanipulation on the reestablishment and restoration potential of aquatic vegetation by planting once-native species inside enclosure pens located within and outside of the study area. Our proposed study not only offers insight into the effects of carp management within the lake, but also directly assesses the feasibility of targeted restoration using transplanted vegetation following carp removal.
SISTER ACT By Suzanne Stanard
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The five Harward sisters are a force to reckon with, running their own registered Angus beef operation and showing cattle all over the country. Led by CALS grads (and eldest sisters) Brooke and Catherine, the sisters have already learned the key components of running a business: decision-making, hard work and teamwork.
It all started with a cow named Blackbird. BB for short. Ten-year-old Catherine Harward showed BB at a county fair in the fall of 2005 – her first foray inside the ring. Little did she know it would spark a lifelong passion in her and her sisters, who all began showing cattle by the following spring. Fast forward 13 years, and the sisters not only show at nearly 30 events each year all over the state and country – they also run their own registered Angus beef operation, aptly named Harward Sisters, out of the family farm in Richfield, North Carolina.
Bottle the energy and entrepreneurial spirit of these five young women – Brooke, 25; Catherine, 23; LeAnn, 20; and twins Mattie and Marcie, 16 – and you’d solve a lot of the world’s problems. They’ve driven long nights packed into one pick-up truck to make it to early-morning cattle shows. They work together every day, love each other fiercely and finish each other’s sentences. And they’re one of the most competitive families on the North Carolina show circuit.
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Not to mention they manage a purebred herd that’s grown steadily since their father helped them get started eight years ago. Older sisters Brooke and Catherine – a Park Scholar – both went to CALS (following in the footsteps of their father and grandfather), graduating with degrees in agricultural business management and animal science, respectively. There was never a question in their minds about returning to the family farm, armed with new knowledge and the confidence that comes with an NC State degree. Along with their three younger sisters – all former 4-H participants – they’re determined to “go big” and take their burgeoning business to the next level. We sat around the family’s enormous kitchen table for a boisterous conversation about their growing business, how CALS has played a role in their success and their dreams for the future.
When did you first become involved in showing and tending to your family’s cattle? Catherine: Our family has been in the cattle business for a long time. Our dad raised cattle for as long as he can remember. But he never had the opportunity to show, so we really hadn’t heard about it until a family friend told us about the junior youth division shows. I was only 10 years old when I started. LeAnn came with me a few times to practice. Then she decided she wanted to try.
LeAnn:
The first show I went to with her, I got a water bucket for participating. I came home and said, “Hey guys, look what I got for doing this.” And then Brooke got jealous.
Brooke:
LeAnn and both the twins, who were only four at the time, really did grow up with it. They all participated in a show together and all three of them came home with buckets. And they were talking about how great of a time they had. It was so much fun. They really enjoyed it. I was like, “Well, I want to try this out.” So I started working with them the very next weekend. That was fall, and by that next spring we were all involved. It did catch on really fast.
And you did it by yourselves, wrangling these huge cows? Brooke:
Yeah. We had one cow one year, and she did not like any of us. She wouldn’t cooperate. And then Mattie got on the halter, this little seven-year-old-girl, and the cow acts perfectly. I was so mad. So Mattie went in and did great with her, won the class and everything. She was so little that she had to look underneath the cow to see the judge.
How did your business begin? Catherine: Our parents purchased the cattle initially. … But a few years ago, Dad wanted us to really understand how it was to run a business.
Brooke: From that point on, we had to buy our own cows and bulls, cover our feed expenses. He doesn’t charge us rent for his land that we use, but we pay all the other expenses. We have about 70 cows now. We sell our purebred cattle in about three sales a year. We use his advice every day, don’t get me wrong. But at the end of the day, he says, “I’m not making a decision for you. It’s your decision.” With five people, that can be tough. You learn teamwork and compromise.
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Catherine and Brooke, did you go into CALS knowing this was what you were going to come back and do?
Which part of your experience in CALS really helped prepare you for this career? Brooke:
Catherine: At that time, we had this as a small-scale business. It was more of our show business. But we never really imagined taking it further. When I went to NC State, I knew I was coming back to the cattle farm. What I learned through my animal science degree has been applicable to the business and helped us figure out how we could make it efficient and profitable.
Brooke:
I went to State for ag business management. I knew I wanted to come back and work on the business side of the farm. I liked the cattle and knew we always wanted to have some cows of our own but didn’t know how big we wanted it to be. So I think since we’ve come back from school, we’re better prepared to make our business something that is profitable on its own and can really sustain itself.
How do you manage all this while maintaining your studies? Marcie:
Catherine: I minored in ag business management and ag leadership. What I took away was the “why” behind the things we do on the farm. What is the reason behind, the science behind the things we do? ... It was just so transforming to be able to see that. Also, NC State’s so large, but CALS has that small community feel that you really got to learn how other people do things on their farms. You got to meet people from all over the state.
Mattie and Marcie, you’re about to start your junior year of high school. Do you see yourselves pursuing this in college, coming back to the farm? Mattie:
We get up at about 5 in the morning, feed, water, tend to the cows. Then we go to school, come back home and we’re at the barn until that night. … We come up for dinner, then we’ll go back again. … Then we come back up for the night and start homework. If we’re in bed before midnight, that’s a good day.
LeAnn:
Learning the business side for sure. I already knew a lot about livestock, but still didn’t know everything about running a business. I also did a minor in accounting. A lot of my professors helped me relate huge corporate concepts back to us on our farm.
Yes, I definitely want to go to an agriculture school. I’ve thought about ag marketing, or ag nutrition, or ag business. But I plan on coming back and running Harward Sisters.
Marcie:
Yeah. Go big.
I’m a biochemistry major and a neuroscience minor at Carolina. I’m busy with my studies, but I don’t feel too detached from home. We talk all the time, and I come home to help out.
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Mattie:
We want Harward Sisters to expand.
What do you see as the future for the Harward Sisters operation? Brooke:
Right now, we sell 15 to 20 bulls a year. If we can get it to the point where we can market 40 to 50 bulls, I think that would be great. So cow-herd wise, that’s probably about 250 cows. That’s where we’d like to be in 10 years.
Mattie:
I really just love all of it. I really love going to all the shows. Also just the whole operation – I can’t imagine myself living a different life.
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HOW WE BUILD THE NEXT GENERATION
Ivy’s League When senior lecturer Lee Ivy inherited the online-only Horticultural Science 200 class, his imagination was ready. Supported by NC State’s DELTA program, Ivy designed game-like features to liven up topics like chemical soil amendment calculation. Animated, interactive models of complex processes hard to explain in words. And, of course, as many elements as possible to reflect what made students fall in love with nature in the first place. “In horticulture, we get the benefit of studying things that are beautiful,” Ivy said. “If we can inspire students in an online environment, they’ll hopefully transfer that excitement to the natural environment. That matters – you’ve got to get them excited.”
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Ivy’s revamp of the course won him the 2017 Gertrude Cox Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching and Learning with Technology. The award honors creative pedagogy, the kind that transforms new technologies into effective teaching strategies. His colleagues in the Department of Horticultural Science praise Ivy as an “extraordinary” teacher, advisor, mentor and role model. “Few instructors devote the time he does in supporting students inside and outside the classroom,” former interim department head Wayne Buhler said. “He consistently avails himself to students for advice on classes, internships, careers and life itself.”
Based on student evaluations, DELTA reports that students have responded well to the layout and production methods. Next up are tweaks to HS 200: fresh videos, updated visuals – and even more ideas from Ivy to increase the feeling of community. There’s only one problem. “The student lounge is directly across the hall from Lee’s office,” Buhler said, “and the stream of students visiting Lee causes traffic jams.” – Chelsea Kellner
Connecting Veterans To Ag After 15 years in the U.S. Army — including five deployments — combat veteran Joshua Bell decided to pursue a career in farming. His inspiration? The Soldier to Agriculture Program, offered through the college’s Agricultural Institute. The free 6-week program covers everything from business to row crop production through hands-on work in the field, classroom instruction and trips to working farms. “It showed me that it’s possible to learn ag, for somebody in my shoes, who doesn’t know anything about it,” he says. “It encouraged me, and showed me I can.” Along with AGI Director Elizabeth Wilson, Soldier to Agriculture program leader Robert Elliott has made it his mission to connect soldiers like Bell with jobs in agriculture – a former Marine, he credits agriculture with saving his life. Three months after the initiative started in 2016, Elliott had recruited six veterans. Today, there is a list of more than 150 waiting to enter.
The program is housed in Fort Bragg. Wilson and her staff have worked tirelessly over the past two years to launch the program and keep it running. A recent $150,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation prevented Wilson from having to shutter the program. Dan Gerlach, president of the foundation, says the program has “emotional as well as analytical appeal” for him. “When my father left the United States Army, he worked on a farm himself,” Gerlach says. “He was orphaned and didn’t have anything else when he got out of the army, so the farm saved him. ... This grant was an important one for us to make.” – Suzanne Stanard If you’d like to support the Soldier to Agriculture Program, please contact Beth Wilson at bwilson@ncsu.edu or 919-515-7035.
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BUSINESS MINDED RTP Called; CALS Answered Two years ago, word reached CALS that companies in Research Triangle Park needed more employees trained in government agriculture and science regulation. First, CALS Professor Keith Edmisten set up a popular course on the scientific and policymaking steps that shape state, national and international regulations. Now, CALS is moving closer to its next goal: a Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science in Agriculture, part of the college’s Plant Sciences Initiative.
While industry would have a seat on the proposed center’s advisory board, Carley stressed that the center can’t and won’t be solely funded by industry groups. Groups such as the Carolina Farm Stewards Association and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, among others, will also be part of the governing board. “The effort is based on what scientists need to do to further the protection of human and environmental health,” she said. — Dee Shore
“Maybe the student of the future is not your typical undergraduate student, but someone who is sitting at a desk right now, mid-career, and needs more formal training,” said Danesha Seth Carley of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, who is guiding the effort by reaching out to potential partners across campus, in industry and in state and federal government.
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In addition to academic goals, the center will work to fill gaps in related sciences and engage stakeholders through educational outreach efforts. Faculty members are developing an academic minor and certificate program in regulatory sciences. The agricultural biosciences industry – those who develop and sell pesticides, biological products and agricultural biotechnology to farmers – have been supporters from the start. Bayer CropScience made a 3-year gift in summer 2018. 38 CALS MAGAZINE
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4-H Helps Teen Grow a Small Business – and a Future Career When 4-H’er Victoria Robey started Outer Banks Kettle Corn with her older sister back in 2008, she started small: The 9-year-old was so little she had to stand on a milk crate to reach the cash register. At 19, she now juggles being the sole proprietor with the demands of college and the vestiges of a severe concussion she had several years ago. Through 4-H, Victoria received leadership and entrepreneurial training, plus cooking skills and the know-how to create a website and Facebook page for her business. Running the Kitty Hawk-based business has enabled her to earn money, win awards, improve her math grades and support her community, Victoria says. Once she graduates from the two-year College of the Albemarle, she hopes to attend NC State to gain skills to grow her business into a career. Her dream: a store where visiting families can see how she makes the kettle corn and other snacks. While Victoria is proud to sell to local grocery stores and individuals, supporting events that bring people together for a good cause is her favorite part of the job – one that’s consistent with the 4-H pledge to put hands to service.
LOCA
FreshPoint has been delivering locally grown produce to North Carolina’s schools, restaurants, grocery stores, and hospitals for many years. Working with about 50 local farmers, we are proud to partner with farmers who are graduates of NC State University.
“I love getting to help out with fundraising events where everything I make goes to somebody who needs it,” she says. “That’s the most rewarding thing.” Robey has been especially generous when it comes to supporting 4-H events. It’s her way of giving back to an organization that has meant so much to her. — Dee Shore
4-H is one of North Carolina’s leading youth development programs, reaching 263,000 young people a year by engaging them in learn-by-doing projects. Learn more at go.ncsu.edu/nc4h
BUILDING THE NEXT-GENERATION STUDENT 2018 39
CALS GRADS MAKE GOOD “I Can’t Wait To See What’s In Store”: Bayer CropScience Sales Supervisor Katelyn Thomas
When you’re hitting the job market, you want a resume “I felt like my internships were pivotal,” Thomas that boasts hands-on experience in a real-world setting. said. “I tell current seniors to always be asking themselves, ‘What can I be doing to make myself Just ask CALS alum Katelyn Thomas. most marketable?’” Each summer at CALS, Thomas focused on finding the widest variety of internships possible. By the time she started her job search, she had interned at a small organic farm, at iconic manufacturing company John Deere and at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. And before she even accepted her diploma, she had a full-time job offer as a sales excellence associate from Bayer CropScience.
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Since she started in June 2017, the job has taken her to 15 states. She’s ridden through Texas cotton fields doing field trade development and searched for fungicide opportunities in the “wide-open spaces” of Nebraska. And just one year later, she’s already moving up: in July 2018, Katelyn was promoted to sales supervisor. “There is a ton going on within our company right now,” Thomas said. “It’s very exciting – I cannot wait to see what’s in store.”
“I Like To Find My Own Way”: Entrepreneur and Ph.D. Student Michael Lloyd Take a secret family recipe, combine it with an entrepreneurial spirit and add in a helping of food science know-how, and what do you get? If you’re Michael Lloyd: Num Num Sauce. Lloyd’s line of specialty mustards are a healthy vegan alternative to mainstream condiments. Since the brand’s launch, Num Num Sauce is now sold at Whole Foods and Fresh Market grocery stores. Lloyd sees the combination of entrepreneurship and food science as an important component of solving world health problems in nutrition and disease. “Getting healthy nutrients and antioxidants into bodies in a flavorful, enjoyable way is so important right now,” Lloyd says.
He’s a fourth-generation entrepreneur on his mom’s side, third-generation on his dad’s – which means “if somebody else is already doing it, I don’t want to,” Lloyd says. “I like to find my own way.”
Lloyd has been strategic about his education as well. The mustard’s signature label? Designed in CALS classes on food packaging and sensory science.
Lloyd originally moved to North Carolina for a 9-to-5 job: vaccine development for a pharmaceutical company located in Research Triangle.
Now, he runs his business while pursuing his Ph.D. in food science. He plans to complete and present his research by fall 2019.
But he got bored.
Having experience with both academic research and industry is vital, Lloyd says: You need to be able to see what’s already out there, what is or isn’t working, before you can innovate.
So he enrolled in a biomedical sciences masters program at NC Central University, working 12-hour weekends at his old job so he could attend classes Monday through Thursday.
And then there’s that X factor.
“You’re not going to have much of a “You’ve got to have that fire and desire social life. … But being an entrepreneur, to be independent, where you take being independent, being innovative – responsibility for making things happen,” that’s what makes me happy,” Lloyd says. Lloyd says. — Chelsea Kellner
I AM CALS continued from page 1 On empathy
On trust
A professor of crop and soil sciences, Patterson’s teaching and consulting has taken him around the world, from China to Peru to Hungary, Belgium, Moldova and beyond. One thing he’s learned: how important it is to walk through farmers’ fields and hear, not just about their challenges, but also their ideas for solutions.
In 1989, Patterson traveled to China and other parts of Asia with Tommy Carter, a U.S. Department of Agriculture soybean breeder who works at NC State. They were seeking drought-tolerant soybeans that might help farmers back in the United States. But first, Carter encouraged Patterson to focus on building relationships.
“I will never forget – I was in a cornfield in the Congo with a person named Medi Kanda. ... We walked toward a corn plant, and I could tell that this plant didn’t look right. “I knew what Medi wanted, but I didn’t know how to help him. I said to [my translator], ‘Please tell Medi that here I’ve come 6,500 miles and I’ve tried to help, but I don’t think I can help with this.’ “Here’s what Medi Kanda said: ‘It’s OK that you cannot solve my problem today. What matters to me is that you’re willing to walk in my field and hear about my problem.’ “It has so much to do with empathy,” Patterson says. “We’ve got two ears, two eyes and one mouth for a reason.”
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“What I have to give – it’s about ... building a decent relationship with partners,” Patterson says. “And every now and then, someone from one of these countries will say, ‘Do you mind if I come to your country and get a graduate degree?’” That’s what happened with Bakar Tambi, an extension agent Patterson met in northeast Malaysia. Area farmers were growing rice, and Tambi wanted to grow soybeans. “He asked me if I could help him learn how. … I told him, ‘Bakar, we’ll be glad to,’” Patterson recalls. “So he ... got a graduate degree in the soybean program, and ... went back to Malaysia and became very instrumental there, not just in soybeans but in agriculture in general.”
Graduate students who counted Bob as their chair or member of their advisory committee.
“There are ways that we can make a difference, if we build trust,” Patterson says. “What I hope I’ve given to our development partners, and my students, is reason to trust me, as our administrators have trusted me to make academic decisions that I genuinely believe are going to serve our students’ and crop producers’ best interests. “Trusting, and having the trust of, faculty, technicians and other staff, and students has meant so much to me.” On gratitude For Patterson, trust is precious – and he doesn’t take it for granted. He says that he feels “a deep sense of gratitude for the trust that’s been placed in me.” And that’s where he tried to conclude this story, with gratitude for all the people who’ve touched his life both here and afar. But that can’t be the end, because the gratitude doesn’t stop there. Each semester, Patterson requires that his students pen a letter of appreciation to someone who is or is like a grandma to them – a person who’s made a difference in their lives.
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Research and teaching awards – several of them national honors. He has won the Agricultural Institute Club’s Outstanding Faculty Award seven times, the Agronomy Club’s Outstanding Instructor Award four times and the Master of Liberal Studies’ Outstanding Teacher Award twice.
The assignment leaves some of his students puzzled at first, but later – sometimes years later – they come to understand how important such a simple gesture of gratitude can be. Colin Beamer is one of them. Last May, he sent Patterson an email letting him know how meaningful that letter turned out to be. “Tonight, I learned my grandmother … was referred to hospice after a decline in health,” Beamer wrote. “Despite her state, one of the things she said to me last I saw her was that she had received the letter. And the light in her eyes spoke more words than I could ever expect her to say aloud. “So among your many lessons, and thousands and thousands of students in your decades of service to our community, this letter, those simple words, are there in her mind. “I trust you receive this thanks often. It matters. Thank you for all you do.”
The Bob Fan Club “I would often come by his office and get his advice on my future, and he always made me feel so empowered.” — Student Brandon Stokes
“Bob is the perfect professor, with … the motivation to always inspire his students and a heart for not only agriculture but for any human being who crosses his path.” —Student John Ross
Listen, class. This, indeed, is important. – Dee Shore
“I can’t think of a kinder or more thoughtful professor.” — Student Meredith Bullard “Have known him since he was a graduate student. One of NCSU’s most dedicated professors.” — Marie Holt
“Dr. Robert Preston Patterson has not changed a bit since he taught me in 1971-1973.” — Student Haywood Fowler
“He is the consummate educator, always learning and sharing his knowledge of global food and agriculture systems with students from all areas of our great university.” — Chancellor Randy Woodson “Dr. Patterson’s contributions to student lives at NC State are unparalleled. I can’t count the number of students who have told me, unbidden, how his classes and conversations with him have changed their lives.” — Dean Jeff Braden, College of Humanities and Social Sciences BUILDING THE NEXT-GENERATION STUDENT 2018 43
#AGPACKSTRONG Coffee, Camellias and A Birthday Legacy: BAE’s Charlie Suggs If it’s Friday in the halls of Weaver Labs, you can count on one thing: a flower delivery from professor emeritus Charlie Suggs. You can spot Suggs most weeks making his way to the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE), carrying a plastic shopping bag of fresh camellias or hydrangeas plucked straight from his garden. Known for his humor and deep pool of knowledge, Suggs regularly takes the time to grab coffee with former colleagues. Because it’s more than just a prior workplace to Suggs. In 1959, he was the department’s first Ph.D., after first earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees there. So when Suggs’ 90th birthday was on the horizon, he decided to spend it in one of his favorite places – this time with a special announcement. Because Charlie Suggs’ impact on the department, and the university, reaches far beyond weekly camellias and coffee.
Celebrating A Legacy of Impact On his 90th birthday, Suggs signed the final papers to create the Charles W. Suggs Distinguished Professorship in Biological and Agricultural Engineering Endowment. Suggs’ wife, Jane, and their children joined CALS Dean Richard Linton, BAE Department Head Garey Fox and a crowd of faculty, staff and alumni for the endowment signing.
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“This ... immediately increases the prestige of the program and allows us to recruit and retain the very best faculty members,” Fox said.
A Long History With BAE A native of Whiteville, Suggs spent several years in industry working for Dearborn Motors, International Harvester and the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. He returned to Weaver Labs in 1953 to begin graduate school and joined the faculty in 1954 until his retirement in 1993 as professor emeritus. If it had to do with increasing farm efficiency while improving the life of the farmer, chances are Suggs was involved.
International Harvester and the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. He returned to Weaver Labs in 1953 to begin graduate school, and joined faculty in 1954 until his retirement in 1993 as professor emeritus. If it had to do with increasing farm efficiency while improving the life of the farmer, chances are Suggs was involved. During those 40 years on faculty, his major research interests included mechanization of tobacco harvesting and planting. He is known as a pioneer in ergonomics and the effects of vibrations and other environmental factors on human response and performance.
Giving Back During those 40 years on faculty, his major research interests included mechanization of tobacco harvesting and planting. He is known as a pioneer in ergonomics and the effects of vibrations and other environmental factors on human response and performance. Suggs spent several years in industry working for Dearborn Motors,
Over Suggs’ favorite strawberry cake, former students and colleagues shared stories about their time with him. “I’m proud to say that I started my career as an undergraduate working in Dr. Suggs’ lab,” said Gary Roberson, Extension specialist and associate professor in BAE.
We Grow NC
At NC State, we partner with North Carolina business, industry and community leaders in all 100 counties to create economic and intellectual prosperity in every corner of the state. We Think and Do to grow NC.
We Grow Economies
We Grow Opportunities
Vibrant main streets depend on a thriving agricultural economy. Research and innovation at NC State help farmers increase productivity and profits that yield economic opportunities for rural North Carolina.
Roughly 80% of our state’s harvest is shipped elsewhere for food production. NC State food scientists are partnering with industry and government to grow our food economy from seed to supermarket in our own backyard.
We Grow Solutions
We Grow Student Access
North Carolina’s challenges are as unique as its 532 cities and towns. That’s why NC State Extension partners with community leaders in all 100 counties to identify and develop local solutions for local challenges.
Access to college for students from rural communities is harder than ever. At NC State, we’re opening more paths for students to enter, succeed and graduate to meet local employers’ needs for a well-prepared workforce.
Learn more: WeGrowNC.ncsu.edu
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