CALS Communications 2022 Year in Review

CALS COMM HIGHLIGHTS

Keeping CALS in the know is our business. From current trends and research breakthroughs to events and captivating stories from our community and beyond, CALS News is the college-wide megaphone for in-depth features and announcements.

Mike Walden, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus, shares insights about current and trending topics related to the economy including possible future recessions and inflation concerns.

With help from the Animal Science Club, the Howling Cow herd is complete with all seven major dairy breeds. NC State is the first and only university to be home to all of the breeds.

NC State researchers are working on perfecting a femalekilling gene for one of the most destructive pests in the world.

After being spotted in North Carolina, the giant, handsized Joro spider sparked premature hysteria. But bigger isn’t always badder. These beautiful, exotic arachnids create little, if any, cause for concern.

NEWSLETTERS

This year we redesigned and created a more visual-driven newsletter to replace the previous RSS weekly newsletter. Switching to a more visual and manually built newsletter allows more flexibility and added features including interactive sections.

CALS Weekly Newsletter

Delivered every Thursday, CALS

Weekly keeps our subscribers up-todate on all the extraordinary stories coming out of our college.

Inside CALS Newsletter

Inside CALS is the weekly newsletter for the CALS community. Every Tuesday, employees get a rundown of what’s happening in the college, from events and news to important announcements.

FARM, FOOD & YOU PODCAST

Issues in agriculture affect not just farmers. They influence our lives every day. The Farms, Food and You podcast series explores these issues with NC State University experts and others with ties to agriculture and food-related industries in North Carolina and beyond.

We talked to North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner and NC State University alumnus Steve Troxler to learn about all things North Carolina State Fair.

Mark Hoffmann, a small fruits specialist with NC State Extension, talks about this super grape and why it’s suddenly en vogue again both at home and abroad.

We sat down with Kelly Oten, assistant professor and Extension specialist in forest health to learn how to spot the Spotted Lantern fly, what to do about it, and why we need to report it.

cals.ncsu.edu/farms-food-and-you

SOCIAL MEDIA

CALS

CREATIVE SERVICES

Creative Services is a collaborative group within CALS Comm comprised of Video Production, Graphic Design and Web Design.

Awards in 2022

Association for Communications Excellence (ACE) awards:

Gold Awards:

Graphic Design: CALS Magazine, Our Rich Heritage (Fall 2022 issue)

Graphic Design: CALS Magazine cover, The Next Frontier is Here (Spring 2022 issue)

Graphic Design: Our State Magazine ad

Silver Awards:

Graphic Design: Sweet-APPS illustration

Video (Profile): Stokes Family Farm: Striving For Greatness

Video (Social): Plant Sciences Building Launch Trailer

Bronze Award: Podcast: Farm, Food and You

WEB DESIGN [CREATIVE SERVICES]

CALS Comm is known for keeping pace with the latest developments and best practices in digital communications. We continued work on a major initiative launched in 2021 to update our WordPress-powered department and unit websites with the latest content editing system (“Gutenberg”) and a refreshed NC State theme, completing fives sites in a 12-month period.

Select Websites

GRAPHIC DESIGN [CREATIVE SERVICES]

87 design projects ranging from print and digital pieces, telling the stories of CALS work and it’s people.

Highlighted here: Recruitment booklet for Academic Programs, Poster for the Nickels for Know-How Referendum and the Sweet-APPS infographic.

43 Graphics Created in Real Time

383 Graphics Created Ahead of Time for CALS Departments (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook)

100+ Tweets

59 Instagram Stories

21 Staff Monitoring or Actively Posting on 5 Social Accounts from 5am-12am

VIDEO PRODUCTION [CREATIVE SERVICES]

Plant Sciences Building Opening Trailer

Created to generate excitement as a teaser ahead of the opening of the Plant Science Building in 2022. Produced for CALS social media platforms to convey a brief history and idea that the building has been “a long time coming,” and will be a hub for the N.C. Plant Science Initiative.

Stokes Family Farm: Striving For Greatness

Through collaboration and thoughtful storyboarding and scripting, we produced a touching, visually compelling story of two future leaders in agriculture.

Homegrown | North Carolina BBQ and Community

“Why is North Carolina so passionate about their barbecue?” This episode reveals that it’s because BBQ here is not just about the food, it’s also about the community.

I AM CALS: Tracy Taylor

We produced the “I Am CALS” magazine feature with a unique angle on multiple generations serving the Upper Mountain Research Station. We connected the past and the present with a look into the future of their legacy.

COMMUNICATIONS EXTENSION

Homegrown | Everyday Solutions for Everyday Lives

As rapid growth and population shifts continue across North Carolina, NC State Extension’s Homegrown video series remains at the core of our efforts to connect Extension with new, diverse, urban-centric audiences. The series provides practical, sciencebacked tips and info from Extension experts via short videos that address common needs among our audience.

Engagement with Homegrown’s target audiences continued to grow in 2022, as it has every year since its

Equipping Our Brand Ambassadors

A new package of overview resources, including a booklet, fact sheet and info card for both N.C. Cooperative Extension and NC State Extension, helped to provide Extension’s 1,000+ employees across the state with valuable outreach tools to grow awareness of our work and impact.

Bolstering Extension Storytelling Statewide

Through stories, we make data relevant, build emotional connections with audiences and bring our brand to life. This past year we were thrilled to welcome a new full-time Extension writer and content development specialist to the team.

Simon Gonzalez hit the road running, crafting more than 30 timely stories of impact for Extension’s programs and people statewide. And we’re just getting started.

‘Our State’ Is Taking Notice

The team has been hard at work collaborating with Our State magazine on a monumental opportunity heading into the new year. We’re excited to share that Our State, which has the largest paid circulation of any North Carolina magazine (total readership of over 1 million), will dedicate the entire May 2023 issue to Extension in North Carolina.

PUBLICATIONS

The North Carolina Extension Gardener Handbook, Second Edition

With updates throughout, the second edition of the North Carolina Extension Gardener Handbook was published in early 2022. The handbook is the official textbook used in training Extension Master Gardener volunteers and is a comprehensive resource for gardeners of all skill levels.

1,389 Copies Sold (as of November 30, 2022)

Understanding the Relationship between CBD and THC in Hemp

Recent research conducted by CALS Extension specialists clarifies the relationship between CBD and THC produced in floral hemp. This information can help producers adhere to USDA compliance thresholds.

1,337 Views To Date

How to Manage a Successful Bee Hotel

A new guide for building and managing your very own bee hotel, including everything you need to know about bee hotels and their guests.

1,229 Views To Date

WORKSHOPS

Throughout the year, the CALS Communications team hosted hourlong workshops for all CALS departmental and unit communicators and communications enthusiasts. These sessions focused on best practices, tips and tools to ensure we are on-brand and effective in telling our college’s story.

We also seek to provide a space for networking and discussion between communicators who might not otherwise come in contact.

2022 Workshop Schedule

> Creative Writing

> Getting Smart Phone Savvy For Comms Work

> Planning For Hybrid Events

> Getting The Best Photos For Stories

> Canva Skills For Beginners

> Inclusive Language

> Search Engine Optimization

> Cals Tailgate 101 For Exhibitors

> Website Updates For The New Nc State Theme And Gutenberg Content Editor

> Mini Mailchimp Academy

> Accessibility

CALS Magazine promotes the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, its programs, and its people through engaging and informative stories that inspire awe, enthusiasm, and support for the institution among alumni, the university community, and friends of the college.

Spring 2022 Issue

The Next Frontier is Here issue showed that for CALS, there is no final frontier in agriculture, just the next one. The future of agriculture is here and in progress. We harness big data to tackle big challenges like a growing population, increasing urbanization and climate change. We go beyond the field and lab to test new plant varietals in space. We create global collaboration in our research efforts. And that’s not the half of it.

Fall 2022 Issue

The Our Rich Heritage issue featured forgotten crops that are now in a renaissance and creating income for farmers, the continued tradition of transformative innovation that betters our lives and supports natural resources, and our rich legacy of research, teaching and Extension.

Magazine content is distributed through various channels:

> Two print editions (Spring, Fall)

> CALS Digital Magazine

> Digital Flipbook

> Email Promotions

> Individual Stories in the CALS Weekly Newsletter

> CALS Social Media Channels

CALS Magazine is distributed to:

> Alumni

> Administrators, Faculty And Staff

> Donors

> Other Friends of The College

Awards

CALS Magazine has been the recipient of the Gold Award for Best Magazine by the Association for Communications Excellence (ACE) on multiple occasions.

The Fall 2022 issue received the ACE Gold Award for Magazine Design while the Spring 2022 issue received the ACE Gold Awards for Cover Design.

*COLLABORATION

NATIONAL THANKSGIVING TURKEY PRESENTATION

A true collaborative effort between the CALS Communications team, Extension, the North Carolina Turkey Federation and the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation was a thrilling success to follow and announce. Our team followed the turkeys’ from their farm in Monroe, North Carolina, to their luxurious stay at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C., to their presentation with President Biden on the White House lawn, and to their retirement at the Poultry Education Unit on Lake Wheeler Road. It was one of the most popular social media stories we ever produced.

Media Outlets Who Picked Up Our Story:

That’s it, folks! Our friends Chocolate and Chip are officially pardoned and will head home to NC State University this afternoon.

NC State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is at White House, Washington DC. November 21 at 11:43 AM . Washington D.C.

Meet Chocolate and Chip. �� �� As this year’s National Thanksgiving Turkeys, the Monroe, N.C. natives made the trip to Washington, D.C., for their red carpet moment. On Monday, the @natlturkeyfed presented Chocolate and Chip to President Biden at the White House National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation. Now, they’re returning to NC State to live out their days in special private quarters at @ncstatecals’ Lake Wheeler Road facilities under the expert care of university poultry specialists and students — and the rest is gravy. “We’re honored and excited for the opportunity to care for the National Thanksgiving Turkey and his ‘wingman,’” said Peter Ferket, interim head of the Prestage Department of Poultry Science. “We’ve prepared a firstclass retirement home for our fine-feathered friends to live out their days in fame and comfort.”

112K views

5,301 likes

1,998 shares

89,499 accounts reached

Video: How Does the Willard InterContinental Prepare Rooms For the White House Thanksgiving Turkeys?

Hosting the White House

Thanksgiving turkeys brings a lot of preparation. We went inside the Willard InterContinental Hotel to see just how they got the rooms ready for the turkeys to roost. It included a layer of wood chips on the floor, fencing to keep the press in their place, just the right temperature for our feathered friends, and perhaps some down-alternative pillows.

*COLLABORATION

NC STATE UNIVERSITY’S PLANT SCIENCES BUILDING OPENING

On April 12, 2022, the NC State University Plant Sciences Building celebrated the building dedication with a ceremony and tours for industry partners, donors, commodity groups, NC State faculty and staff, legislature, and NC citizens. The CALS Communications team promoted the event and created the supporting featured content within the building and for the ceremony, effectively communicating that the building represents the latest thinking in design and construction to meet the complex needs of teambased plant science.

Self-Guided Map for

Interior and exterior photo shoots were coordinated to highlight the many unique facets of the building.

Plant Sciences Building Opening Cinematic Trailer

This video was created to generate excitement as a short teaser ahead of the opening of the Plant Science Building. Produced for social media platforms to convey a brief history and idea that this building has been “a long time coming”, and will be a catalyst for the Plant Science Initiative.

TEAM CALS COMM

Megan Lybrand Chief Communications Officer mllybran@ncsu.edu

Kionna Coleman Assistant Chief Communications Officer kmcolem3@ncsu.edu

Creative Services

Patty Mercer Art Director, Graphic Designer pmercer2@ncsu.edu

Leighann Vinesett Jr. Graphic Designer lmvinese@ncsu.edu

Chris Liotta Multimedia Manager cliotta@ncsu.edu

Keeshan Ganatra Multimedia Producer krganatr@ncsu.edu

MarComm Strategy

Janine Brumfield Public Relations and Internal Communications Specialist jereda@ncsu.edu

Krystal Lynch Academic Programs Marketing and Communications Specialist kalynch@ncsu.edu

Samantha “Sam” Jones Science Marketing and Communications Specialist (Research and N.C. PSI) sjones28@ncsu.edu

Andrea Peros Executive Communications amweale@ncsu.edu

Content + News

Hiring in process* Content Manager kdstepne@ncsu.edu

Emma Bublitz Content Specialist ebublit@ncsu.edu

D’Lyn Ford Content Editor, CALS Magazine Editor dcford@ncsu.edu

Alice Manning Touchette Marketing Writer amtouche@ncsu.edu

Caro Metzler Social Media Specialist, CALS + NC State Extension Operations

Hiring in process* Project Manager

Casey Greenwell Business Services Coordinator ctgreenw@ncsu.edu

Jessica Bowley Administrative Support Specialist jbowley@ncsu.edu

NC State Extension Marketing

Justin Moore Director of Extension Marketing and Communications tjmoore3@ncsu.edu

Julie Hayworth-Perman Extension Marketing and Communications Specialist jhaywor@ncsu.edu

Simon Gonzalez Extension Content Specialist sgonzal8@ncsu.edu

Debra Ireland Extension Publications Manager dlirelan@ncsu.edu