Home is where your Wolfpack is, and NC State remains home for many alumni who are now faculty and staff members. During this Red and White Week — our annual homecoming celebration — we take a look back at some of their favorite memories.
Gary B. Blank
Professor, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, College of Natural Resources
Ph.D. Forestry (‘92)
I was taking courses (paying $7 a semester) while employed by the Colleges of Forestry and Engineering, co-directing the Writing Assistance Program (WAP) in Riddick Hall. Larry Monteith, then dean of the College of Engineering, would stop in the WAP office (next to the men’s room), sit in a chair and put his feet up on my desk and chat about whatever was on his mind. He once invited Ann Brown and me down to his office to weigh in on a painting he was contemplating purchasing. Getting to know a future chancellor on such a personal basis was one of my benefits of being at NC State as a lecturer working on a degree.
Victoria Brooks
Assistant Director of Administration, Tree Improvement Program, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, College of Natural Resources
B.S. Biological Sciences, minors in both Genetics and Biotechnology (‘02)
Definitely camping out for the big basketball games at Reynolds Coliseum…these kids have it easy these days! Games at Reynolds were epic, and the work you and your friends put in to getting to those games made the experience even sweeter!! It was like the game Survivor before it was a television show — you made friends, enemies, made alliances to make sure you did not lose your space in line while you went to class, you endured freezing days/nights and limited meals and resources…it was pretty awesome, really. I always think they should have a couple throwback games each year at Reynolds just so the students get to have the same experiences.
Tova Williams Cherry
Assistant Professor, Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science, Wilson College of Textiles
B.S. Polymer and Textile Chemistry (‘14), Ph.D. Fiber and Polymer Science (‘18)
So hard to choose—there were so many great moments! But I’d say the day I became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. That experience led to so many other fond memories with my sorors, like going to football games together.
Krystal Chojnacki
National Chief of Staff, IR-4 Project, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Ph.D. Public Administration (‘20)
Practicing my dissertation defense to an audience comprised of my cat during COVID. Lulu said I did puurrrfect.
Julia Cunniffe
Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Department of Forest Biomaterials, College of Natural Resources
Ph.D. Biological and Agricultural Engineering (‘25)
I always enjoyed attending the American Society of Biological and Agriculture Engineers Annual International Meeting conference every summer with my department. We got to travel as a group around the United States and even Canada this past summer, which were all great bonding experiences!
Micah J. Dobson
Lecturer, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, College of Natural Resources
B.S. Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Sport Management (‘17)
I loved taking breaks from my studies by jogging along the Rocky Branch Trail. Running not only helped me stay active but also provided a refreshing escape from the long hours spent researching and writing papers.
Alyssa Elliott
Academic Advisor, Poole College of Management
B.A. Psychology (‘17), M.Ed. (‘22)
It’s so hard to narrow down my favorite memory! I had so many incredible experiences during my time as an undergraduate and graduate student at NC State. One memory that stands out, though, was the campuswide snowball fight that happened at the Court of North Carolina in January 2014.
Jennifer Gilmore
Director of Strategic Marketing and Communication
NC State Campus Enterprises
In the spring of 1986 (my first year at NC State), our men’s basketball team made an incredible run to the Elite Eight. During every game, on-campus students watched from their residence hall rooms with a door or window open, and you could hear collective cheers and groans echoing across campus, depending on how the team was performing.
As we advanced through the ACC and NCAA tournaments, we would pour out of our rooms to run straight to the Brickyard to celebrate together. It was quite an experience.
Karuna Nambi Gowri
Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Department of Forest Biomaterial, College of Natural Resources
M.S. Textile Chemistry (‘21), Ph.D. Fiber and Polymer Science (‘24)
I have been at NC State for six years and am a double alumni from Wilson College of Textiles. There were a lot of memories here at NC State as I have been part of the Wolfpack for five years as a student and I have lot of wonderful memories. One of my favorite memories was the “Parade of Flags”. During my first year in 2019 at NC State, I wanted to represent my country and wanted to hold the Indian flag and take part in the parade. But to my bigger surprise, I was honored to hold the United Nations flag, which made me realize that maybe I was destined for a greater purpose and make contributions towards the world society. I had great fun meeting wonderful people during the parade.
Amy Jinnette
Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
B.A. Sociology (‘98)
Lots of favorable moments come to mind, including my two-and-a-half years of student employment in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean’s Office, but one that really resonated, as it recently became a full circle moment, was move-in day, freshman year 1994. My best friend and I roomed together. We were driving from Greensboro to Raleigh, our parents following behind us on I-40. I don’t recall feeling nervous until seeing the Wade Avenue sign where the road splits off from I-40. Something kicked in then that life was about to change. We lived in University Towers with about half of our classmates from high school. UT was great — the location was good, the dining hall food wasn’t bad and among all of our high school friends we also made new ones. Fast forward 29 years later, and my daughter, Sara, was accepted into NC State. When she received her dorm assignment, I couldn’t believe it — University Towers! Different floors but still an exciting moment. I had to call my best friend to let her know! We had a few laughs hoping Sara’s year would be different from ours in a few ways. Move-in day 2023 was a lot different than 1994, of course, but lots of things were the same. I remembered the mirrors on the sliding closet doors, the sink in the room, the dining hall and mailboxes (we actually received mail back then!). For fun, we tried to recreate the moment with this picture, all of these years later.
Meredith Martinez
Assistant Teaching Professor and Coordinator of Advising, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
B.S. Civil Engineering (‘17)
One of my favorite memories as a student was studying abroad with the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at the NC State European Center in Prague in the summer of 2014. I took Civil Engineering 301 (Surveying) and Science, Technology and Society 323 (Global Populations and Food Prospects). Getting to expand my horizons and experience a new culture while developing friendships with other engineers in my department that last to this day was a treasure that I won’t take for granted! From hiking in the Czech wilderness to weekend train trips to nearby countries, our group explored and grew together. I have since returned to Prague multiple times — it has a truly special place in my heart!
Jaclyn McVey
Marketing and Communications Coordinator, NC State Innovation and Entrepreneurship
B.A. Business Administration (‘22)
November 26, 2021 — It was the UNC vs. NC State football game of my senior year (and my birthday). The game was at Carter-Finley Stadium, and it had been a tough game. We were behind heading into the last few minutes of the fourth quarter. In the last minute (or maybe a few seconds), we threw a Hail Mary pass to score the winning touchdown. Afterwards, everyone rushed onto the field, which was a really cool experience.
Lis Meyer
Senior Lecturer, Department of Horticultural Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
B.S. Botany, B.S. English (‘06), M.S. Horticultural Science (‘09)
I remember during my freshman year (2001-02), the Leonids meteor shower was supposed to be particularly spectacular. My roommate and I got up at 3 a.m. and walked all the way from Lee Hall where we lived to the Court of the Carolinas. In our pajamas. When we got there, there were tons of other students there already, all lying on the ground on their backs and watching the meteor shower. I remember lying there on the very cold and hard bricks (all the nice grass space was taken) and thinking how cool it was to be out there with all my peers watching this special natural phenomenon. My roommate and I agreed it was worth braving the cold to see it!
Georgina Sanchez
Director of Research Engagement, Center for Geospatial Analytics
B.S. Forestry and Environmental Resources (‘18)
A decade ago, a year into my Ph.D. program at NC State, our lab traveled to Big Sur, California, for fieldwork. The trip was part of a long-running collaboration among several universities to maintain research plots studying the spread of sudden oak death. It turned out to be the most physically demanding fieldwork I’ve ever done, yet an incredible experience.
Each morning began with a two-hour hike just to reach our plots. Many were located on steep slopes, where we took site measurements and applied treatments. About 15 of us—usually found behind our computers running code or analyzing data—spent long days outdoors collecting information that would later help train and validate our models.
In the evenings, we gathered at the cabin, taking turns cooking dinner, sharing stories, and enjoying the meals our labmates and advisor prepared. We’d sit on the porch, tired but content, watching the sun set over the ocean and occasionally spotting whales in the distance.
Even now, former lab members often reminisce about that trip, the laughter, the challenges, and the beauty of Big Sur. I’m fortunate to still collaborate with some of them today, and that experience remains one of our most cherished memories.
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