Interdisciplinary Excellence: Celebrating Impact and Honoring Legacy

On May 4, the Interdisciplinary Excellence Celebration brought together university leaders, alumni, faculty, staff and students from across NC State to laud the campus community’s interdisciplinary achievements. Interdisciplinary collaboration occurs when people, practices and ideas come together from across different disciplines to work together toward a common goal. At NC State, this work is fostered by the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs (OUIP). The Interdisciplinary Excellence Celebration commended the work of two OUIP programs, the NC State Biotechnology (BIT) Program, and the Integrative Sciences Initiative and Woodson Hall. In this celebration it also honored two influential interdisciplinary leaders: former Provost Warwick Arden and the late BIT Program Director Dr. Robert “Bob” Kelly. 

A champion of interdisciplinarity, former Provost Arden provided opening remarks along with Levent Atici, associate vice provost for interdisciplinary faculty and student engagement, and Kate Meurs, Randall B. Terry Jr. Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. About the celebration, Atici shared, “Events like the Interdisciplinary Excellence Celebration remind us that some of our university’s greatest strengths and most lasting impacts emerge when we build bridges across disciplines, colleges and communities.” That idea echoed throughout the day’s events as speakers gave personal insight into the excellence of interdisciplinary sciences at NC State. 

The celebration of excellence was also a celebration of life as Dr. Robert Kelly was honored throughout the day. Kelly was the Alcoa professor of chemical engineering and the director of the NC State Biotechnology Program from 2000-2026. In his 25 years as the director of the BIT program, he advised more than 500 students in the biotechnology minor. His contributions to interdisciplinarity at NC State are carried on by the BIT program and the many individuals whose careers he impacted.

For Kelly, interdisciplinarity was not simply a concept, but a practice. Giving students hands-on lab experience, the BIT Program is continuing Kelly’s work and uniquely preparing its students for careers in science. Faculty from the BIT Program paid tribute to Kelly by highlighting the continued success of their program. From the foundations of Kelly’s strong and caring leadership, this program has grown year after year. It now offers more courses than ever, giving even more students the opportunity to benefit from engaging in interdisciplinary sciences. 

The impact of Kelly and the excellence of the BIT Program were further illuminated as former postdocs, and graduate and undergraduate alumni shared their personal experiences. Each of the speakers illustrated how their time working with Kelly and the BIT Program brought them to the successful careers they have today. Through interdisciplinary sciences, the BIT Program has set past, present and future students up for success.

The celebration then looked to the future and broadened its focus by toasting the work of the Integrative Sciences Initiative. Situated within ISI, the BIT Program is only one of the ways ISI fosters interdisciplinary sciences on campus. Its mission to drive collaboration across science and engineering is entering a new era with the construction of Woodson Hall. Set to fully open in spring of 2027, Woodson Hall will be the integrative sciences hub. Sitting on the Brickyard in the heart of campus, this building is intentionally designed with shared lab spaces, classrooms and resources to encourage interdisciplinarity – and root that scientific interdisciplinarity at the center of NC State. The day ended on a high note, leaving the audience excited about the future of interdisciplinarity at NC State.

The Interdisciplinary Excellence Celebration was marked with remembering, reflecting and rejoicing as interdisciplinary sciences took center stage. The event brought people together to relish in the incredible interdisciplinary accomplishments occurring across NC State. Through each presentation, the high-impact experiences of interdisciplinarity were put on display. Faculty, staff, students and alumni shared the ways in which interdisciplinary research shaped their careers – and, together, they celebrated!