NC State will soon welcome faculty, staff and students back to campus for the beginning of a new academic year. Before that, however, we wanted to recap your summer adventures. Whether traveling abroad, serving the community or spending time with loved ones, the Wolfpack stayed busy these past few months. Let’s take a look at what you’ve been up to!
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications Team
To celebrate the official launch of the Howling Cow Food Truck, which was designed by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications team, our team gathered at the Howling Cow Dairy Education Center and Creamery for a sweet celebration.
College of Engineering – Rwanda Study Abroad Program
During the first Summer Session, the Engineering Education Program under the leadership of co-directors Kanton Reynolds and Veronica Catete, embarked on a month-long visit to Rwanda. The group of eight undergraduate and four graduate students (the largest cohort in program history) taught STEM lessons in Rwandan secondary schools, participated in cultural activities such as Umaganda, a monthly community service initiative, and visited historical sites, including the Museum for the Campaign Against Genocide as well as the Volcanoes National Park (golden monkeys) and the Akagera National Park. Along with visits to partner institutions, including the University of Rwanda (Kigali) and the Institute for Applied Sciences (Musanze), Oscar Fernandez, a rising senior in Industrial Engineering, worked with a local social enterprise, Masaka Farms (which employs primarily deaf workers) to design a new facility layout for the expansion of their dairy operations (yogurt, butter, milk, cream). It was a fantastic experience and allowed NC State students to put their technical skills to work in a developing country.
College of Engineering – United Kingdom, STEM and Liberal Studies in London Study Abroad Program
The UK STEM/Liberal Studies program had another exciting summer in London! The highlight of the program is always the alumni reception led by co-program director, Kanton Reynolds. This year, the group hosted six NC State Alumni who live and work in the London area to discuss their respective Wolfpack experiences and career trajectories that led them to global careers. In addition to touring local historical sites such as the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey, there were excursions to local tube stations to understand the evolution of mass-transit infrastructure, as well as to Imperial College (which has a STEM focus) and Quantum Motion (a UK quantum computing company), both of which were facilitated by Stuart Woods, a local NC State alumnus.
KIETS Climate Leaders Program
The KIETS Climate Leaders Program (CLP) didn’t waste any time kicking off our summer. During our eventful four-day intensive academy in Carteret County (May 11-14), our 15-member cohort interviewed local residents, professionals and government officials on the impact extreme weather events are having on tourism in Atlantic Beach, Morehead City, Beaufort and Down East. They also got to experience local scenery, cuisine and hospitality at its finest. Our scholars then spent the rest of the summer completing their climate-focused internships from North Carolina to Australia, and points in between. You can learn about their internships at our Fall Symposium (Oct. 7-8), and you can apply to be a part of the 2027 CLP cohort beginning Sept. 9.
Staff Senate District 2
On June 17, the NC State Staff Senate District 2 coordinated a group of staff members from various units under the Provost’s Office teamed up for an afternoon of service at the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Together, we sorted enough potatoes to help pack over 9,000 meals for distribution across the state.
Because District 2 is made up of many disparate units across campus, this event was the perfect opportunity to bridge the distance, build community, and raise awareness about the impact of the Staff Senate. We had a fantastic turnout with staff coming together from the:
- Center for Urban Affairs
- Global One Health Academy
- Shelton Leadership Center
- Provost’s Office
Not only did we give back to our broader North Carolina community, but we also strengthened the bonds right here within our own Pack. To get involved or learn more about what the Staff Senate does for you, visit the Staff Senate Website.
Heather Minchew
Senior International Programs Coordinator, Study Abroad Office
Office of Global Engagement
This summer, I conducted a site visit for our new study abroad program, Belize: Culture, Museums, Foodways and Environment. Associate Professor of History Alicia McGill developed and led the program, drawing upon her two decades working with local communities and Belizean heritage practitioners. Seeing Alicia’s vision for the program come to fruition was particularly rewarding, as I was a student in her Cultural Heritage class during my graduate studies! Along with twelve fantastic students, we traveled and tasted our way throughout Belize, visiting museums, community centers, archaeological sites, wildlife sanctuaries, markets and food production centers. We were even granted access to tour a Belize Sugar Industries factory and learned that they have an NC State alumna on their team. At the US Embassy in Belmopan, I met with the Regional Security Officer and the Consular Chief to discuss health and safety for the program. I took a few personal days before returning home, and highlights included a day-trip to Tikal in Guatemala, diving and snorkeling around Ambergris Caye, and a flight over the Great Blue Hole!
Monique Nicastro
Program Coordinator, Intensive English Program
Office of Global Engagement
This summer, I had the unique opportunity to embark on a journey through history as part of an educational trip with the Road Scholar Program through Ecuador and Peru, exploring two of the world’s most extraordinary and unique natural and cultural environments: the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu. From observing pristine marine ecosystems and endemic wildlife to trekking high-altitude Andean trails to observe the architectural ingenuity of the Incas, the trip bridged environmental science, history and cultural exploration. Experiencing these landscapes and cultures firsthand was transformative. Beyond offering deep insight into ecological and cultural preservation, it served as a profound reminder of how humanity can interact with nature with reverence.
Christa Oliver
Associate Teaching Professor and Director, Panoramic Dance Project
Department of Performing Arts and Technology
This summer, I served as the choreographer for Zach Theater’s regional premiere of Sally & Tom, a new play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. She also co-directed and choreographed Please Be Seated, a site-specific dance performance at the North Carolina Museum of Art that activated the Museum Park’s newest installation, Please Be Seated–North Carolina, by internationally acclaimed artist and designer Paul Cocksedge. The performance brought together dancers from the Panoramic Dance Project, Broughton Dance and communities across North Carolina, exploring connections among movement, music, public art and shared space.
Bailey Reynolds
Graduate Assistant, Centennial Engineering Living-Learning Village, Graduate Career Counselor Intern, Career Development Center
I had the amazing opportunity to attend a 10-day study abroad trip to Germany, led by Chad Hoggan with the College of Education (and his wonderful wife, Tanja, a professor at the University of Augsburg)! We spent our time with other international students getting involved in classroom topics and activities within the Institute of Civic Studies and Learning Democracy. We were housed in the beautiful city of Augsburg, but took day trips to Nuremberg, Dachau and Munich to visit different historical and cultural sites. We became such a tight-knit group and had an amazing time learning from each other and sharing all the experiences the trip had to offer together. I am grateful for an unforgettable summer 2026!
Juliana Romero-Cortes
Marketing Programs Coordinator for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Department of Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Poole College of Management
This summer, I had the opportunity to spend time in Mexico with family, beginning with a week in Cancún, Quintana Roo, followed by six weeks in Michoacán. In Cancún, I enjoyed exploring the region through activities such as jet skiing, zip lining, riding four-wheelers, visiting islands, touring historical sites, and discovering new restaurants and beautiful beaches along the coast. In Michoacán, I experienced a different side of Mexico by helping family members farm corn and wheat, horseback riding, visiting culturally rich towns and assisting with community events. One of the highlights of the summer was enjoying the abundance of fresh mangoes and guava fruits in season while reconnecting with family, culture and traditions.
Alp Tezbasaran
Data Science Librarian, Data Science Services
NC State University Libraries
This summer, the Libraries’ Data Science Services collaborated with the Department of Nuclear Engineering on a research project. Ph.D. candidate Yahya A. Alzahrani, working with Mihai Diaconeasa’s Probabilistic Risk Assessment Group, put artificial intelligence to work on nearly fifty years of U.S. reactor safety records. Rather than a general-purpose chatbot, the local LLMs are equipped with specialized nuclear-safety knowledge so they can read and interpret highly technical reactor reports. With support from Data Science Services, the team piloted a workflow on the library’s Data Lab workstations before scaling it up on NC State’s high-performance computing cluster. The guided-AI has now read through roughly 55,000 regulatory event reports — far more than any person could review by hand — surfacing safety patterns that could help make both today’s reactors and tomorrow’s advanced designs safer. It’s a great reminder that the Libraries can be a launch pad and support for research in the age of AI.
Bethany Wager
Ph.D. Candidate, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST)
Department of Applied Ecology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
I recently traveled to Savannah, Georgia, to volunteer on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Southeast Fishery Independent Survey research cruise. I spent 10 days offshore sampling the fish community on natural reefs off the coast of Florida. This long-term survey provides valuable data that I am utilizing in my second chapter to better understand changes in fish communities on natural and artificial reefs over time.
