Summer Campus Happenings

Each summer, the NC State community keeps campus busy with a bevy of activities, from summer camps and orientations to classes, research projects and more. Colleges, departments and various organizations welcome new students and help everyone prepare for the semester ahead. We spoke with representatives from the campus community on what’s going on while many are away for the summer.

ASSIST Center

• We are doing our first-ever summer day camps for high school students; we’ll be welcoming four REUs (research experiences for undergraduates) to work with some of our faculty, and we have 12 Young Scholars (also high school-aged) learning about and building health-focused wearable devices. On July 22, we will have our Summer Research Symposium where REUs and Young Scholars will present their work.

Coastal Resilience and Sustainability Initiative

• Immediately following the conclusion of the spring semester, our Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science (KIETS) Climate Leaders Program (CLP) students were immersed in our two-plus-day Intensive Academy. During their time together the students learned about climate science, communication and community engagement, public policy, climate challenges and current and future approaches and solutions. Our scholars used this information to present their solutions to help a hypothetical community impacted by climate change. Most of our scholars will be participating in internships throughout the summer and/or fall at various locations.
• The CLP is busy working on our inaugural CLP Symposium that will be held at Hunt Library on Centennial Campus on October 10-11. The Symposium will address climate change challenges and solutions and will highlight work being done by CLP scholars, NC State faculty, and outside experts. All members of the NC State community (students, faculty, staff, community partners, etc.) are welcome to attend. Information on the Symposium will be updated at climateleaders.kenan.ncsu.edu. There is no registration fee for this event.
• CLP Faculty mentors are working with the CLP Senior Faculty Fellow to put together a strong panel of speakers for the fall symposium. Along with our CLP students and faculty mentors, NC State faculty and professional staff working on climate change challenges and solutions are being asked to participate in our speaker group. The CLP will also be posting our request for applications early in the fall semester so students, faculty and professional staff can begin identifying and contacting potential mentors or students, respectively, to apply as a team for your 2023 cohort. 

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

• The NC FFA state convention is June 21-23 at the Raleigh Convention Center.
• 4-H Congress 2022 will be held July 16-19, at NC State. This event is for 4-Hers across the state.
• Various camps will be welcoming K-12 students this summer on-campus/NC State facilities:
  • Summer Garden Camps at JC Raulston Arboretum (all summer)
  • Howling Cow Camp, July 5-16, at the NC State Dairy Farm
  • NC State Livestock Science Camp, June 12-17 at NC State
  • Horticultural Science Summer Institute, July 10-15.
  • VetCAMP 2022
  • AgDiscovery Camp, June 20-July 1
  • Poultry Science Summer Institute, June 26-30.
  • Resource Conservation Workshop, June 26-July 1.
• There will be a variety of 4-H summer camps across the state (Eastern 4-H Center, Millstone 4-H Camp and Betsey-Jeff Penn 4-H Center).
• The NC FFA Camp will be held at the NC FFA Center at White Lake all summer.
• Field season is in full swing with half our faculty and students on the research stations breeding, weeding, developing new agronomic practices, and controlling diseases. 
• Field Days will be held over the summer. Many of the commodity group field days will be occurring at the stations and field labs over the next several months. This is the time when a lot of the research developed in the laboratory is tested and proofed in the field. This is true for both plants and animals and ecosystems.

College of Engineering

• The Engineering Place is hosting 28 different K-12 grade residential and day Summer Engineering Camps this summer from June 20 through August 12.  These camps introduce younger students to the problem-solving fun of engineering and provide in-depth exposure to specific engineering disciplines for older students. Campers engage in hands-on, open-ended engineering challenges, lab tours, and fun team-building activities. Campers come from all across the US and internationally.
• The Engineering Place is partnering with the NC State College Advising Corps program and hosting a 1-day workshop in providing engineering resources to their advisors as they strive to improve college access and persistence among low-income, underrepresented, and first-generation college students in rural North Carolina.
• The Engineering Place is collaborating with a local school in providing an intensive program consisting of a student campus visit and a teacher professional development program. A one-day field trip will highlight engineering research at NC State through lab tours and hands-on, open-ended engineering challenges for young women. A one-day teacher professional development workshop for K-8 teachers will provide engineering education knowledge and activities they can use in their classroom instruction.
• The Young Investigators’ Summer Program in Nuclear Engineering will run this July 11-29. High school students, from NC and states such as VA, FL, NY and SC, live on-campus for three weeks and participate in lectures, labs, group projects and industrial field trips. Some of the topics covered include reactor systems, radiological sciences, plasma science and engineering, AI, fusion reactors, nuclear materials, and nuclear nonproliferation.

College of Sciences

• The marine science field course will be held again at the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology in Morehead City this summer (here’s a story on the course from a couple of years ago). 
• In the Department of Biological Sciences, Lindsay Zanno is on a 4.5-month paleontology expedition in the western U.S.
• Through the Science House, the Kyran Anderson and Imhotep academies introduce elementary- and middle-school students to the world of STEM with a particular emphasis on reaching underserved and students historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines.

Division of Academic and Student Affairs

• This summer, the Division of Academic and Student Affairs is gearing up for the return of Packapalooza as well as other Wolfpack Welcome Week activities. DASA will also host its annual summer cookout for faculty and staff! New Student Programs will welcome new students in orientation and Summer Start sessions. University Housing is planning for fall move-in. Other individual unit initiatives are noted below.
• Arts NC State
  • For summer 2022, the Crafts Center introduced a new series just for NC State faculty and staff: Break to Make. The eight two-hour classes offer employees the opportunity to take a break during the workday and make something wonderful. Thanks to the enthusiastic response (there are only a few seats left), the series will continue into the fall semester.
  • The Gregg Museum of Art & Design has exhibitions open in all gallery spaces. The most recent is Egyptian Tent (open through December 31), featuring a fine example of the curious treasures that can be found in the Gregg permanent collection: a rare and colorfully appliquéd Egyptian tour tent — one of only six of its kind known in the world — made in the early 20th century. The Gregg Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • In September, the NC State LIVE performing arts series begins a yearlong 50th-anniversary celebration. The new season will be announced on June 30. Members of the NC State faculty and staff may purchase performance tickets for only $15, a steep discount off the public price.
  • Following two summers of dark stages lost to COVID-19, University Theatre’s beloved TheatreFEST is back, with performances and events through June 19. Front and center is Stephen Sondheim’s multiple Tony Award-winning dark comedy, Assassins. Inspired by the extended break, TheatreFEST 2022 has expanded to be Raleigh’s hub for summer theatre, and will include a 24-hour QuickScripts challenge (June 18) to create four 10-minute plays; the first public staging (June 17) of a new one-woman show by NC State young alumna Dani Coan; the return of the free TheatreFESTival open house (June 11) that reveals some of the magic behind live performance; previews of work to come from neighboring theatre companies; the first workshop offering (June 10-11) of a new musical work-in-progress by Honest Pint Theatre Company (Away Home, inspired by the heartwarming children’s book, Kafka and the Doll); and new pre-and post-show events to get more from your Assassins experience.
• Career Development Center
  • We have our largest group of Rural Works! interns to date, with 80 interns. These students started working this week across North Carolina in rural counties and putting their NC State course experience to work in hands-on and experiential learning opportunities!
• Juntos
  • Juntos will be hosting 82 rising ninth-twelfth graders at our Summer Academy 2022 in person, on campus June 14-18. We are partnering with the Department of Design, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Education to bring workshops to our students exploring different careers. Additionally, we will hold two field trips to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and Lake Raleigh.
  • We will also be hosting a National Juntos Program in-person training on July 12-13 on campus, where participants will have the chance to be trained in the Juntos Program Curriculum.
  • We are partnering with various departments on campus to bring career workshops to our students and are hiring college students from NC State and other universities and colleges, 18 in total, to act as camp counselors to our students during the Summer Academy week.
• Department of Music
  • The Department of Music is offering summer music camps for middle and high school students. The one-week day camps provide a fun deep dive into electronic music production or marching band conducting and leadership skills for high school drum majors. The middle school electronic music camp takes place June 13-17 and high school camps are June 20-24. 
• Prevention Services
  • We will be offering seven programs for Summer Start students in an effort to connect with new students and introduce them to some of our signature programming. This includes two therapy dog events, a QPR training session, three alcohol-and-other-drug (AOD) programs, and one recovery info session. We will be offering a variety of giveaways and pop-up events during orientation, and will be promoting events through social media and the Summer Start program.
• Student Health Services
  • Student Health Services is open for summer services at both Main and Centennial campuses. Additionally, COVID-19 testing and vaccines are still available, with vaccination hours and locations on the Protect the Pack website. Appointments for vaccines can be made through the HealthyPack portal.
• Student Media
  • Student Media is still going strong this summer. Radio station WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2 is on the air with 26 live DJ sets and has nine new DJs in training. The Technician newspaper updates regularly at TechnicianOnline.com and sends its weekly newsletter to 50,000 in the campus community. Roundabout magazine is mailing its welcome to campus edition to 11,000 incoming first-year and transfer students. 
• TRIO Pre-College Programs
  • The TRIO Pre-College Programs are hosting a series of high-impact, academic programs this summer for middle and high school students from across the state. Across all summer programs, faculty and staff will assist with the goal of getting experienced professionals in front of students, especially those who were first-generation college students.
  • TRIO Upward Bound will host a six-week intensive summer program for high school students to prepare them for the next school year. Additionally, 20 graduating seniors will participate in the Bridge Program where they will be enrolled in NC State classes and engage in college transition workshops. 
  • TRIO Talent Search will host four residential and non-residential programs for middle and high school students to continue preparing students for high school graduation and college enrollment.
  • Sponsored by National Academy Foundation and funded by Lenovo, the Future Ready Scholars program will welcome 50 students from across the state to engage in hands-on STEM activities. 
• Office of Undergraduate Research
  • OUR’s inaugural Summer Research and Creative Activity Symposium will be held in D.H. Hill Library July 25-27, featuring the work of students from NC State as well as students from elsewhere who have come to NC State to participate in Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) with NC State faculty!
• University Honors Program
  • On August 16-18, we will hold our inaugural summer bridge program for entering first-year students. “Roots in Raleigh” features programming to help students engage with the campus, community and city through the lens of food. Applications are currently open to all incoming University Honors Village residents.
• Wellness and Recreation
  • In partnership with PNC Bank, Wellness and Recreation has Money Talks appointments available for students, faculty, and staff. These 20-minute sessions are designed to help you better understand your finances and to set personal goals. 
  • Join Wolfpack Wellness the third Friday of every month at 2 p.m. for our Research Web Series. These short talks (30 minutes on average) feature NC State faculty and staff sharing their research regarding topics of health and well-being. 
  • Check out Wellness and Recreation facilities and programs this summer with a faculty and staff membership. Members can participate for free in group fitness, intramural sports, climbing, swimming and more! 
  • Starting July 18, Wellness and Recreation is offering a series of outdoor trips for incoming first-years to get to know each other in a camp setting before coming to campus.

Office of Global Engagement

• Global Training Initiative
  • The GTI is excited for the return of our summer in-person student and professional training programs. Prior to the pandemic, the GTI would bring hundreds of overseas students to NC State for short-term summer programs. This summer is a scaled-back version, but we’re happy to host groups and program participants from Colombia, Denmark, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
  • The GTI and the Department of Computer Science will host six junior faculty from Egypt for 10 weeks this summer, providing a series of workshops, mentoring and site visits on information technology, teaching pedagogy and the U.S. higher education system.
  • The Universidad Nacional in Bogotá, Colombia and the Fulbright Commission are sending 29 students who will participate in academic and cultural workshops at NC State as well as visit various colleges and universities in the area in July and August.
  • The GTI and the Department of Computer Science will also host 30 students from King Abdulaziz University who will take part in a computer science research experience under the mentorship of NC State professors and graduate students. This program is part of an expanded partnership between NC State and KAU.
  • The GTI will support NC State’s Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center in its research exchange collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark.
  • The GTI is also sending faculty and staff abroad to Baku, Azerbaijan to host a three-day conference as the culmination of its online English Language Training professional development program that was held over 14 weeks this past spring semester. The conference will include 300 in-person participants but will also be livestreamed to hundreds more around the country.

Institute for Emerging Issues

• This summer, the Institute for Emerging Issues is working with NC State researchers Shaun Kellogg and Lam Pham and the NC Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration to create and visualize data capturing the impact of the pandemic on learning in North Carolina. This project will generate the first regional data on the recovery time needed to overcome the effects of the pandemic. Among other uses, the data will be shared in a series of meetings across the state this summer promoting local efforts to boost educational attainment.

McKimmon Center for Extension and Continuing Education

• Two units of the McKimmon Center for Extension and Continuing Education that are located in Rocky Mount provide programs and services to the people of eastern North Carolina, and are set to deliver several exciting youth camps this summer. 
• The Upper Coastal Plain Learning Council which supports Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Northampton and Wilson counties, will be offering the 2022 Wilson Engineering Camp for rising 3rd– 5th graders in the Elementary Camp June 13-17 as well as Middle School Camp for rising 6th-9th graders June 20-24. These weeklong, non-residential camps were designed in collaboration with NC State’s College of Engineering and The Engineering Place, to offer quality exposure and practice of the engineering design process.
• The Collaborative, a partnership between NC State and East Carolina University, will be offering on-site camps that include the NC State Veterinary Camp, NC State MSEN (Math/Science Education Network) STEM Camp, Elementary Math Camp and Lego Robotics Camp. 
  • The NC State Veterinary Camp targets rising middle school students who are interested in studying veterinary medicine. 
  • The MSEN (Math/Science Education Network) STEM Camp, with a satellite camp on the campus of NC Wesleyan University, brings this camp to closer proximity to students who otherwise would not be able to attend, and has proven instrumental in serving area students.
  • The Collaborative has partnered with BrickScholars to bring multiple Lego Robotics camps to the Gateway Technology Center on NC Wesleyan’s campus. This partnership has netted several scholarships to be offered to students who cannot afford to attend..As a pilot project, the two are also working to bring a FREE STEAM camp for neurodiverse students. 
  • The Collaborative continues to diversify offerings with two new and FREE programs: Elementary Math Camp and Middle School 3D Printer Camp. Both of these camps utilize the expertise of current classroom teachers and are offered as free enrichment opportunities that students may otherwise not be able to attend.

NC State University Libraries

• Our Community Engagement team will be hosting a tour of the D.H. Hill Jr. Library on June 14. 
• The Libraries will be expanding our successful Open Pedagogy Incubator program beyond NC State. The Open Pedagogy Summer Institute will serve as a facilitator training for 13 participants representing 10 schools in the UNC System. Participants will complete the incubator program of workshops, curated readings, and facilitated discussions regarding tools and philosophies that enable open teaching. With the goal of launching a cross-institutional incubator in the 2022-2023 academic year, this is an exciting opportunity to create partnerships and support student success initiatives across the UNC System.
• The Libraries is collaborating with the Office of Undergraduate Research to host the Summer Symposium in the D. H. Hill Jr. Library July 25-27. Several hundred undergraduate researchers from across campus will present posters of their work, including some digital posters in the Visualization Studio. The symposium is free and open to the public.

Park Scholarships

• Park Scholarships program students completed their $2 million donation commitment to UNC Children’s hospital via the Krispy Kreme Challenge. Since 2004, Park Scholars (and other NC State students) have led the charity race, which is the largest unrestricted donor for the hospital. Now that they’ve fulfilled their $2 million pledge, they’re looking at what comes next for the race, particularly as it returns (hopefully!) to an in-person format next winter after two years of remote running.

Office of Research and Innovation

• Laboratory for Analytic Sciences
  • The Laboratory for Analytic Sciences at NC State is hosting its inaugural eight-week Summer Conference on Applied Data Science on campus from June 13 to August 5. More than 40 participants selected from across academia, government and industry will collaborate to develop solutions to a large-scale data science problem.

NC State Transportation Department

• This summer we will continue with the improvements to the parking decks. This includes power washing and improving the landscaping around the decks.
• We will also begin construction on the expansion of the Varsity Lot.