January 2024 Announcements

• Make-A-Thon, NC State’s annual sustainability innovation competition is coming this Jan. 26-28. During this three-day challenge, student teams research, design, prototype and pitch a new solution that addresses a sustainability challenge. Campus and community experts will evaluate solutions and award $8,500 in cash prizes to the top teams. Students can register now for the 2024 Make-A-Thon.
  • Judges and mentors are needed. Help create a powerful learning experience for NC State students! Learn more and sign up to judge and/or mentor.  
  • Want to share this opportunity with others? Flyers and graphics, slides and digital signs (available on the university’s Billboard system) are available for download. Newswire stories are also available to share!

Registration is closing on Jan. 18 so we appreciate your efforts in helping to communicate this interdisciplinary event to your students. More information can be found online at go.ncsu.edu/MakeAThon.

• The Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost is responsible for reviewing the administrative performance of vice provosts at least every five years. The following review has been scheduled this semester. As part of the review, the campus community is invited to attend an overview presentation of the unit’s goals and accomplishments.
  • Vice Provost Sheri Schwab and the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2 – 3 p.m. There will be both in-person and virtual options available for this presentation. In-person participants may join the provost and Vice Provost Schwab in Talley Student Union’s Hatteras-Ocracoke Ballroom. Virtual participants may join via Zoom, which will be accessible Feb. 21 at 2 p.m.

The review process also includes surveys of specific populations (e.g., senior leadership, advisory committee members, unit employees) who interact regularly with Vice Provost Schwab. If you are invited to participate in a survey for the review, your thoughtful and timely response helps to ensure that the leadership review is as accurate and comprehensive as possible.

Administrator Updates:

• Several new department head appointments recently became effective:
  • Michele Battle, Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences
  • Stephen Puryear (interim), Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
  • William Sandoval, Department of STEM Education
  • Jingxin Wang, Department of Forest Biomaterials

From the Coastal Resilience and Sustainability Initiative:

• The Coastal Resilience and Sustainability Initiative’s Blue Economy Innovation Program is hosting the Third Annual Creating Solutions for the Global Blue Economy workshop on Feb. 23-24 in Morehead City, N.C. This is a free workshop for NC State graduate and undergraduate students to learn about innovation and entrepreneurship in support of the ocean-based (blue) economy, led by NC State faculty and featuring industry experts, practitioners, and entrepreneurs. The workshop will include an innovator roundtable and group activities for students to build teams around shared interests and pursue those ideas through entrepreneurship, research opportunities, and community service. Lodging and meals are provided for students. Space is limited; students can apply to attend the workshop here before 5 p.m. on Jan. 31. For more information, contact Chris Osburn.

From Continuing and Lifelong Education:

• NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education is celebrating 100 years in 2024. Stay tuned throughout the year for stories and events highlighting the past, present and future of continuing education at NC State.

From DELTA:

• How Can DELTA Help You?: Want a better understanding of some of the services DELTA can provide to NC State faculty and staff members? Watch this video for an entertaining overview of a few of DELTA’s services!
• Pest Management Through an Environmental Lens: DELTA Grant Increases Student Engagement with Virtual Case Studies. AGI Coordinator and Director of Undergraduate Programs Terri Billeisen worked with DELTA to develop interactive virtual environments. The team used 3D scanning to simulate the pesticide application and decision-making process for ENT 121.
• WolfWare News features the most up-to-date info about NC State academic learning tools for the spring. From DELTA’s Syllabus Tool retirement and on-demand resources to workshops on new tools, we have you covered.
• Save the Date: Panel Discussion of the Impact of AI — Teaching, Workforce and Research – presented by the Women In Technology Interest Group on Feb. 16, from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Engage with leading thinkers about how AI is reshaping the landscapes of education, work and research. Widely accessible generative AI platforms allow instructors to find new ways to integrate technologies into classrooms, influence career prospects and have fascinating research potential. Registration opens soon!

From the Office for Faculty Excellence:

• Ignite your passion for academic innovation and instructional excellence at the 2024 NC State Conference on Faculty Excellence. The conference will be held on March 6, at the Duke Energy Hall at Hunt Library. Whether it’s transformative teaching methods, creative academic initiatives or impactful Scholarship on Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research, we want you to join us. Submit your proposals by Jan. 22.
• Campus Writing and Speaking Program Spring Focus: Speaking Debate as an Instructional Tool – How can you increase student engagement with the key issues in your discipline? Student debates offer a time-tested way to deepen student involvement, hone oral communication skills and enhance understanding of puzzles and controversies within any field. This online workshop will be offered on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 11 a.m.
• Classroom Connections for Public Advocacy: Supporting Student Voices for Democracy: Wednesday, Feb. 21, from 1-2 p.m. via Zoom. Faculty will be introduced to simple, inclusive, and creative classroom activities that support student voices as public advocates. Rounds of discussion will generate custom ideas, critical questions and planning efforts to meet individual classroom needs.

From the Office of Global Engagement:

• The winning dish from the Culinary World Cup —  “Feta and Mushroom Pasta Delight” — will be featured in Fountain Dining Hall this Thursday, Jan. 18. The secret ingredient from the competition was feta cheese. Learn more about the competition and the winning dish here.

From the Global One Health Academy:

• The deadline is approaching to apply to join the 2024-2025 Global One Health Fellows cohort! Current or incoming graduate students from all backgrounds with One Health research are encouraged to apply. Global One Health Fellows will receive one year of support, including a $34,000 stipend, insurance coverage and tuition remission. They will join an interdisciplinary cohort that broadens their knowledge in multiple domains of One Health, while learning from peers and mentors to bring new perspectives that facilitate a deeper understanding in their field of study. Learn more and apply by Feb. 1, 2024.
• Calling all graduate students! Join us for a monthly professional development series co-hosted by the Global One Health Academy, Genetics and Genomics Academy, the Genetic Engineering and Society Center, and the AgBioFEWS program. The first event of the spring will be this Friday, Jan. 19, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. in Talley 3210 (9:30-10 a.m. for informal networking/refreshments, and the program starting at 10 a.m.). Research librarians Dave Provost and Danica Lewis will lead a session on systematic literature searches and best practices in citation and data management. Register for this event and see details for future events here.
• Join us for (Y)Our Health in the Movies: Climate Change on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 4:30 p.m. in the Fishbowl Forum at Hill Library. Films have been depicting potential dystopian outcomes of climate change for a long time. Join climate change experts Deja Perkins, Martha Reiskind, Rebecca Ward and ecocinema professor Jorge Marí in a discussion of the science behind depictions of climate change in popular movies. There will be a pop-up library of climate change-themed fiction and nonfiction available for checkout before the event. This event is part of the (Y)Our Health in the Movies series and is co-sponsored by the Global One Health Academy and Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions.
• To advance research and professional development opportunities for faculty working on global challenges through a One Health approach, we are pleased to announce the Global One Health Academy Faculty Travel Award. Award amounts are available up to $2,500 for domestic travel and up to $5,000 for international travel for travel occurring through June 2024. Funds may be used to fund travel for active research efforts or educational initiatives. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10.

From the Office of Information Technology:

• The start of a new semester is peak time for phishing scams. As scams get more sophisticated, they get harder to spot. Phishing comes in many forms — like email, text or even documents shared through Google Drive. Scammers try to trick you into clicking links that download harmful software onto your device or send you to a fake website or Shibboleth login page to steal your personal information or sensitive university data. Here are three important tips to help you avoid phishing scams.
  • Be Suspicious
  • Take Your Time
  • Ask for Help
    • Find more details on these steps here.

For assistance, contact the NC State Help Desk via the NC State IT Service Portal at help.ncsu.edu  or call 919.515.HELP (4357). Learn more about phishing at NC State at https://go.ncsu.edu/phishing, and subscribe to OIT News at go.ncsu.edu/subscribeoitnews  for monthly tips to help you stay safe online.

• Share your feedback on the OIT Website – OIT is redesigning its website, and we want to hear from you. As part of the redesign process, OIT is gathering feedback on how the NC State campus community currently uses the OIT website at oit.ncsu.edu and what could be improved. Your feedback will help us make informed decisions and design a website that fits NC State’s IT needs. Please complete the short survey at go.ncsu.edu/oitwebsitesurvey by Friday, Jan. 26. If you have any questions, contact oit_website@help.ncsu.edu. 
• The deadline to complete the university’s mandatory Data Security Training is almost here. All NC State employees, including student employees, must complete the annual training before Wednesday, Jan. 31. To date, 42% of employees have completed the training. The online training module covers crucial cybersecurity issues and provides helpful tips for employees to put into action. By staying educated, employees help protect both NC State and personal data from cyberattacks.
• OIT’s Software Licensing Management has changed its name to Vendor Risk and License Management (VRLM). The change reflects VRLM’s broad scope of services that have evolved over the last 10 years to better meet campus IT needs. In addition to academic and administrative enterprise licensing, VRLM offers IT purchase compliance and clickwrap agreement reviews to help manage university risks. Under the new name, the team will continue to provide the same high-quality services and customer support. The website and email address also remain the same. For additional information, visit the VRLM website at software.ncsu.edu  or send an email to software@ncsu.edu. 
• As you fill your 2024 Google Calendar with important activities and events, don’t forget to include IT maintenance. The Office of Information Technology will perform its next extended IT quarterly maintenance from 6 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4. If you have any questions regarding these maintenance windows, contact the NC State Help Desk via the NC State IT Service Portal at help.ncsu.edu  or call 919.515.HELP (4357). For IT maintenance updates, view Service Status on the NC State IT Service Portal at help.ncsu.edu. 
• Many university employees work from non-traditional or shared spaces but need access to their campus phone or video conferencing tools. Communication Technologies, a unit within the Office of Information Technology, offers a variety of mobility solutions to accommodate a department’s needs. Learn more here.

From Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

• Originating in 2009, the VenturePack Challenge, formerly known as eGames, is an NC State student competition created for the purpose of providing guidance, resources, mentorship and cash to NC State student entrepreneurs. There are two tracks for the competition – the student track and the Daugherty Endowment Track for officially registered startup companies that have licensed NC State intellectual property in the past three years. Applications are now available and must be submitted by Feb. 18 at midnight. Learn more and apply today.

From the Institute for Emerging Issues:

• The Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) at NC State University is pleased to announce the agenda for the 2024 Emerging Issues Forum, “Weathering Financial Storms: A Resilient Future for North Carolina Families” taking place Tuesday, Feb. 13, at the McKimmon Center. This year’s forum will examine financial resilience: the ability for households to financially withstand and recover from economic challenges. Michelle Singletary, award-winning personal finance columnist for The Washington Post, will deliver keynote remarks. View the full forum agenda for additional information. General tickets for the forum are $295 with discounts available for groups of six. Local and regional government employees can purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $100. Student tickets are $50. Scholarships are also available for students and others who identify cost as a barrier to registration. Scholarship applications must be received by no later than Jan. 31. To learn more and register, go to go.ncsu.edu/2024-forum.

From the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity:

• Join the Council on the Status of Women and the NC State University Women’s Center for the 39th annual Sisterhood Dinner and Equity for Women Awards on Feb. 26. Registration and tickets are now live and nominations for the Equity for Women Awards are open.
• The 2024 Recognizing Excellence in Diversity (RED) Event will take place on Tuesday, April 9, and nominations are now open for the 2024 Chancellor’s Creating Community Awards, which will be given out at the event. The Chancellor’s Creating Community Awards recognize outstanding faculty, staff, colleges, students and student organizations that have made exceptional efforts and contributions in the areas of equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Join Multicultural Student Affairs and the NC State community as we celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and explore this year’s theme of Persistence: A Roadmap to Equity, Freedom, and Justice. Participate in one of the many events, including the keynote speaker event and service opportunities, found on the website.
• Engage with the diversity and equity community at NC State by participating in the #24in24 program—a year-long initiative designed to inspire and foster engagement in 24 diverse, equity-focused experiences throughout 2024. This program offers an exciting opportunity for students, faculty and staff to actively participate in a range of activities, conversations, and events centered around the principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). Sign up using the form. 

From Institutional Strategy and Analysis:

• Implementation Insights: This month’s article focuses on Wolfpack 2030 Goal 5 and a framework being used to drive effective financial and administrative operations at NC State. Read more here. 
• Wolfpack 2030 metrics update:  ISA updates each Wolfpack 2030 metric once a year (except those based on bi/triennial surveys). Metric updates occur throughout the year to ensure the site information is as fresh and timely as possible. The following metric categories were updated at the beginning of January. Use each page’s left-side navigation to view all available metrics within a category.
  • Faculty
  • Postdoctoral scholars
  • Student demographics
  • Tenured / tenure-track faculty demographics
  • Professional faculty demographics
  • Staff demographics

From the Integrative Sciences Initiative:

• On Feb. 9, the Integrative Sciences Initiative, in partnership with the Comparative Medicine Institute, will host the Integrative Symposium of NC State Training Grants to bridge five of the NIH training programs in biotech, microbiology, chemistry and translational medicine focused on human health. We invite faculty and graduate students involved in the training programs to join us as we learn more information about how to successfully team in these arenas and share lessons learned.
• Mark your calendars for the ChemEd Summit on March 8. The one-day summit is on transforming undergraduate chemical sciences for the next-generation workforce. The event is hosted by the ISI in partnership with the Departments of Chemistry and Molecular and Structural Biochemistry and under the auspices of the College of Sciences Dean’s Faculty Fellow Program. If you would like to attend, please confirm your attendance by registering here by Jan. 30.

From the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs:

• On Jan. 24, the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs and the Office for Faculty Excellence present the first 2024 installment of Cluster Conversations, in which members of one of NC State’s Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Program clusters will join Senior Vice Provost for University Interdisciplinary Programs Rob Dunn for an informal conversation about exciting work being done within their cluster – currently, and with an eye to the future. In this first event of 2024, Kelly Meiklejohn and Chau-Wai Wong, along with Ph.D. student Teresa Tiedge of the Forensic Sciences Cluster will give their thoughts on “where to from here” in forensic sciences and answer any burning questions on topics diverse as ink and dye classification, using DNA for black bear individual matching and machine learning/AI.

The event will take place from 8:45-10 a.m. at Raleigh Founded, located in the Partners I Building on Centennial Campus. Coffee and morning snacks will be served. Please RSVP here so we have an accurate catering headcount. This event is being hosted in partnership with the NC State Real Estate and Development Office. It is free and open to all, including private tenants of the Centennial Campus community and the local public. For questions about this event, contact Jory Weintraub.

From the Office of Research and Innovation:

• Dr. Marnie Metzler, DVM, Ph.D., DACLAM was named NC State’s University Attending Veterinarian on Dec. 18, 2023, after serving in the role on an interim basis for two years prior. As part of this transition, the Attending Veterinarian now reports to the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation.

From the Shelton Leadership Center:

• The Shelton Leadership Center is accepting student participant and volunteer staff applications for the 2024 Red Hat Shelton Challenge. The Red Hat Shelton Challenge is a six-day, residential program built on the Shelton Leadership Center’s core values – integrity, diversity, social responsibility and compassion – and is designed to help high school students enhance their capacities to become values-based leaders. This immersive program is designed to transform potential into real-world skills through mentorship, self-reflection and shared discovery.
  • The Shelton Challenge is seeking volunteers to fill instructor roles. All NC State employees are welcome to apply for this opportunity. By serving as an instructor, volunteers will gain insight into the management and facilitation of leadership development curriculum, participate in hands-on leadership skill-building activities, and work with emerging leaders of the next generation. Learn more about the instructor role and apply here.
  • For NC State students interested in participating in the Shelton Challenge, we are accepting applications for summer interns and Coach/Mentor/Trainers (CMTs) who will assist in the administrative, logistical and programming elements of the Shelton Challenge. Learn more about the internship and CMT role here.
  • The Shelton Challenge program invites emerging leaders to be part of an engaged community for the week and participate in activities designed to teach leadership concepts. If you know of a high school student who is interested in leadership development, please consider passing the participant application along. Learn more about the 2024 Shelton Challenge program here.