March 2024 Announcements

• Recurring university surveys give employees the opportunity to make their voices heard and help NC State keep working to build and maintain a culture of continuous improvement. There are currently two surveys that employees should be mindful of. 
  • Since 2005, NC State has actively engaged in the national Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Faculty Satisfaction survey. All faculty who are eligible to participate in the survey should have received an email from COACHE (coachefaculty@opinioncast.com) in February that includes a unique URL to access the online survey. Between then and when the survey closes the week of April 1, COACHE will send up to five email reminders to non-respondents. Completing the survey is confidential and we encourage robust faculty participation to ensure continued valuable impact for both colleges and the university. The survey should take approximately 25 minutes to complete. Visit go.ncsu.edu/coache-survey for more details. 
  • All permanent, full-time faculty and staff (75% time or more) employed as of January 31, 2024, will have the opportunity to participate in the UNC System Employee Engagement Survey between March 25 and April 5. The biennial online survey — the fourth since 2018 — documents employee satisfaction in 11 subject areas, including professional development, communication, senior leadership, employee well-being and institutional pride. On March 25, each eligible employee will receive their unique survey link and instructions from ModernThink, an independent research and consulting firm that is administering the survey on behalf of the UNC System. Participation is voluntary and confidential. Managers and supervisors have been instructed to give their employees up to 30 minutes to complete the survey during regular working hours and without use of leave or break time. The survey will be available in English, Spanish and French. For more information, visit the survey website.
• NC State is one of three institutions to receive the 2024 SEA Change Institutional Bronze Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The award was presented to NC State, the University of California, San Diego, and the University of California, Santa Cruz at the AAAS Annual Meeting in February to honor their commitment to excellence in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) by supporting success for all. The SEA Change initiative offers a framework and community for colleges and universities as they undertake a rigorous, data-informed self-assessment and action-planning process to identify and begin to demolish barriers to opportunity and excellence in STEMM. Award applications are peer-reviewed by a panel of experts in STEMM higher education and accessibility.
• A search internal to NC State and the UNC System for the new senior vice provost for Faculty Excellence is underway. As announced last month, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Katharine Stewart is stepping down from her position and returning to the faculty in the Department of Psychology, effective July 1.

From Continuing and Lifelong Education:

• We’re celebrating 100 years of NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education in 2024! Check out the 100-year anniversary website and sign up for updates about upcoming stories and events highlighting the past, present, and future of continuing education at NC State. As part of Women’s History Month, read about Jane S. McKimmon’s impact and early partnership with the division — leading to the building and naming of McKimmon Conference and Training Center in 1976. We also highlight Sondra Kirsch and Alice Warren’s extraordinary leadership and impact on the division. 

From DELTA:

• NC State’s Leadership in the Public Sector program is No. 4 in the nation in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Programs rankings. That is a jump of 14 spots from No. 18 last year! U.S. News scores online programs by evaluating student engagement opportunities, faculty credentials and training, peer assessments, services and technologies, and student excellence. The complete list of U.S. News rankings of NC State’s online programs for 2024 is available on their website.
• There are some exciting updates and enhancements to Moodle for the 2024-2025 academic year, including the return of indenting, a popular design feature. Join us for workshops demonstrating these new updates on April 30 and May 2 from 12:30-1:00 p.m. on Zoom. You can request a WolfWare space and activate Moodle Moodle courses for the 2024 summer and fall 2024 courses on March 14. Moodle projects will update to the latest version in early May.
• Assistant Teaching Professor and DELTA Faculty Fellow Anna Gibson is no stranger to working together with DELTA to create impactful learning experiences for her students. Previously, Gibson has worked with DELTA on two separate grants and found those experiences valuable opportunities to participate with colleagues from other disciplines. As a DELTA Faculty Fellow, Gibson anticipates continuing these types of collaborative efforts to find new ways to challenge her students and their ideas using creative assignments and learning activities. Learn more.
• NC State and DELTA were well-represented at the 2024 UNC System Quality Matters Council Annual Summit in February at East Carolina University. DELTA has worked with 65 instructors to apply the Quality Matters (QM) course design standards to a single online or hybrid course, resulting in QM certification for all submitted courses. QM is a non-profit, quality assurance organization that exists to aid in the creation of consistent, quality online course content creation and delivery. Learn more. 

From the Office for Faculty Excellence:

• Fulbright Pathfinder Grant Applications are open. These one-time grants will enhance the applications of faculty applying for a Fulbright Scholar award by supporting an initial visit to the proposed host institution in advance of submitting the application. Applications are due March 20. If you have any questions, please reach out to Kyle Miskell at kpmiskel@ncsu.edu. 
• Writing Assessment, Feedback and Artificial Intelligence (AI), with Kirsti Cole, part of the Faculty Writing Series, will take place on Wednesday, March 27, from 2-3 p.m. via Zoom. Receive question and activity prompts on AI and feedback on student writing, engage in conversation around the topic with other faculty members, and reflect on how the conversation may have changed thinking on the topic.
• Save the date for Fulbright Week, taking place March 25-28. This informative week will be filled with events that cater specifically to different student and faculty Fulbright programs (faculty event is on March 26 from noon to 1 p.m.) and will culminate in a Fulbright Week networking event for students, faculty and Fulbright Alumni on March 28 from 3 to 5 p.m.
• OFE will host two AI sessions Monday, March 18, and Tuesday, March 19, from 1-2 p.m. via Zoom. Join guest speaker Dr. Anand Rao from the University of Mary Washington for one or both AI sessions. Monday’s session is Argumentation, Communication and Critical Thinking: Teaching Durable Skills to Prepare Our Students for Success in an AI-World and Tuesday’s session is Building Chatbots for AI Literacy.
• Back to Basics: Strategies for Large Classes will take place on Thursday, March 28, at 11 a.m. via Zoom. Led by Megan Lupek, this session we will explore effective and engaging teaching techniques tailored to the challenges and opportunities presented by large class sizes. From leveraging technology for active participation to implementing collaborative learning techniques, participants will gain practical insights into fostering student engagement and promoting meaningful interactions in sizable classrooms.

From the Genetics and Genomics Academy:

• The Story Collider podcast is bringing its live science storytelling show to the Genetics and Genomics Academy on April 4 from 6:30-8 p.m.! The podcast’s mission is to reveal the vibrant role that science plays in all of our lives through the art of personal storytelling. Five storytellers from the GGA community will each share a glimpse into their unique experience as a scientist. Join us for a night of laughs, learning and community and to support our storytellers.

From the Office of Global Engagement:

• Fulbright Week 2024: This upcoming March 25-28, the Office of Global Engagement is teaming up with the Office for Faculty Excellence and University Fellowships Office to bring NC State an informational and eventful week highlighting the various programs supported through the Fulbright program.

From the Global One Health Academy:

• Global One Health Academy faculty travel awards support international or domestic travel that advances global One Health-related research or education efforts. Awards may be used to fund travel for active research efforts, educational initiatives, or other travel that will be leveraged to facilitate new partnerships or meaningfully advance research. Award amounts are available up to $2,500 for domestic travel and up to $5,000 for international travel. Applications are now being accepted for travel occurring through June 30, 2024. All applicants must be GOHA Affiliate Members.
• Join us for (Y)Our Health in the Movies: Food and Water on Tuesday, March 19 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 food and water solutions experts and film studies professor in a discussion of the science behind depictions of food and water problems 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.
• The Global One Health Academy is kicking off the Global One Health Leader Series. One Health experts will present new research and findings related to global One Health, and engage in panel discussions that enhance interdisciplinary perspectives and advance the field. This first event will take place on Thursday, March 14, from noon-2 p.m. over Zoom and will feature short presentations and conversation with Can Dincer (University of Freiburg), Juan Pablo Giraldo (UC Riverside), Catherine Klapperich (Boston University) and Changchun Liu (University of Connecticut).
• Applications are now being accepted for two museum internship opportunities for summer 2024 related to One Health, wildlife health and zoonotic diseases. These opportunities are provided through the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in collaboration with and funded by the Global One Health Academy. All applications must be received by 11:59pm on Wednesday, March 27.
• To advance research and professional development opportunities for graduate students working on global challenges through a One Health approach, the Global One Health Academy is pleased to offer the Graduate Travel Awards to support travel occurring July through December 2024. This travel award will support three to five graduate students per year for international or domestic travel that advances their global One Health-related research.
• The Global One Health Academy is hosting its inaugural One Health Research Symposium on Friday, April 12 from 1-5 p.m. at the McKimmon Center. This half-day event is designed to spark excitement and spur academic conversation and new collaborations around One Health – a framework that recognizes the interconnected nature of plant, animal, human, and environmental health.

From the Office of Information Technology:

• Starting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, the Office of Information Technology will upgrade the NC State Virtual Private Networking (VPN) service from the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client to the supported Cisco Secure Client. The VPN provides remote and highly secure access to mapped drives and other campus resources. After the upgrade, when you attempt to access the VPN, you will see a new interface that features:
  • The new brand name, Cisco Secure Client. Secure Client is built upon Cisco AnyConnect, which provides remote access and security services.
  • An encircled black padlock with a green shackle.
  • A white Connect button to enter your login credentials.

No action is required of you. You can continue to use the service as you have done so previously. Always use the VPN when connecting remotely to the NC State campus network to access sensitive data. If you have any questions about the NC State VPN service, contact the NC State Help Desk via the NC State IT Service Portal or call 919.515.4357 (HELP). 

• The Office of Information Technology will perform maintenance on the financial system from 10 p.m. on Friday, March 15 to approximately 7 a.m. on Monday, March 18. During this time, the Financial Production and Reporting Systems will be unavailable. This includes the MarketPlace, Travel Center, PCard Center, Vouchers, Journals, Wolfpack Reporting System (WRS), and the Security Access System (SAR). To stay updated on the maintenance progress, visit the Announcement section on the NC State IT Service Portal at https://help.ncsu.edu. For status notifications related to the Financial System, subscribe to the Online Notify mailing list at https://oit.ncsu.edu/help-support/online-notify.  
• Much like a thorough spring clean at home, the Office of Information Technology will spend a long weekend in early April applying critical system updates and security patches, and performing hardware and equipment maintenance. The extended IT maintenance, which will be held from 6 a.m. Saturday, April 6, to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 7, will ensure campus IT services and infrastructure are secure and operational. During this maintenance period, campus IT users should expect that many major IT and network services will be degraded or unavailable. These include, but are not limited to:  MyPack Portal (self-service), WolfTime, including Kaba web-based timekeeping, other human resources, financial and student systems, self-service password management, OnBase document management system, Red Hat network satellite service, campus network storage services, and Google Workspace and campus authentication services, such as Shibboleth and Duo Security, are expected to function as normal.

Additional extended maintenance that can impact campus IT services will be performed:

• July 13-14, 2024
• Nov. 2-3, 2024
• Feb. 1-2, 2025

If you have any questions regarding these maintenance windows, contact the NC State Help Desk via the NC State IT Service Portal at https://help.ncsu.edu or call 919.515.HELP (4357). For IT maintenance updates, view Service Status on the NC State IT Service Portal at https://help.ncsu.edu.  

From Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

• Applications are now open for seed grants in interdisciplinary entrepreneurship research. Innovation and Entrepreneurship is actively seeking proposals for a diverse range of activities aimed at fostering collaborative research endeavors. Each year, small grants (~$2,500) are awarded to encourage and facilitate entrepreneurship-focused research. The deadline for submission for the spring awards is March 31, with notifications of awards scheduled for April 15.
• Applications are now open for the Andrews Launch Accelerator, which enables NC State founders to turn their visions into reality. To qualify, at least one co-founder or owner of 10% or more of the related company’s equity must be either a NC State undergraduate, graduate or recent alumni (up to five years) from any NC State program. Furthermore, at least one member of the team must be present, in person, at the in-person sessions that take place in the Entrepreneurship Clinic (downtown Raleigh) once weekly. In the past these sessions have taken place on Tuesdays from 9-12. Applications are due March 29. Learn more.
• Applications for the Social Innovation Fellows program closes on March 22. Joining the Social Innovation Fellows is an opportunity to participate in a challenging and dynamic year-long experience. In this experience, graduate and undergraduate students from across campus work in teams to learn and practice social innovation methodology and frameworks while developing and using an entrepreneurial mindset/approach to problem-solving. 
• Join the NC State entrepreneurship community at Stewart Theatre in Talley Student Union for the 2024 VenturePack Challenge Award Ceremony! VenturePack Challenge is our largest entrepreneurship competition of the year, awarding startup packages to student teams including a combination of cash, mentorship and resources they need to take their ventures to the next level. On April 15, you’ll witness the finale of the competition! Come hear live pitches and Q&A with the judges, and get inspired by some of our very best entrepreneurs at NC State. Plus vote for your favorite team to send them home with an additional audience choice award! This event is open to the public, but please reserve your free ticket to attend the event. Learn more.
• The Technology, Entrepreneurship and Commercialization graduate certificate provides students with a proven approach to evaluating technologies and bringing technical innovations to market. Students can choose their own adventure from a variety of classes such as product design and development, venture opportunity analysis and new firm finances. This certificate is great for the early-stage entrepreneur that wants to explore the viability of their startup or product or someone who wants to level-up their career options.

Professor Lisa Chang will also discuss graduate opportunities with the Wolfpack Investor Network (WIN). Through WIN, students may gain exposure to screening of portfolio companies, analysis of company progress, company pitches, investors, and other due diligence processes. We invite students, faculty and staff to join us via zoom on March 18 at 6 p.m. to hear about the courses and ask the TEC director, Lisa Chang, any questions you may have. Lunch will be provided. RSVP via email to entrepreneurship@ncsu.edu to attend. Register on Zoom.

From the Institute for Emerging Issues:

• The Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) is accepting applications for the new Financial Resilience Community Cohort. The cohort is a continuation of IEI’s work on household financial resilience — the ability for households to withstand and recover from economic challenges — which was also the topic of the recent 2024 Emerging Issues Forum. Applications will be accepted until March 29.
• IEI held the 2024 Emerging Issues Forum on the topic of household financial resilience on Feb. 13 in Raleigh. Nearly 400 attendees from across the state gathered to examine and discuss how North Carolina families can withstand and recover from economic challenges. This was the final installment in IEI’s three-year forum series on supporting North Carolina’s Economic Resilience.
• IEI and NC State School of Public and International Affairs are teaming up to highlight bipartisan work in government. “Constructive Compromise: Governance in our Polarized Political Environment” will take place on Thursday, March 28, in Duke Energy Hall, located in the Hunt Library on Centennial Campus. This free event will feature four young-adult government professionals who work across the aisle to serve their communities. The event is open to the public. Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to attend. 

From Institutional Strategy and Analysis:

• This month’s Implementation Insights article highlights how longitudinal survey efforts like COACHE help inform institutional strategy. Read more here. Be sure not to miss last month’s article on NC State’s comprehensive approach to meeting the student mental health and wellness aims of Wolfpack 2030 Goal 4.

From the Integrative Sciences Initiative:

• The Integrative Sciences Initiative will host a lecture with Nobel Laureate David MacMilllan on May 3 from 4-5 p.m. in Seminar Rooms A-C in the Plant Sciences Building on Centennial Campus. MacMillan will speak on “The Path to Innovation and Discovery in Catalysis,” and discuss the advent and development of asymmetric organocatalysis in my laboratory. As part of this overview, he will explore concepts of chemical reactivity, catalysis and the asymmetry of organic molecules. The talk will conclude with a lighthearted discussion of the life-changing experience of becoming a Nobel Prize winner, and the ways in which this experience shapes your perspective of science and society. Register today at go.ncsu.edu/isi_nobel_lecture. 

From the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs:

• NC State’s Organic and Carbon Electronics faculty cluster is providing hands-on research opportunities for Wake Technical Community College students. This new partnership between the Organic and Carbon Electronics Lab (ORaCEL) and Wake Technical Community College’s STEM Academic Research and Training (START) program provides paid internship opportunities for Wake Tech students to work on research projects with faculty at four-year institutions. Learn more.
• At this month’s Interdisciplinary Professional Development Workshop — taking place on Friday, March 22 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. in Witherspoon Student Center Room 201 — we will discuss Weaving Research and Society. This workshop series is co-hosted by the Genetics and Genomics Academy, the Global One Health Academy, and the Genetic Engineering and Society Center and is open to all graduate students! This eventwill provide training on societal engagement in science. Attendees will be introduced to the why of societal engagement, the trajectory of societal engagement (science co-production), and the next phases of societal engagement (deliberative science). A case study will allow attendees to explore in small groups how to frame research problems and explore the FAIR and CARE principles of responsible and inclusive research. Graduate students from any disciplinary background are welcome to attend!

From the NC State University Libraries:

• The Libraries is now accepting nominations for its annual Libraries Faculty Award. First given in 1989, this award recognizes NC State faculty contributions to the Libraries’ mission, vision and strategic initiatives. Providing services and resources that promote open, reproducible and public scholarship is a strategic priority for the Libraries. This year’s award will be given to an NC State faculty member whose work consistently and notably supports the Libraries’ commitment to open and public scholarship. Visit the Libraries Faculty Award page for more information and to nominate a faculty member. The deadline for nominations is Sunday, April 14.
• The NC State University Libraries student scholarship awardees and scholarship donors gathered in the Hunt Library’s Duke Energy Hall for a Donors & Scholars reception on Feb. 22. The Libraries awards a number of part-scholarships every year to our outstanding Libraries student workers as part of a concerted effort to support student success and affordability. Since 2018, we’ve awarded 60 scholarships of varying amounts to 37 students. For the academic year 2023–24, philanthropic support for the Libraries Student Scholarship Fund has allowed us to support 18 of our talented students with scholarship support worth $67,760 in total.
• When Haihui Huang put his company’s name on the iPearl Immersion Theater in the Hunt Library in 2012, he spoke about the opportunity that NC State gave him to study in the U.S. and his desire to give something back to future generations of students at the university. Now, through a new gift to the Libraries, Huang and his wife Bella have extended that commitment by naming the Hill Library’s iPearl Innovation Studio. iPearl, which recently celebrated its fifteenth anniversary, makes the popular mCover hard shell cases for laptops, tablets, and other devices. Learn more about the longstanding partnership behind the Libraries’ Pearl Innovation Studio.
• At the Sisterhood Dinner on Feb. 26, the Femme Game Night team was recognized with an Equity for Women Award. These awards are made annually to recognize faculty, staff and students for their outstanding leadership in establishing equity for women at NC State. The team includes Lara Fountaine and Courtney Hewett from the Libraries staff and two students, Jayden Sansom and Marie Schwartz. The team was nominated by Hannah Rainey and Alex Valencia in two separate nominations.
• March’s DIY/DEI featured topic is “Understanding Neurodiversity.” The NC State University Libraries and the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity have created a curated list of resources to inform your inquiry, introspection, and engagement with this topic. Engaging with these resources will allow you to explore DEI and develop your narrative and understanding. Learn more.

From the Office of Research and Innovation:

• NC State, Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been granted funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to develop new tools for monitoring and manipulating protein kinases. Protein kinases play a key role in biological regulation — and are also a frequent target for therapeutic intervention. This work will help researchers better understand cellular organization, nervous system function and neurological diseases.