April 2024 Announcements

• The Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost has recognized five outstanding staff members as recipients of the 2024 Provost’s Unit Awards for Excellence. The University Awards for Excellence represent NC State’s highest honor for non-faculty members. Each nominee demonstrated excellence in one of the following areas: customer service, efficiency and innovation, human relations, outstanding state government service, public service, safety and heroism, and the spirit of North Carolina.
• Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Excellence search: Four finalists for senior vice provost will be participating in on-campus interviews beginning next week. The finalists and their interview dates are:
  • Michael McKenzie, Appalachian State University: April 22
  • Michelle Scatton-Tessier, University of North Carolina, Wilmington: April 24
  • Laura Nelson, NC State University: April 29
  • Kim Grainger, NC State University: May 1

The candidates’ CVs and interview schedules, as well as Go links for the Zoom webinar open forums, are available on the search page on the Provost’s Office website or go.ncsu.edu/svp-fe-search.

• Instituitional Strategy and Analysis is asking for assistance in encouraging students to participate in the Future Plans Survey and the Graduating Senior Survey. 

Future Plans Survey (FPS) is available April 16 through May 9 to all undergraduate and graduate students graduating this May. The brief, online FPS collects detailed information about students’ post-graduate employment, plans for further education, and career-related experiences while at NC State. 

• Graduating seniors can access the survey at go.ncsu.edu/future.plans. 
• Graduate students can access the survey at go.ncsu.edu/grad.future.plans. 
• After the survey goes live, you can get a list of students in your college/department who have and have not yet submitted the FPS at go.ncsu.edu/fps.nonresps and go.ncsu.edu/grad.fps.nonresps.
• More information about the FPS and reports on results are available on the ISA website.

Graduating Senior Survey (GSS) is available now through May 15 to graduating seniors in most colleges and departments. The AY23-24 GSS consists of a series of college, department, and program-specific questionnaires that ISA has been asked by the respective academic units to administer to their graduating seniors. 

• Students can access the go.ncsu.edu/graduating.senior.survey.
• You can get a list of students in your college/department who have and have not yet submitted the survey at go.ncsu.edu/gss.resps.nonresps . 
• While ISA does not make results from the college/department/program-specific surveys publicly available (they are provided directly to the respective academic units), more information about the triennial campus-wide GSS and reports on results from it are available on the ISA website.

From Continuing and Lifelong Education:

• Save the date for NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education’s 100-Year Celebration! Join us Aug. 27 at the Jane S. McKimmon Conference and Training Center. Michelle Weise, author of “Long-Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don’t Even Exist Yet,” will deliver the keynote address. We’ll celebrate the division’s milestones and engage in panel discussions and professional development workshops.

Registration for this free event begins May 1. Stay tuned for more information coming soon! In the meantime, visit our 100-year anniversary website at go.ncsu.edu/lifelong100 to read stories about our history and to sign up for updates about the 100-year celebration event.

From the Data Science Academy:

• The DSA welcomed students from Nagoya University with a passion for data science for a week-long workshop. The instructors, esteemed experts in their fields, guided the students through an immersive learning environment, using the ADAPT teaching model, which encourages critical thinking and real-world application. With a shared commitment to innovation and exploration, the partnership between Nagoya University and NC State continues to pave the way for groundbreaking discoveries in the ever-evolving landscape of data science.
• Forty-six undergraduate students from NC State, Meredith College and UNC Charlotte participated in the 2024 DataFest at NC State. This event not only served as a collaborative competition for students but also it provided students with a hands-on learning opportunity with a project that included actual datasets, everyday obstacles and tangible outcomes. 
• The WolfWebs Project will help foster interdisciplinary collaboration in Social Network Analysis. There is a growing need to develop an interdisciplinary community of Social Network Analysis (SNA) scholars at NC State in order to advance the institution’s goal of conducting high impact and cutting edge research, while also preparing students to become future leaders in the field of data science. The project team used DSA seed grant funding to bridge the gap between various academic disciplines by facilitating connections among faculty and graduate students engaged in SNA research. Since receiving the funds, the project has identified top-tier SNA scholars spanning various disciplines from campus. Learn more.
• On March 16, the DSA and The Science House hosted “Let’s Keep it Real: Real Teaching with Real Data,” a workshop for K-12 educators on how to train their students to work with messy data and guide them on best data practices. This workshop also aimed to give educators the opportunity to collaborate on developing data science lessons and connect with colleagues from other schools and districts. For the other lesson, 13 educators looked at data from the NC State Center for Human Health and the Environment’s 2020 and 2021 NC surveys, so they could learn how to perform in-depth analysis on survey data and teach this concept to their students. Participants left with a better sense of what data science is and how to better incorporate different lessons using data science concepts. The K-12 Outreach program is an initiative with the DSA and the Science House that hopes to host more professional development opportunities for K-12 educators in the upcoming months. Not just with science related subjects, but with a goal to bring data science into all core subject areas across the state of North Carolina.

From DELTA:

• New hybrid learning grants available: As we enter a post-pandemic period, higher education has embraced this concept of hybrid learning, also known as blended learning. More educators are interested in ways to transform traditional pedagogies such as lecturing to using hybrid learning to integrate and take advantage of the strength of online and in-person environments to create engaging, interactive and flexible learning opportunities. Learn more. 
• DELTA Faculty Fellow Megan Lupek looks forward to working with her cohort to discover more ways to engage with her students and help them find a sense of belonging, community and support in her classroom. Read about Lupek and her goals for her time in this program!
• Immersive VR Tours promote inclusive recreation. A DELTA grant enables parks, recreation and tourism management students to create interactive videos using student-created virtual reality (VR) tours to explore recreation activities throughout North Carolina, this grant helped promote VR experiences as a fun and engaging form of recreation. Learn more.
• Preparations are underway for DELTA-Con, NC State’s annual unconference that brings together attendees from the university and local higher education institutions. This year’s DELTA-Con is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8. This day-long experience allows faculty, staff and graduate students to share their knowledge, expertise and best practices on a wide variety of topics. Learn more.

From the Office for Faculty Excellence:

• The workshop Building Consultative Mentoring Networks for You and Your Students with Katharine Stewart will take place Wednesday, April 24 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. via Zoom. This session is dedicated to guiding participants in the establishment of robust consultative mentoring networks. Through interactive discussions and practical exercises, attendees will gain insights into building dynamic mentoring networks that not only enrich their own professional growth but also contribute significantly to the success and well-being of their students.
• The Office for Faculty Excellence invites you to apply for the 2024 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Institute (SoTL), a program designed with busy faculty members in mind who would like to explore teaching as a form of scholarly work. Applications will close at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 19.

From the Office of Global Engagement:

• NC State early-career faculty can apply to join the Young Academy for Sustainability Research in Freiburg, Germany, with travel, accommodation, project budget, and international collaboration for sustainability research. Eligibility: non-tenured assistant professors with a recent doctoral degree. Applications are due April 25.
• NC State’s Fulbright Week March 25-28 offered a springboard for students, faculty, and staff to explore the Fulbright program and its global opportunities. Learn more.
• The International Festival at NC State is a cultural showcase event encouraging interactions between individuals of all backgrounds, while upholding the values of diversity, inclusivity, and cultural celebration. Join us on Friday, April 19, for an afternoon of cultural performances, informative booths, and educational activities.
• NC State’s teacher training program offered through the Global Training Initiative (GTI) is now in its fourth year, having reached more than 350 English language teachers throughout both the rural and urban parts of Azerbaijan. GTI staff and faculty-affiliates spent time with a former participant and her students in June 2023 to see what English language learning is important there.

From the Global One Health Academy:

• The Global One Health Academy is funding Graduate Travel Awards for travel occurring July through Dec. 2024. Three to five graduate students will be funded for international or domestic travel that advances global One Health related research. Applications are due Friday, April 19 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
• The Global One Health Academy has selected recipients for the 2024 Faculty Travel Awards to support international or domestic travel advancing global One Health-related research or education efforts. Five NC State Affiliate Members were awarded travel funding: Mallory Choudoir (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences),  David Eggleston (College of Sciences), Nathalie Lavoine (College of Natural Resources), Anna Whitfield (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), and Laura Widman (College of Humanities and Social Sciences).
• The Global One Health Academy is pleased to announce the newest cohort of Global One Health Fellows. Five highly-qualified applicants were selected among a highly competitive applicant pool from across all ten academic colleges. Congratulations to our 2024-25 Global One Health Fellows!

From the Office of Information Technology:

• Due to a technical change by the Office of Information Technology, anyone who uses an @ncsu.edu email address as their Apple ID for a personal Apple account is required to change it by May 26. NC State has claimed the @ncsu.edu domain with Apple — this means you are no longer able to use any email address that ends in @ncsu.edu to log in to your personal Apple account. Learn more.
• Learn how the Genomic Sciences Lab is using Globus, a secure data transfer and sharing service, to streamline its next-generation DNA sequencing services and better manage the research data it generates.
• The capabilities of generative AI in higher ed are extensive. For the Wolfpack community, disclosing certain data can put NC State at serious risk. Here are some tips for keeping private university data private when using AI.
• A new software is available to update Windows drivers. OIT Managed Desktop users now have new tools to update their Windows computer drivers without needing elevated privileges or administrative rights. The Dell PC Tune-Up tool and the Lenovo Update Retriever can be found in the Software Center on all Managed Desktop-supported Dell and Lenovo devices. The software should be used as a first step to troubleshoot computer slowness and most hardware issues. For instructions on using the software, refer to the OIT Managed Desktop Support Service: Self Service Device Driver Updates for Windows Devices documentation. 
• Clean up your digital tracks in Gmail and Google Drive! As part of the university’s commitment to manage and reduce its digital footprint, the Google Service Team encourages you to review your Google Workspace resources and remove any email with attachments and Google Drive files that are no longer needed. Read more for tips to help you clean up your data.

From the Institute for Emerging Issues:

• IEI partnered with leadership from GuildfordWorks and Guilford Tech Community College for a regional action meeting to discuss meeting the jobs of the future. The gathering, held March 20 in High Point, was the last in a series of regional action meetings across the state hosted by members of IEI’s Talent First Economics Community Cohort: a peer learning network of workforce, economic and community development leaders in five regions of the state.

From the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity:

• OIED hosted its 18th annual Recognizing Excellence in Diversity (RED) Event recently, presenting the Chancellor’s Creating Community Awards in six categories and the DEI Awards. The RED Event honors and celebrates the exceptional accomplishments and contributions of outstanding faculty, staff, students, colleges, student organizations and alumni in the areas of equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and well-being throughout the 2023-24 academic year.

From Institutional Strategy and Analysis:

• Implementation Insights is a monthly article series providing initiative updates and cross-cutting observations related to NC State’s implementation plan. This month’s article highlights two ways the Office of Faculty Excellence is expanding faculty access to robust mentoring support and resources. Read more here. 

From the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs:

• A science-themed escape room for undergraduates is on Centennial Campus this week. NC State’s Plant Sciences Initiative and Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs are partnering with Bayer to bring this fun, challenging, educational experience to NC State in front of the Plant Sciences Building from April 16-18.  Leaps by Bayer will be running the activity, which is built into a 40-foot shipping container that travels to college campuses around the country, challenging and entertaining students while engaging them in the process of scientific discovery.

Working in small teams, students are invited to step into the shoes of groundbreaking scientists and inventors and solve a maze of puzzles, clues and hidden secrets as they race against the clock to secure a revolutionary biotechnological breakthrough. There is no cost for students to participate, everyone who completes the challenge gets a t-shirt, and the team with the best time wins a prize.  

• The Long View Project interview series features conversations with experts in different fields, tasking them to see into the future – 10, 25, 50, 100 years – in an effort to glean insights that will help make decisions that will lead to more positive futures. Edited transcripts of the interviews showcase scenarios envisioned by a diverse array of disciplinary experts from academia, industry, policy, non-profits and other sectors. The latest interview, “Will We Build Cities for Humans or Machines?” features a discussion on the future of transportation.
• The Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs and the Integrative Sciences Initiative will host the Eastman Nobel Laureate Lecture with David W.C. MacMillan on Friday, May 3 from 4-5 p.m. at NC State’s Plant Sciences Building, Seminar Rooms A-C. MacMillan will talk about the advent and development of asymmetric organocatalysis in his laboratory. Register here.

From the Office of Research and Innovation:

• Nathan Crook, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, is currently researching whether two species of bacteria could be paired together to break down microplastics in the ocean. He’s also leading two other research projects — one funded by the National Science Foundation and one funded by the National Institutes of Health — on two commonly used strains of yeast, which Crook says “can be engineered in ways that bacteria can’t.” Learn more.