June 2025 Announcements

From the Office of Assessment and Accreditation:

• Packways, the university QEP focused on high-impact experiences, is ready to welcome incoming students for the 2025-26 academic year. The website has a fresh new look with information for students and parents and HIE info will be shared in presentations and information fairs. The team is reflecting on lessons learned in the pilot year and planning for the launch year. We encourage any interested faculty, staff, or advisors to join the Packways listserv to stay on top of news and opportunities, including how to develop, refine, or promote high-impact experiences for students.

From the Climate and Sustainability Academy:

• The Climate and Sustainability Academy is hosting June’s Centennial Social Hour on June 26 from 4-6 p.m. at Raleigh Founded in Partners Building I, 1017 Main Campus Dr., Suite 1650. Please join us to learn more about the university’s newest academy and the work we are doing to connect interdisciplinary research to communities across the state. Centennial Social Hour is open to everyone and is the best place on campus to network, learn about new projects, or just relax with colleagues.
• Welcome Amber Thompson to the Climate and Sustainability Academy. Amber joined NC State on May 12, and serves as the academy’s executive assistant. She earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in sustainable science management from the University of Hawaiʻi, Maui College in 2019. Amber brings a wealth of experience, having served as the Director of the Hulihia Center for Sustainable Systems (2022-24) and the Data Manager and Operations Manager (2021-22) for the Friends of Auwahi Forest Restoration.

From the Coastal Resilience and Sustainability Initiative:

• Congratulations to Katherine Anarde and her NC State team (Ryan McCune, Thomas Thelen, Elizabeth Farquhar and Perri Woodard) and their University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill colleagues (Miyuki Hino, Tessa Fridell and Anthony Whipple) for their research being featured in The Washington Post! Their work advances our understanding of coastal flooding by demonstrating the inadequacies of tidal gauges and the need for land-based sensors. Kudos for advancing coastal resilience and sustainability in North Carolina (and beyond)!
• The 2025 Cohort of the Coastal Community Resilience Immersive Training (C-CRIT) Program’s Assessment Coordinators began their 10-week AmeriCorps program on May 12. This year’s cohort includes: Grace Upton (Bachelor of Science in biology and Bachelor of Arts in environmental sustainability, 2025, Meredith College), Charm Wheaton (environmental assessment masters), Benton Blair (environmental technology and management major, renewable energy assessment minor), Ashelynn Jacobson (industrial and systems engineering major), Akshita Govindaraj (environmental sciences major) and Colin Bahr (environmental engineering major, environmental sciences minor). They are mentored by Rebecca Ward (postdoctoral research scholar and C-CRIT program director) and Georgina Sanchez (Associate Director of Research Engagement, Center for Geospatial Analytics) and will be working in partnership with Gates County to support resilience assessments. Learn more here.

From Continuing and Lifelong Education (NCSCaLE):

• On May 13, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at NC State hosted its annual End-of-Year Celebration and Instructor Appreciation Event, and honored Chancellor Woodson with a lifetime OLLI membership.
• Do you want seamless event planning from start to finish? Transform your event into an unforgettable experience with our custom-tailored Conference Management services. From planning and marketing to financial management and on-site execution — we handle everything, letting you focus on what matters while maximizing your event’s impact and budget.

From DELTA:

• This summer, take a moment to explore tools and resources from DELTA to refresh your courses, and join us for various workshops in August as you’re preparing for the fall semester!
• Got some course design time this summer? Consider using DELTA’s Online Course Usability and Accessibility Checklist to start making your digital materials more accessible to all students!
• We’re excited to announce that DELTA has officially moved our social media presence to LinkedIn! To better connect with NC State’s instructor community and share news, resources, and professional development opportunities, we’ll now be posting exclusively on LinkedIn. Follow us to stay up-to-date with the latest from DELTA!
• ​​NC State’s dedication to high-quality learning experiences now extends beyond the classroom and into the workplace. The university recently celebrated a milestone with the Quality Matters (QM) certification of SIM 101: Supplier Information, a course designed to help NC State staff navigate key financial processes. The course was developed by Maria Fister, director in the university’s finance division education and communications, and Megan Catt, supplier information manager. To date, 132 NC State employees have taken the course.

From the Office for Faculty Excellence:

• Sign up to participate in the Office for Faculty Excellence’s award-winning, free, asynchronous summer program! This year’s theme is Building your Network: Mentors, Coaches, and Sponsors for Faculty Success. It is designed to help faculty, staff and graduate students discern their current needs and strategically cultivate a powerful network of mentors, coaches and sponsors to achieve career goals at every stage. NC State will embark on a partnership with Georgia Tech to provide all the materials for a robust program.

If you sign up, you will receive a weekly email with materials for the SPARK: Summer Program. No commitment on your part, we just link you to all the resources and you read/listen at your convenience! We will have four weeks of content, delivered to your inbox in weekly installments during July, starting Wednesday, July 9. Each week you will get a themed package that includes a podcast, a blog post, related readings and printable handouts.

• The 2025-26 Reflective Educational Design certificate applications are open! The Office for Faculty Excellence offers three different certificates based in Reflective Educational Design |RED|.  |RED| is designed to provide support and recognition for faculty members at NC State who are dedicated to reflective teaching and learning. The certifications help faculty members advance toward becoming scholarly teachers. The three certificate offerings are Core Teaching Certification, Universal Course Design Certification and TH!NK: Cultivating Critical & Creative Thinking Certification. Apply now!

From the Office of Global Engagement:

• The Joint NC State–Nagoya University Research Collaboration Seed Grant Program is now accepting proposals, in celebration of 40 years of partnership between our institutions! The program offers up to $14,000 per project ($7,000 from NC State + $7,000 matching from Nagoya University) to support new, interdisciplinary research in:
  • Data Science and AI
  • New Materials and Quantum Technology
  • Future of Food
  • Climate and Stability

Up to two projects will be selected. Applications are due by Friday, June 20, 2025 (17:00 EDT), with project completion by June 30, 2026.

From the Global One Health Academy:

• The Global One Health Academy is excited to announce the recipients for the Fall 2025 Graduate Travel Awards to support international or domestic travel that advances global One Health-related research. Two eligible NC State graduate students were awarded funding for travel occurring July through December 2025. Congratulations to Cornelius Ojo (College of Design) and Barrett Rose (College of Sciences)!
• The Global One Health Academy and Citizen Science Campus are excited to announce the first graduates of the Participatory Sciences graduate certificate. This interdisciplinary certificate trains graduate students to address pressing global issues through collaboration with the public on scientific research. Congratulations to Marcus Bailey and Alejandra Betancourt, both in the College of Natural Resources, Check out the interview here to learn more about these two students.

From the Office of Information Technology:

• If you’re traveling this summer, consider these tips to keep your devices safe and your data private while away from home.
• In May, NC State reached a significant milestone by successfully completing phase one of the campuswide Google storage optimization project. Now, we’re transitioning into phase two — the implementation of a paid storage model.
• Whether you’re on campus or on the road, OIT has in-person, online and on-demand workshops to meet you where you are this summer.
• OIT will perform extended IT quarterly maintenance from 6 a.m. Saturday, July 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 13. Many major IT and network services may be degraded or unavailable during this time.

From Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

• The Andrews Launch Accelerator gives NC State founders the opportunity to jumpstart their entrepreneurial journey. The NC State Entrepreneurship Clinic provides founders with funding, resources and guidance to grow their company. The clinic is gearing up to support seven teams this summer through non-dilutive funding, mentorship and other resources through the 2025 Andrews Launch Accelerator cohort.

From the Institute for Emerging Issues:

• On April 28 the Institute for Emerging Issues BAND-NC initiative and the N.C. Department of Information Technology Office of Digital Opportunity welcomed more than 220 representatives from 57 counties to the Spring 2025 Digital Opportunity Gathering for a day of connection and learning. The gathering was the first of three collaborative events between IEI and NCDIT. 
• In the latest episode of The Connector, IEI Director Sarah Hall speaks with United Way of North Carolina President and CEO Brittany Pruitt-Fletcher about their latest report — the ALICE Report: Unpacking Financial Need in North Carolina — which spotlights households earning more than the official Federal Poverty Level but not enough to afford basic expenses such as housing, transportation, food and childcare.

From Institutional Strategy and Analysis:

• Implementation Insights is a regular article series providing initiative updates and cross-cutting observations related to NC State’s implementation plan. The June article introduces Pack Practices for Successful Initiatives, a developing playbook of insights and activities to smooth the path to success for NC State’s priority initiatives. Read more here.

From the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative:

• Save the date for Discover the N.C. PSI, to be held Aug. 25 from 2-4 p.m. During the event, the Plant Sciences Building’s Seminar ABC room will take on the air of a trade show, allowing anyone who is interested the chance to learn more about the interdisciplinary research taking place at the Plant Sciences Building

From the Office of Research and Innovation:

• The annual winners of the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund have been announced. This year’s six commercially focused research projects will explore how to ensure endpoint cybersecurity in the era of quantum computing; make veterinary eye surgeries safer; replace plastic foam with a biodegradable alternative; help farmers grow more crops with less fertilizer; and enhance a cutting-edge gene-editing technique that uses electrical pulses to deliver DNA into cells.

From the Shelton Leadership Center:

• Save the date for the 2025 Shelton Leadership Forum on Thursday, October 23, from 9 a.m.-12:45 p.m. The event will be hosted virtually and streamed live. The forum offers free professional development for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of values-based leadership and its special topics. This year’s theme is “Leading Ethically in an Interconnected World.” Full event details, including breakout session descriptions and registration information, are coming soon!

In May, the Shelton Leadership Center hosted a Gallup CliftonStrengths Certification Workshop to provide leadership strengths development opportunities for over 30 higher education professionals from units including the NC State Office for Faculty Excellence, UNC Student Life & Leadership, Duke’s Fuqua School of Business Career Management Center and many more. Read the full story and fill out the interest form for future workshop sessions.