October 2025 Announcements

• NC State campus community — faculty, staff, students — are invited to give their feedback and guidance on the search for the next provost at a series of virtual and in-person events:
  • Faculty: Wednesday, Oct. 15 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. (Zoom link here.)
  • Staff: Thursday, Oct. 16 from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. (Zoom link here.)
  • Students: Friday, Oct. 17 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. (Zoom link here.)

Calendar links for these events are also available. For those unable to attend a listening session, we encourage you to complete a brief survey and share your thoughts on what you’d like to see in our next provost. You can also share a recommendation or nomination of potential candidates. You’ll find detailed information here: https://leadership.ncsu.edu/provost-search/

• DELTA’s Accessibility Team, the Office of Information Technology (OIT), the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO), and the NC State University Libraries are partnering to host AccessFest on Nov. 7 at D.H. Hill Jr. Library. This day-long, drop-in support event is designed to help our instructors make their course materials (documents, PDFs, slide decks, your Moodle space, websites, multimedia, etc.) more accessible. This is not a workshop with formal instruction—it’s a practical, come-and-go opportunity to work on your own materials in a fun and supportive environment.

From the Office of Academic Strategy, Innovation and Solutions:

• Join the new Microcredentials Community of Practice. Mark your calendar for the kickoff meeting for the microcredentials community of practice: Monday, Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This community will provide a collaborative space to explore emerging practices, share ideas, and develop strategies for designing and implementing microcredentials (also known as non-degree credentials) that align with NC State’s academic mission and the evolving needs of learners and employers. More information to come soon.

From the Climate and Sustainability Academy:

• Save the Date! Join us in celebrating the Climate and Sustainability Academy’s one-year anniversary on Dec. 2 from 5–7 p.m. at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine and the chance to connect with friends and colleagues while reflecting on CaSA’s first year and campus-wide climate and sustainability efforts. We’ll also highlight student projects from across the academy. While you’re here, enjoy the museum’s featured exhibits In Search of Thoreau’s Flowers and The Halls of a Changing Sea. This event is open to all—come celebrate with us!
• The Sustainable Futures Fellows Program is now accepting applications! NC State students eager to imagine, explore and develop sustainable solutions are encouraged to apply to the Sustainable Futures Fellows program, launching Jan. 12, 2026. This program engages interdisciplinary student teams in a unique 15-week exploration of the sustainability challenges and opportunities across key sectors of the economy, such as energy, agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, transportation and more. Earn a $1,600 stipend while working with interdisciplinary student teams. Applications close on Nov. 15. 

From Continuing and Lifelong Education:

• NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education is launching a new webinar series, Career Catalyst Conversations, to give professionals space to think critically about the future of work and leadership. The series begins Oct. 15 with Leadership in the AI Era: A Leader’s Guide to Staying Competitive. This free online event will examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping decision-making, team dynamics and organizational strategy — and what it takes to lead responsibly in this new, fast-changing environment.
• For more than 70 years, NC State’s Sport Fishing School has given anglers of all experience levels an unforgettable introduction to offshore and inshore fishing along North Carolina’s iconic Outer Banks. Now entering its 72nd year, the program is enrolling participants and preparing for another season of hands-on learning in one of the East Coast’s premier fishing destinations.

From the Data Science and AI Academy:

• NC State’s second annual Data Science and AI Week (Oct. 6–10) brought together faculty, students and partners for five days of talks, workshops and creative exploration across campus. From Google Gemini demos brought to campus by the Data Science and AI Academy (DSA) and the Office of Information Technology to the DSA Speaker Series and interdisciplinary events spanning design, wellness,  statistics and workforce preparedness, the week showcased how data and AI are transforming learning, research, teaching and collaboration at NC State. The 2025 theme—“Be curious about data science and AI”—captured the spirit of the Wolfpack: innovative, engaged and ready to explore what’s next in data science and AI.

From DELTA:

• If you’ve been curious about how AI is shaping teaching and learning, there’s still time to join the final three workshops of DELTA’s AI Fluency workshop series for instructors. Learn more and register here.
• NC State’s community of instructors has been on a 10-week journey toward more accessible course materials — and we’re in the home stretch! If you’ve been thinking about improving digital accessibility in your courses, these final workshops are your chance to dive in. Register today for our final workshops of the semester.
• Don’t forget to register for this year’s Educational Technology Collaborative annual conference — Oct. 14-17 — hosted here at NC State. This conference brings together AV/IT professionals, instructional designers, technology vendors and manufacturers across higher ed for four days of hands-on workshops and learning sessions.

From the NC State European Center in Prague:

• Lightning Talks: Faculty Opportunities in Prague — join us for an engaging discussion on Nov. 18, 1-2 p.m, at Witherspoon Student Center where NC State faculty members affiliated with the European Center will share exciting opportunities available in Prague! Hear from those who have experienced sabbaticals, conducted research, or led faculty-led programs and discover how you can enhance your academic journey. Lunch will be provided, and VR sets for a virtual tour of the center will be available!  To attend this event, registration is required. Please note that the registration period will close at midnight on Oct. 29.
• Since it opened in 2005, more than 3,500 students have studied abroad at the NC State European Center in Prague. To showcase the center’s transformative impact on the Wolfpack community over the past two decades, the university is hosting a series of events throughout the fall semester on the main campus in Raleigh.

The celebration will include several events — such as a 360-degree exhibition at the D.H. Hill Jr. Library and a screening of a Czech film as part of the Global Film Series — bringing together faculty, students, staff, alumni and other stakeholders to highlight the center’s growth and achievements. The series’s culminating event will be an alumni student panel during International Education Week.

From the Office for Faculty Excellence:

• Faculty Conversation: Beyond the Beaten Path: Journeys to Academic Administration will take place Thursday, Nov.13 from 1-2 p.m. via Zoom. Considering a move into academic leadership? Every administrative career is unique, and this session highlights just how varied those paths can be. Join Melissa Pasquinelli and Maria Gallardo-Williams as they share their distinct, often non-traditional, journeys from faculty roles into administration.
• RED Discussions: UDL Throughout the Course Experience will take place Thursday, Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. via Zoom. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that provides guidelines for developing curricula, selecting materials, improving access, and creating learning environments that consider the variability of learners in higher education. The challenges we face in courses can often be addressed by applying UDL principles.
• Designing Assignments for Writing, Speaking and Digital Making, part of the Campus Writing and Speaking Program, will take place Oct. 21 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. This will be a hands-on workshop. This session is designed for faculty and graduate instructors across all disciplines who want to create assignments that move beyond traditional essays and exams to engage students in meaningful, multimodal communication.
• The Office for Faculty Excellence provides faculty with support and funding to integrate Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) activities into NC State courses. Two types of funding are available to support faculty who engage in COIL: Curriculum Development Awards and Faculty Professional Development Awards. 
• Introducing COMMondays! Whether you’re wrangling research presentations, sparking student engagement, or just want to chat about your instructional presence, we’re here to help you navigate oral communication. Every Monday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (except holidays) for appointments and drop-ins, in room 5148 of the Hunt Library.

From the Office of Global Engagement:

• On Sept. 22 and 23, Nagoya University leadership traveled to NC State to celebrate four decades of collaboration. The program featured a 40th anniversary symposium, garden dedication and research roundtable.

• The city of Raleigh recently honored the Global Courtyard with a Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Community Appearance. Tom Skolnicki, NC State’s university landscape architect and director of land planning, wrote in the nomination letter that since its dedication in 2021, the space has served “as a platform for cultural exchange, student interaction and outdoor events, reinforcing NC State’s global mission.”
• The Office of Global Engagement invites applications for the Advancing Global Learning at Home grants — offering up to $5,000 per project to support creative, campus-based initiatives that enhance global learning for NC State students. The application deadline is Oct. 31 and is open to full-time NC State faculty and staff! 
• Applications are now open for NC State’s International Research Accelerator Grants, offering up to $10,000 per project to support new international research partnerships in plant sciences. Open to NC State faculty of all ranks and appointment types. Application deadline is Oct. 31.
• Applications are now open for the Global Engagement Institute , a yearlong professional development program designed to help you expand the global dimensions of your teaching, research and networks. Open to full-time NC State faculty that are in their first five years of appointment. The application deadline is Oct. 24!

From the Global One Health Academy:

• Each year, the Global One Health Academy funds an exceptional group of graduate students with One Health related research interests. During their one-year appointment, the Global One Health Fellows are offered many opportunities, such as professional development workshops, networking with One Health professionals and more! Learn more about Andrea Landaverde and how the Global One Health Fellowship helped advance her professional career and support her important research studying environmental impacts on marine organism immune responses.
• On Sept. 4 and 5, the Global One Health Academy virtually hosted the 2025 North America One Health Health University Network (NAOHUN) Strategic Planning and Organization Meeting. There were over 170 individuals in attendance sharing and learning more about the amazing One Health programs across the continent. NAOHUN aims to connect One Health programs across North America and currently consists of representatives from 87 universities.
• The Global One Health Academy is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the Master of Science in Global One Health. This program trains students in applied problem-solving for current and future health challenges in North Carolina, the United States and the world. For full consideration, applications should be submitted by the priority deadline of Feb. 28, 2026. Rolling applications will continue to be accepted after the priority deadline if space allows. A virtual information session will be held Nov. 4, 9-10 a.m.

From the Office of Information Technology:

• Help the Pack win the Cyber Bowl! From Oct. 1-31, NC State is competing with seven universities to see who is the most cyber smart. Students, faculty and staff can take a short quiz to earn a point for NC State and be entered to win awesome prizes. Play the Cyber Bowl.
• OIT will perform extended IT quarterly maintenance Nov. 1-2. Many major IT and network services may be degraded or unavailable during this time.
• Join the Research Facilitation Service on Oct. 21 at noon for the Research Computing and Data Lunch and Learn. Learn about a reproducible pipeline developed to help researchers make better use of High Performance Computing (HPC). The power of an HPC cluster has never been easier to incorporate into your research.

From Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

• We’re hosting the Wolf Den Pitch Competition on Nov. 14 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Coastal Ballroom, Talley Student Union. Join innovators from NC State and beyond for this Shark Tank-inspired event that gives students an opportunity to pitch their business concept to judges and a live audience. Hear five bold ideas and watch as these students face the wolves’ questions and vie for “investment” dollars. 
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship is hosting the Entrepreneurship Showcase and Miller Fellows Celebration on Nov. 19 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Coastal Ballroom, Talley Student Union. Come ready to explore bold startups and network with other Wolfpack innovators. Attendees can discover more ways to get involved with NC State’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through on-campus programs and resources, and support these entrepreneurs by purchasing their products at the showcase. As part of the showcase, we will be celebrating the Miller Fellowship cohort.

From the Institute for Emerging Issues:

• IEI has released recommended strategies for strengthening North Carolina’s energy infrastructure. North Carolina’s energy landscape is changing due to numerous factors, including population growth, an influx of energy-intensive businesses, upgrades to aging energy infrastructure and the state’s transition to cleaner energy. These recommended strategies were developed as part of the 2025 Emerging Issues Forum: Future Forward Energy, to help North Carolina address challenges facing our energy infrastructure.
• NC State junior Rosie Thyne has joined IEI as a 2025-26 Hunt Intern. The Hunt Internship is a program for NC State undergraduates interested in a career in public policy and public service. Now in its fifth year, the internship is made possible through an endowment supported by Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. and his wife, Carolyn.
• The latest episode of The Connector Podcast celebrates 25 years of the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership. Kenan Fellows Director Vance Kite and Associate Director Mark Townley join the podcast to talk about the impact the program has had on educators throughout the state.

From Institutional Effectiveness:

• Want to keep an initiative on track towards success? Make a roadmap. Discover the four essential questions that roadmaps answer in this month’s Implementation Insights. Implementation Insights is a regular article series with initiative updates and cross-cutting observations from NC State’s implementation plan. 
• Congratulations to the following faculty and staff for earning Packways Recognized status for their high-impact experience, demonstrating their alignment with the Packways research-backed framework!

Rachel Kasten, College of Natural Resources; Jackie Bruce, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Nina Balke, College of Engineering; Kaly Wall, College of Natural Resources; Christa Oliver, University College; Holly Hurlburt, University Honors Program; Julie Cline, Poole College of Management; Melissa Ramirez, College of Sciences; Adam Hartstone-Rose, College of Sciences; and Laurie Brummitt, College of Engineering.

Our catalog of outstanding HIEs continues to grow, offering more and more opportunities for NC State students to get the most out of their experience. Interested in getting your high-impact experience Packways Recognized? Our next in-person workshops will take place on Dec. 4, and a fully online option will be available later this month. Details are in this link.

From the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative:

• You’re Invited: Nov. 6 Art + Science Reception: This free event, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Plant Sciences Building lobby, features a display of work developed by North Carolina photo artist Leah Sobsey, who shadowed three NC State graduate students conducting plant-related research.
• The North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative’s first Seed2Grow Showcase and Pitch Competition, set for Tuesday Nov. 11, promises to spark collaboration, highlight breakthrough ideas and showcase the strength of the state’s growing agricultural technology ecosystem.

From University Data and Analytics:

• The online reports for the combined Dec. 2024 and May 2025 NC State Future Plans Surveys (FPS) of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree earners are now available on the University Data and Analytics (UDA) website.

The FPS collects detailed information on graduates’ post-graduation outcomes, including employment characteristics and salaries, job search experiences, graduate/professional school attendance and participation in career-related activities while at NC State. Data and documentation available on the UDA website include:

• Interactive dashboards, filterable by college, department and academic major, featuring:
   a) average salaries, graduate/professional school attendance, place of employment and job title; and for those pursuing further education, their institution, degree and program of study
   b) key findings on employment outcomes, further education, job search activities, resources used and engagement in career-related experiences;
• An infographic highlighting key findings by degree level;
• Research methodology report that provides an overview of survey design and data collection procedures; and
• Survey questionnaires.

Colleges and departments received their unit-record results via email in late summer.

• The online reports for the triennial Graduating Senior Survey (GSS), administered between early Aug. 2024 and mid-May 2025 to those graduating from NC State in Dec. 2024 or May 2025, are now available on the UDA website.

The GSS gathers feedback from graduating seniors on their overall satisfaction with NC State, faculty contributions to their education, academic and non-academic support services, participation in co-curricular and high-impact experiences, employment while enrolled, time to degree and more. Data and documentation available on the UDA website include:

• Interactive dashboard, including trends, charts, and tables filterable by college;
• An infographic highlighting key findings;
• Research methodology report that provides an overview of survey design and data collection procedures;
• Narrative report summarizing overall results;
• Verbatim student comments – organized by topic – detailing what NC State is doing well and what can be improved about the undergraduate experience; and
• Survey questionnaire.

From the Office of Research and Innovation:

• Celebrate research at NC State and join us for our sixth annual Research Week. Hear from Vice Chancellor Krista Walton, learn how to communicate your work more effectively with keynote speaker Melissa Marshall and more!

From the Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs:

• Partnering with Local Museums on STEM Outreach will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 5 from 9:30-11 a.m. at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design. Are you excited to share your STEM research with the public, but don’t know where to start? Studies consistently rank museums among the most publicly trusted sources of STEM information, and they can be great partners as you seek to engage the public in your research.

Join OUIP for this session, where you will hear from several local science centers and museums on ways you can partner with them on STEM outreach. This session will consist of short presentations from several local museums and science centers, followed by Q&A and a chance to speak with each organization individually in small-group breakouts.

• “In Search of Thoreau’s Flowers” is on display at the Black-Sanderson Gallery, Gregg Museum Lobby, and Historic Chancellor’s Residence through Jan. 31, 2026. This interdisciplinary exhibition features an immersive and interactive installation using pressed plants that were collected by writer, philosopher, and naturalist Henry David Thoreau. The exhibit creates an awe-inspiring experience that brings these specimens back to life, while also encouraging reflection about human impacts on the environment. Visitors will step into a surreal immersive space that highlights the botanical abundance and diversity that Thoreau experienced during his lifetime.  
• OUIP and Arts NC State have launched anew website cataloging Arts/Sciences projects and activities at NC State. These Art + Science projects on display on this website showcase examples of interdisciplinary collaboration with cross-campus and community partners who leverage the expertise of artists to lead with curiosity and nurture creative inquiry.
• On Oct. 13, OUIP and The Graduate School will host 20 undergraduate honors students from North Carolina Central University to learn about graduate opportunities at NC State. Learn more.
• OUIP and the Office for Faculty Excellence have partnered to present monthly Cluster Conversations, in which members of one of NC State’s Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Program clusters 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. These events are open to all members of the NC State community, the Centennial Campus community and the general public. All Cluster Conversations are held in Raleigh Founded, Partners I Building on NC State’s Centennial Campus from 8:45-10 a.m. If you have questions about Cluster Conversations, please contact Dr. Jory Weintraub, Director of Science Engagement (weintraub@ncsu.edu). 

Upcoming Cluster Conversations include:

• Thursday, Oct. 16 – Quantitative and Computational Developmental Biology Cluster
• Tuesday, Nov. 11 – Sustainable Energy Systems and Policy Cluster

From the NC State University Libraries:

• Zachary Ferguson, a Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy at UNC–Chapel Hill, has been selected as the 2025 Tom Regan Visiting Research Fellow. Ferguson is researching his dissertation about the evolution of the philosophical conversation about vegetarianism and veganism. The NC State University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center and the Culture & Animals Foundation offer the annual Tom Regan Visiting Research Fellowship to promote scholarly research in animal rights. Regan Fellows have come from a range of disciplines, including philosophy, history of science and anthrozoology.

The NC State University Libraries’ Makerspace program marks a decade of operation this year with fully operational spaces in both main libraries for the first time—the well-established Makerspace at Hill and the new Maker Studio at Hunt. Students take a quick orientation course to get access to 3D printers, low-fidelity electronics, sewing machines, a laser cutter, and more. Staff are available in both spaces for drop-in consultation assistance. See why the Makerspace is the “most restless place on campus.”