12 Highlights From a Difficult Year
There’s no denying that 2020 has been a tough year. But amidst the many challenges, Sciences students, faculty, staff and alumni have produced a lot of good news.
Check out some of the highlights of this year in our college below.
Launching the Next Generation
NASA astronaut and physics alumna Christina Koch made headlines — and record books — when she returned to Earth from her 328-day mission to the International Space Station. She is the featured speaker at NC State’s first-ever virtual commencement in December.
Investments in Research
This year, researchers in the college secured some significant research grants to help them solve big problems, including a $7.6 million funding renewal for the Center for Human Health and the Environment from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and $7.4 million to establish a Center for Environmental and Human Health Effects of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, also from NIEHS.
Sciences Has Talent
Statistics senior Gabriel Montague took home the top prize in the student category of the campuswide Wolfpack’s Got Talent competition for his soulful vocals. Chernelle Jones, program associate for the Bioinformatics Research Center, won the staff category. Watch Montague’s winning submission below.
Feeding the Pack
As executive director of Feed the Pack, senior microbiology major Rose Krebs has led the campus’ food pantry through its busiest year yet, distributing tens of thousands of pounds of food to meet needs in the NC State community.
An Extraordinary Milestone
This spring, the college exceeded its $60 million goal for NC State’s Think and Do the Extraordinary campaign — more than 18 months ahead of schedule. In September, donors contributed almost $2.3 million to support the college on a record-breaking NC State Day of Giving.
Research With Vision
Five entries from the College of Sciences took home prizes in this year’s Envisioning Research contest, which highlights NC State research through photos, graphics, microscopic images and videos. Watch the winning video entry, and view the photos below.
A New Diversity Program Endowment
The college announced a new Diversity Program Endowment that will meet a critical need for permanent funding for diversity initiatives. So far, the fund has raised more than $75,000.
Shielding Our Workers
Members of the Sciences community played a big part in helping protect frontline workers in the United States and around the world from COVID-19 by securing donations of personal protective equipment (PPE). Some even made PPE themselves.
Awarding Achievements
Statistics alumna Nancy Ridenhour received a 2020 Watauga Medal, NC State’s highest nonacademic honor, for her longtime support of the university. Our faculty, staff and students won plenty of awards as well, including three faculty who were named fellows of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Leading the Way
During her time at NC State, 2020 microbiology graduate Natalie Truby made her mark in both the lab and the state legislature, advocating for legislation to protect ride-share users.
Science Olympiad Joins NC State
In July, the North Carolina Science Olympiad, which has a long history of collaboration with the university, officially joined NC State as a program under the college’s Science House. Staff on the Science Olympiad team and across the university worked hard to prepare to host the Science Olympiad National Tournament before it was canceled due to the pandemic.
Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions
Three Sciences faculty were part of a team who created the Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions online course, which introduced incoming students to the history, biology and societal impacts of pandemics like COVID-19 and how NC State faculty in many different areas are contributing to solutions.
