Matt Ball manages the Compost Facility and Research Cooperative. Due to Matt’s efforts to increase the amount of organics collected on campus, the composting infrastructure at the compost facility reached its maximum capacity. Rather than halt his efforts, Matt contacted the company that built the existing composting bins for a quote to add more. The cost to buy two additional bins was prohibitive, so Matt put his composting knowledge to the test. He retrofitted an existing bin with a new blower and pipes, a job usually done by engineers because it requires specialized skills in designing a forced-aeration system. Once his aeration system proved successful, Matt designed the rest of the infrastructure. He coordinated with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to ensure his system met regulations. Matt received a grant to fund the cost of the bins.

Matt worked with the Facilities Division to bring his design to life. This ensured costs were kept as minimal as possible. Many challenges arose throughout the project, but Matt handled them skillfully.

Matt partnered with Joe Sagues, a faculty member in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, to have two additional bins built to support Sagues’ cutting-edge research focused on composting processes. A research grant funded the cost of the bins.

Through Matt’s hard work, persistence and innovation, he has nearly doubled the processing capacity of the compost facility. He did this in a creative way that not only saved the university over $150,000 but also brought in research dollars.

Tony Benavente, a data analyst for two federally funded nutrition education programs, creates tools, inspires program educators and enhances impact reporting to stakeholders.

Tony has made a lasting impact on the national Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and Steps to Health (SNAP-Ed) program. These two U.S. Department of Agriculture programs serve counties throughout North Carolina by rethinking how educators approach reporting. Tony has helped program educators improve the accuracy and timeliness of their reports. His innovative redesign of EFNEP’s data reporting process cut reporting time nearly in half. He created online pre- and post-surveys for Steps to Health participants to measure program impact. 

Tony’s creativity and problem-solving extend beyond process improvements. Previously, educators lacked formal guides for reporting and had no efficient way to generate and share impact data in real time. Tony created step-by-step written resources and short video tutorials to make reporting easier to learn and understand. He also co-created a report generator that allows educators to quickly produce reports using real-time data for partners and stakeholders.

Tony’s expertise in nutrition education data systems has made him a trusted resource in North Carolina and with EFNEP coordinators in other states. He contributes at the national level through his involvement with the EFNEP’s Web-Based Nutrition Education Evaluation and Reporting System. His innovative solutions have saved time, improved efficiency and strengthened reporting practices for EFNEP and SNAP-Ed, resulting in more reliable data and stronger program outcomes.

In a year defined by significant shifts in immigration policy and a federal shutdown, Jill Blitstein, manager of International Employment, has demonstrated unselfish devotion far beyond her job description. She has been a reliable anchor for our foreign national faculty and staff.

An example of Jill’s commitment was when the White House issued a proclamation that made changes to the H-1B program. While most people began their weekends, Jill spent the next 48 hours alerting university leadership to the changes, conferring with colleagues and responding to anxious employees.

Her efforts earned high praise, including from Sheri Renno, assistant dean for Human Resources in the College of Veterinary Medicine, who noted: “While your expertise and dedication are something we get to experience every day, this weekend you truly went above and beyond.”

Jill has also made significant improvements to NC State programs and processes. She and her team accelerated petition processing, implemented faculty green card eligibility criteria to align NC State with industry standards, established a new electronic payment process for immigration petitions to comply with new federal requirements, and so much more.

Jill has garnered a national reputation and is sought out for her expertise on emerging immigration-related legislation. Jill has testified before a congressional subcommittee on the impact of E-Verify in higher education. She was invited to analyze new H-1B filing requirements and biometrics collection for petitioners.

Jill’s deep expertise, unselfish devotion, commitment to service and sustained excellence managing International Employment make her indispensable to the university.

Sarah Dinger is the heartbeat of the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative’s Education and Workforce Development platform. She cultivates an environment of inclusion for students and staff and elevates the university’s reputation across North Carolina through high-impact community engagement.

Sarah consistently enhances the workplace by prioritizing the human element and relationship-building. Recognizing that intensive research programs can be isolating, she has proactively built a culture of belonging for undergraduates. She organized summer gatherings for students participating in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program to foster cohort-building and peer mentoring.

Sarah has significantly enhanced NC State’s public image as a trusted educational partner. She turned the North Carolina Youth Institute into a signature initiative, connecting youth directly with university researchers. By organizing the PSI’s Plant Science Outreach Day and leading workshops for educators, she has strengthened the university’s relationship with K-12 communities statewide. Through her innovative partnership with the Gregg Museum for the Science Communication and Art Award, she has demonstrated exceptional creativity in making science accessible and engaging to diverse public audiences.

Across the university, Sarah is regarded as an impassioned leader and a highly sought-after resource for her expertise in student engagement and community building. She has earned deep institutional trust, as evidenced by her successful stewardship of over $500,000 in funding to support student programming. Sarah is more than an efficient program manager. She is a unifying force whose humility, enthusiasm and genuine care for people make her an outstanding ambassador for the university.

Capt. Conner Hartis of the NC State Police Department and Deputy Fire Marshal Hunter Griffis saved the life of a university community member during move-in weekend on Aug. 15, 2025.

Move-in weekend can present unique challenges on campus; closed streets and dense crowds can hinder emergency response. Despite these obstacles, Hunter arrived on the scene of the emergency in three minutes, and Conner arrived two minutes later.

Upon their arrival at the scene, they encountered an off-duty physician performing CPR on the community member. Conner and Hunter began helping the physician try to save the individual’s life. Conner assumed the physically demanding task of performing CPR, working in tandem with the physician to maintain blood flow. Hunter prepared and deployed an automated external defibrillator. Their swift actions played a critical role in the community member making a full recovery.

Conner and Hunter are regarded by their peers as the gold standard for professionalism and composure. Their ability to remain calm and effective during one of the university’s most hectic weekends exemplifies unselfish devotion to duty. Their actions represent achievements of the highest caliber.

Capt. Conner Hartis of the NC State Police Department and Deputy Fire Marshal Hunter Griffis saved the life of a university community member during move-in weekend on Aug. 15, 2025.

Move-in weekend can present unique challenges on campus; closed streets and dense crowds can hinder emergency response. Despite these obstacles, Hunter arrived on the scene of the emergency in three minutes, and Conner arrived two minutes later.

Upon their arrival at the scene, they encountered an off-duty physician performing CPR on the community member. Conner and Hunter began helping the physician try to save the individual’s life. Conner assumed the physically demanding task of performing CPR, working in tandem with the physician to maintain blood flow. Hunter prepared and deployed an automated external defibrillator. Their swift actions played a critical role in the community member making a full recovery.

Conner and Hunter are regarded by their peers as the gold standard for professionalism and composure. Their ability to remain calm and effective during one of the university’s most hectic weekends exemplifies unselfish devotion to duty. Their actions represent achievements of the highest caliber.

Issac Lewis, an undergraduate program specialist in the Department of Horticultural Science, has fundamentally redefined the standard for student and faculty support. He consistently exceeds expectations to ensure that everyone he talks to — from prospective students to university service staff — leaves his presence with a concrete solution and a deep sense of belonging. 

Issac’s commitment to service is best illustrated by his student-first philosophy. During a recent transition to a new group advising and registration platform, he recognized that systemic changes often lead to student anxiety. Rather than waiting for problems to arise, Issac proactively cross-referenced the degree audits of over 200 students to identify potential bottlenecks. He spent countless hours outside of standard work windows hosting troubleshooting clinics, ensuring every individual felt supported during a period of high academic stress.

Issac is invested in students’ holistic well-being. His office, adorned with Star Wars trinkets, acts as a strategic icebreaker for nervous students. Students often open up to Issac about their challenges, such as food insecurity or mental health issues. Issac does not simply point them to a website for help. He advocates for them, frequently giving them “happy notes” or small figurines to alleviate the pressures of student life and to reinforce that they are valued members of the Wolfpack.

Throughout the department, Issac is regarded as a tireless advocate and mentor. He does not just do his job. He elevates the entire NC State community through an extraordinary commitment to service.

When the Institute for Transportation Research and Education’s Geospatial and Data Analytics team lost 50% of its staff, Aleem Mohammed went above and beyond his normal duties to address two urgent challenges: modernizing the North Carolina State Highway Patrol’s commercial vehicle enforcement (CVE) tracking applications within four months and migrating 36 production dashboards to Microsoft Power BI within one year. Aleem refactored enforcement tracking tools and dashboards for Safe D.R.I.V.E., a 23-state CVE campaign. He also rebuilt North Carolina Vision Zero’s public-facing and restricted dashboards used by traffic safety planners and more than 400 sworn highway patrol supervisors.

Aleem paired technical rigor with leadership to improve his team’s performance. He established clear communication protocols, introduced milestone-based project management and organized the team to diagram and validate a complex legacy architecture under aggressive deadlines. He stood up a new Amazon Web Services cloud development and hosting platform to improve security, scalability and reliability. He mentored a junior data analytics developer to strengthen long-term efficiency, and he worked nights and weekends to keep delivery on track.

Implementing the Power BI hosting model eliminated approximately $100,000 in annual licensing costs and $10,000 in recurring virtual machine costs. The Power BI platform made onboarding clients easier. The highway patrol and partner agencies adopted the modernized offerings and extended them to other states.

Aleem is regarded by law enforcement partners and colleagues as a rare combination of trusted technical expert, highly responsive collaborator and innovative leader.

Jerry Moody has exemplified extraordinary service, leadership and selflessness during his 31-year career with NC State Cooperative Extension. 

An example of Jerry’s outstanding leadership was when Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina. As the Cooperative Extension director for Avery County, Jerry went far beyond his professional role to become a de facto emergency operations manager. After the storm, Jerry worked 80-plus-hour weeks on relief efforts in his home county and beyond. He coordinated the storage and distribution of hundreds of thousands of dollars and tons of food, water, clothing, feed and farm supplies.

Throughout Jerry’s career, he has held countless leadership roles in the Christmas tree industry. He has hosted dignitaries on several occasions for the White House Christmas tree selection.  His research, fieldwork and outreach on issues facing this industry have been integral to its success for decades. His work with the Environmental Protection Agency in the early 2000s was instrumental in securing grower support for a pest issue that affected production statewide.

Jerry’s dedication to the state is unwavering. He managed one of the most successful county agricultural fairs for over 30 years. He was integral to the fundraising, design and construction of the $10-plus million Avery County Cooperative Extension Center. His commitment to his community, especially during Helene, left a lasting impact on western North Carolina. 

Jerry is widely regarded as a trusted leader whose compassion and service reflect the very best of NC State and Cooperative Extension.

As the coordinator for Deaf/Hard of Hearing/DeafBlind Services, Taylor Ofori has transformed not only systems and processes but also the lived experiences of students, staff, faculty and community partners.

Taylor’s work has fundamentally improved access at NC State by streamlining service requests and increasing institutional awareness of deaf services. Her efforts have made large-scale, high-visibility events meaningfully accessible. Taylor has helped to shift accessibility from an afterthought to an embedded expectation.

Taylor has modernized deaf services through her advocacy for fiscally responsible solutions. Her advocacy balances equity with sustainability, benefiting the university and the community it serves.

Taylor consistently goes above and beyond for students. Through her advocacy, education and collaboration, she has helped ensure their rights are upheld and their voices are amplified. Colleagues frequently note her positive energy, openness to learning and willingness to engage in difficult conversations. All are qualities that elevate workplace morale and foster trust. Taylor’s dedication, collaboration and unwavering commitment to access have made NC State a more inclusive, empowered and forward-thinking institution.

Ethan Pardue has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to humanitarian aid and community service, most notably through his pivotal leadership supporting Enrollment Management and Services’ Hurricane Helene relief efforts. When the disaster struck western North Carolina, Ethan spearheaded a fundraising campaign. This initiative was characterized by its strategic focus and impressive results.

Through diligent outreach among employees and external supporters, Ethan raised over $2,000. What set this effort apart was Ethan’s foresight in identifying the practical needs of those affected by the storm. He concentrated the funds on essential recovery tools, such as chainsaws, fuel and solar-powered lanterns. By pooling collective resources, Ethan ensured the effort would have a tangible and significant impact.

His involvement in Helene relief efforts extended beyond the fundraiser. Ethan delivered the donations to the Raleigh United Mutual Aid Hub, which distributed relief supplies to the devastated regions of western North Carolina. He also volunteered at the hub, helping organize donations to ensure they reached those in need as efficiently as possible. His hands-on approach reflects a deep-seated altruism and a willingness to serve during times of crisis.

Ethan’s dedication to community service is a consistent theme in his life. He is the secretary on the Board of Directors for the Triangle Pride Band. Ethan’s leadership role within the nonprofit showcases his organizational skills, sense of responsibility and commitment to fostering inclusive community spaces through the arts. Ethan exemplifies a spirit of selflessness and civic duty that enriches his professional environment and the broader community.

Nikki Price has been an instrumental force behind many campuswide initiatives. Her reputation as a respected HR professional is built on years of dedicated service and a deep understanding of the NC State landscape. She can navigate complex organizational changes, collegiate-level operations and universitywide strategy.

Nikki’s work as the project manager for the Financials for HR Professionals initiative stands out as one of her most significant accomplishments to date. In this role, Nikki is addressing a systemic challenge at NC State: the gap in financial fluency within the HR community. By spearheading this grassroots effort, she has created a model that improves daily operations across the university by bridging a gap between HR, finance and research administration.

Before this initiative, HR professionals often had to navigate complex financial implications with limited formal training. The initiative helps resolve that challenge by providing foundational reference materials and a dedicated web presence for real-time support. By providing these tools, Nikki is doing more than just managing the project. She is innovating how HR, finance and the research administration work together. Her career-long dedication to NC State, including the innovative financial literacy initiative, has made our institution more efficient, transparent and better prepared for the future.