From the Departments

Biological Sciences

Lindsay Zanno, an associate research professor and head of paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, discovered a new plant-eating dinosaur, Iani smith, which may have been the ornithopod species’ “last gasp” during a period when Earth’s warming climate forced massive changes to global dinosaur populations.

Professor Adam Hartstone-Rose and some of his students found that declawing tigers and other big cats disproportionately impacts their muscular capabilities as compared to their smaller brethren.

Chemistry

Professors Lucian Lucia and Jim Martin discovered that water can change its solubility characteristics depending on what substances it interacts with, noticing that it can stack in layered shells to control chemical reactions within, and physical properties of, cellulose. The findings could lead to more sustainable and efficient design of cellulose-based products. 

Felix Castellano, Goodnight Innovation Distinguished Chair of Chemistry, was part of a team that released groundbreaking results on the relationship between the spin-vibronic effect and intersystem spin within molecules. The findings could lead to the more efficient capture and use of energy in technology like solar cells and computers.

Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Alumni Michael Brennan ‘99 ‘01 ‘05 and Jamie Rhome ‘99 ‘03, director and deputy director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, respectively, are passionate about predicting hurricanes and finding effective ways to communicate that information to the public. 

Chris Osburn, a professor and director of the Blue Economy Innovation Program at NC State, is studying how land use affects nutrient loads in North Carolina’s rivers, with the goal of determining the cause of extreme algal blooms.

Mathematics

Etienne Phillips ‘24 received a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, one of the oldest and most prestigious scholarships in the fields of natural sciences, engineering and mathematics. 

Elisabeth Brown, a teaching assistant professor, was one of the winners of University Human Resources’ Passionate Pack challenge, which encouraged faculty and staff to spend three cumulative hours pursuing a personal passion or purpose. Brown helped her father, a Habitat for Humanity volunteer, build his 900th wheelchair accessibility ramp.

Physics

Experimental physicist Laura Clarke, Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor, studies nanoparticles and how fundamental science can help people improve their lives. 

Astrophysicist Rongmon Bordoloi, an assistant professor, was part of a team that detected “primordial gasses” located far from any galaxies. The team hopes to study the composition of these gasses to unravel the mystery of how galaxies are born.

Statistics

In episode six of Red Chair Chats, Chancellor Randy Woodson sat down with 321 Coffee co-founders Lindsay Wrege ‘21 and statistics alumnus Michael Evans ‘20 ‘21 to discuss NC State’s role in the launch and growth of their mission-driven coffee brand.

Justin Post, an associate teaching professor and director of online education in the department, is collaborating with Sunghwan Byun, an assistant professor in the College of Education, on a new grant-funded project to make the teaching of college-level statistics more equitable.