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CALS Alumni and Friends

Catch up on college news, learn about upcoming events and stay in touch with other graduates.

Welcome Home

We are glad that you are visiting. We hope you can take a few minutes to catch up on the news of the college and learn about our upcoming events.

We also hope you stay in touch. Our students are interested in learning more about their alumni, so we welcome you to submit suggestions for stories, as well as brief announcements about professional achievements.

A man and woman in business suits sitting at a table talking

CALS Alumni for Student Success

The CALS Alumni and Friends Society and CALS Academic Programs have partnered to connect our large and dedicated alumni base to the college through the CALS Alumni for Student Success (CASS) program. The initiative will serve two purposes: to develop an alumni recruiting network and to provide career coaching for students. 

  • Recruiting – Alumni serve as a point of contact in their area for prospective CALS students by attending local events to promote CALS to schools and community groups.
  • Career Coaching – Alumni will be matched with a current CALS student to develop a one-on-one relationship and support the student with information, advice and encouragement as the student works toward a defined career goal. Alumni career coaches will also take part in networking events and informational panels hosted by CALS Career Services.

Alumni, sign up for recruiting or career coaching:

Students, sign up to receive coaching:

Program Contacts

Sara Lane

Director of Career Services

Joanna Eglinton

Assistant Director of Recruitment

Jason Gipe

Senior Director of Advancement

Support the CASS Program

Make a gift to support the CASS Program and enhance student success in the classroom and beyond.

CALS Alumni and Friends Society Advisory Board

Board Members

NameCompanyTitleGraduationBoard Role
Lakean ByrdThermoFisherExecutive Assistant’13President
Nicole YoungbloodNC State ExtensionExtension Agent‘16Vice President
Jacob TraverseCenter for Truth in SciencePresident, CEO’01, ’05, ‘06Secretary
Chad BentonBASF CorporationR&D Associate Portfolio Manager’05Immediate Past President
John AbbottSyngenta Crop Protection, LLCNA Head of Regulatory and Stewardship‘84Member
John AlphinJSAlphin ConsultingOwner’97Member
Jennifer BadgerFood LionCategory, Merchandising, and Pricing Analyst II‘16Member
Emily BarnesBravo SteaksOwner‘09Member
Collin BlalockLoan OfficerAgCarolina Farm Credit‘19, ‘21Member
Gwen ClarkRetiredFormer agricultural education teacher‘86Member
Karen FishelFurnitureland South, Inc.Executive Director of Human Resources ‘91Member
Leslie FuquaySyngenta Crop Protection, LLCTechnical Expert | Statistical Analysis – Field Program & Equivalency Assessment – Global Seeds Product Safety‘84, ‘95Member
Archie GriffinGriffin Farms, Inc.Co-Owner‘12Member
Matt HannahMerck Animal HealthRegional Sales Manager‘02Member
Taylor JenkinsAgHiresRecruiter‘17Member
Hannah KlemmerAlamance Foods, Inc.Sr. R&D and Commercialization Manager‘21Member
Kyle MayberryThe Biltmore CompanyDirector of Agriculture‘16, ‘18Member
Aaron MesserBayer Crop ScienceArea Business Manager‘02Member
Heather MortonNC Farm Bureau FederationDirector of Ag in the Classroom‘07Member
Whitney PhillipsPhyllaTechChief Operating Officer‘13, ‘16Member
Dr. David M. SaravitzWilliams MullenAttorney & Partner‘86Member
Katelyn StackAgSouth Farm CreditLoan Officer‘17Member
Brandon WilliamsHelena Agri-EnterprisesProduct Manager‘14Member
Andy WoodLawson Insurance GroupVP of Sales’00Member
Dr. Daniel PooleNorth Carolina State UniversityProfessorFaculty Representative
Dr. Lina QuesadaNorth Carolina State UniversityProfessorFaculty Representative
Dr. Alyssa DegreeniaNorth Carolina State UniversityAssistant Director, Agricultural Institute’14, ’16, ’18Faculty Representative
Beth FarrellNorth Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer ServicesAgricultural Programs Specialist’02NCDA&CS Representative
Bryant SpiveyNC State ExtensionCounty Extension Director’93, ’01NC State Extension Representative