Welcome Home
Alumni and friends of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) form a proud community that extends worldwide. With more than 36,000 alumni and countless friends, they embody the college’s values to serve its land-grant mission and drive significant change.
Our alumni work internationally as regulatory agents for governmental agencies, own large-scale farm operations, perform ground-breaking research and do much more. Whether championing the college’s mission in their work or volunteering their time and expertise, our alumni and friends’ contributions continue to advance agriculture and life sciences.
Being a CALS alumna is having a sense of family while being a part of such a large network of alumni who are all making differences in their communities. What we do matters and is felt worldwide.
– Alysondria Campos Eason ‘11
100
CALS alumni are working in all 100 counties of North Carolina.
36,000
CALS has a network of more than 36,000 alumni around the globe.
50
CALS alumni live and work in all 50 states of the U.S.
Get Involved
Alumni and friends’ involvement with CALS strengthens our community and creates opportunities for students, faculty and staff to thrive. By sharing your time and expertise as a volunteer, you will help shape the future of agriculture and life sciences in North Carolina and beyond.
CALS Alumni and Friends Society Advisory Board
The board represents CALS alumni and friends with a focus on philanthropy, active participation and influential dialog with the college.
Board Members
| Name | Company | Title | Class | Board Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakean Byrd | ThermoFisher | Executive Assistant | ’13 | President |
| Nicole Youngblood | NC State Extension | Extension Agent | ‘16 | Vice President |
| Jacob Traverse | Center for Truth in Science | President, CEO | ’01, ’05, ‘06 | Secretary |
| Chad Benton | BASF Corporation | R&D Associate Portfolio Manager | ’05 | Immediate Past President |
| John Abbott | Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC | NA Head of Regulatory and Stewardship | ‘84 | Member |
| John Alphin | JSAlphin Consulting | Owner | ’97 | Member |
| Jennifer Badger | Food Lion | Category, Merchandising, and Pricing Analyst II | ‘16 | Member |
| Emily Barnes | Bravo Steaks | Owner | ‘09 | Member |
| Collin Blalock | Loan Officer | AgCarolina Farm Credit | ‘19, ‘21 | Member |
| Gwen Clark | Retired | Former agricultural education teacher | ‘86 | Member |
| Karen Fishel | Furnitureland South, Inc. | Executive Director of Human Resources | ‘91 | Member |
| Leslie Fuquay | Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC | Technical Expert | Statistical Analysis – Field Program & Equivalency Assessment – Global Seeds Product Safety | ‘84, ‘95 | Member |
| Archie Griffin | Griffin Farms, Inc. | Co-Owner | ‘12 | Member |
| Matt Hannah | Merck Animal Health | Regional Sales Manager | ‘02 | Member |
| Taylor Jenkins | AgHires | Recruiter | ‘17 | Member |
| Hannah Klemmer | Alamance Foods, Inc. | Sr. R&D and Commercialization Manager | ‘21 | Member |
| Kyle Mayberry | The Biltmore Company | Director of Agriculture | ‘16, ‘18 | Member |
| Aaron Messer | Bayer Crop Science | Area Business Manager | ‘02 | Member |
| Heather Morton | NC Farm Bureau Federation | Director of Ag in the Classroom | ‘07 | Member |
| Whitney Phillips | PhyllaTech | Chief Operating Officer | ‘13, ‘16 | Member |
| Dr. David M. Saravitz | Williams Mullen | Attorney & Partner | ‘86 | Member |
| Katelyn Stack | AgSouth Farm Credit | Loan Officer | ‘17 | Member |
| Brandon Williams | Helena Agri-Enterprises | Product Manager | ‘14 | Member |
| Andy Wood | Lawson Insurance Group | VP of Sales | ’00 | Member |
| Dr. Daniel Poole | North Carolina State University | Professor | Faculty Representative | |
| Dr. Lina Quesada | North Carolina State University | Professor | Faculty Representative | |
| Dr. Alyssa Degreenia | North Carolina State University | Assistant Director, Agricultural Institute | ’14, ’16, ’18 | Faculty Representative |
| Beth Farrell | North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services | Agricultural Programs Specialist | ’02 | NCDA&CS Representative |
| Bryant Spivey | NC State Extension | County Extension Director | ’93, ’01 | NC State Extension Representative |
Upcoming Events
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Share Your Interests
Are you interested in getting involved with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences? Alumni and friends strengthen our community and create opportunities for students, faculty and staff to thrive. Your involvement can make a lasting impact – join us in creating meaningful change. Please choose the areas that best match your interests. We’ll follow up with more information and look forward to connection with you.