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2026 CALS Distinguished and Outstanding Alumni Honored

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a man wearing glasses and a white jacket stands on a bridge with a city in the background

Oct 27, 2026

From Rice Fields to Accelerating Vegetable Breeding

Kashish Grover, a doctoral student in horticulture, combines artificial intelligence, advanced genetics and computer simulations to streamline vegetable breeding, helping to develop climate-resilient varieties faster. 
strawberries growing in a greenhouse

Oct 22, 2026

CALS Receives Federal Grant to Protect the Food Supply

With funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, NC State researchers will develop rapid-response strategies to mitigate the impact of an emerging invasive fungal pathogen in strawberry production systems. 
a woman in a white shirt, ball cap and jeans talks with three young women looking over different rows of crops and wildflowers

Oct 20, 2026

Sowing Agricultural Connections

Walking through rows of leafy greens, ripe, red tomatoes or rich-smelling rosemary at the Agroecology Education Farm, it’s easy to feel more connected to where your food comes from. And with a mission rooted in community outreach, that’s the point. 
woman smiling in front of shrubs

Oct 14, 2026

Driscoll Takes on Expanded Leadership Role for NC State Extension Youth Programs

Liz Driscoll, an NC State Extension associate who designs outh curriculum, takes on new leadership responsibilities to help strengthen and modernize Extension’s youth development programming across North Carolina. 
Student pours seeds into a mechanical device

Oct 9, 2026

Youth Programs Ignite Student’s Passion for Plant Biology and Global Food Security

Summer outreach programs and a youth institute inspired a high schooler to explore plant biology and take part in an international agricultural research internship, before enrolling at NC State, where he’s helping address agricultural challenges and world hunger. 
two people wearing green overalls and wearing ball caps stand on a brick walkway in front of tents that days NC State Horticultural Science

Oct 1, 2026

Pi Alpha Xi: Student Plant Sales Paying It Forward

Pi Alpha Xi’s biannual plant sales at NC State University unite horticulture students and the community to raise essential funds that support student scholarships, academic opportunities and impactful outreach initiatives. 
Plant geneticist Massimo Iorizzo examines a blueberry in a lab at NC State University's Plants for Human Health Institute in Kannapolis. Other buildings at the North Carolina Research Campus buildings are visible through the window behind him.

Sep 28, 2026

Massimo Iorizzo Named Director of NC State’s Plants for Human Health Institute 

Horticultural Science Professor Massimo Iorizzo, whose research has delved into the genetics of a veritable rainbow of small fruit and vegetable crops, will lead NC State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute. 
asparugus, apples, cherries, radishes and peaches

Sep 25, 2026

IR-4 Receives $10 Million USDA Award to Expand Specialty Crop Export Opportunities

The IR-4 Project at NC State University has received a $10 million, five-year award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service to help U.S. specialty crop growers overcome pesticide residue-related barriers to international trade. 
a man wearing a blue and white checked shirt stands between white metal shevles filled with clear containers of small plant cultures

Sep 25, 2026

CALS Alum Propagates Innovation in Horticulture

Leveraging his degree in horticultural science and time in the Executive Farm Management Program, Worth Williams is taking his family’s farming operation into the future with a cutting-edge venture. 
a group of 28 people stand on a staircase with a brass railing

Sep 22, 2026

2026 CALS Distinguished and Outstanding Alumni Honored

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences celebrated its alumni award winners on Sept. 18. From the field to the lab, find out how they’re making an impact.