CALS Celebrates Outstanding Alumni

Alumni, friends, faculty and staff of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) gathered at the State Club on Sept. 7 to celebrate the recipients of the annual CALS Alumni Awards.

Alan Ayers and Tony Avent were honored as the 2018 Distinguished Alumni, joining a select group of prestigious recipients of years’ past. Also receiving awards at the event were 13 Outstanding Alumni and 12 Outstanding Young Alumni.

These awards are given each year to recognize the stellar achievements of the college’s outstanding graduates and their ongoing commitment to giving back to NC State University.

Alan Ayers, a native of Bear Grass, North Carolina, got his start in the agricultural industry picking tobacco and cotton as a boy. Since then, he has spent his career in crop protection advancing health and nutrition for people around the world.

Ayers worked for Bayer CropScience and its predecessor companies for more than 30 years, and currently serves as the company’s director of state affairs and stewardship. His time with Bayer CropScience has included stints overseas leading global teams and responsibility over areas ranging from sustainability to legislative affairs.

He has been honored with numerous awards during his career – including the CALS Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2009 – and has been a valuable resource for the college’s faculty in program development and in maintaining linkages with industry. Ayers earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a Ph.D. in plant pathology from NC State.

“Dr. Alan Ayers has been a leader at all levels when it comes to advancing the college and the industries connected to it,” said CALS Dean Richard Linton. “He is a tireless ambassador whose volunteerism and wise council serve as a valuable asset. Some people have iconic singular philanthropic impacts, this is not the case with Alan, his impact is felt across all departments and programs.”

Raleigh native Tony Avent was born with his hands in the soil. As a child, instead of playing games, he wandered the woods and fields near his home studying wildflowers. He parlayed that interest into a robust career – and lasting legacy.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in horticulture science – where he studied under renowned horticulturist J. C. Raulston – Avent worked for the North Carolina State Fairgrounds as its landscape director for 16 years.

He later established Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Gardens, which he operates to this day with his wife Anita. With a passion for sharing his knowledge with others, Avent served as the News & Observer’s weekly garden columnist for more than a decade, and today is a contributing editor to Horticulture Magazine and Walter Magazine. In addition to running the nursery, Avent is a prolific plant breeder – best known for his Hosta breeding program.

“I consider Tony Avent to be an innovative pioneer when it comes to ornamental horticulture,” Linton said. “He has been a leader both nationally and internationally in breeding efforts, introducing a profusion of new plant varieties. Tony’s commitment to education and advancing the college is evident through his continued advocacy and support.”

 2018 CALS Outstanding Alumni

• Sergio Abit, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
  Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Oklahoma State University
• Ray Best II, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
  Regional Manager for Energy Services, Duke Energy
• Marc Cubeta, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology
  Professor of Social Mycology and Plant Disease Ecology, NC State University
• Tammy Ellington, Department of Horticultural Science (deceased)
  Former Operations Manager of the Department of Horticultural Science, NC State University
• Chad Jordan, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology
  NC State Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor of Plant and Microbiology
• Daniel Measell, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
  Founder, Mortgage Dynamics Inc.
• Jonathan Merkle, Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences
  Chief Science Officer and Vice President of Science and Technology, Michael Foods
• John Prestage, Department of Animal Science
  Senior Vice President, Prestage Farms
• Ray Starling, Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences
  Chief of Staff, U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Jeff Vaughan, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
  Owner, JWT
• Bill Warren, Agricultural Institute
  Owner, Warren Farms
• Christian Waters, Department of Applied Ecology
  Chief of the Inland Fisheries Division, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
• Andrew Yersin, Prestage Department of Poultry Science
  Senior Vice President of Worldwide Quality Assurance, Kemin Industries

2018 CALS Outstanding Young Alumni

• Leann Barden, Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences
  Research Manager, RxBAR
• Brooke Bissinger, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology
  Director of Entomology, AgBiome
• Nicole Bridgers, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
  Senior Technical Project Manager, Kymanox
• Rasha El-Beshti, Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences
  Program Evaluator, Contracting Resources Group
• Aaron Fleming, Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences
  Superintendent of Schools, Harnett County
• Megan Inskeep, Department of Animal Science
  Technical Services Veterinarian, Merck
• Zachary Lowman, Prestage Department of Poultry Science
  Corporate Geneticist and Director of Research, Joe Jurgielewicz & Sons
• Dana Massey, Department of Horticultural Science
  Owner, Plantworks Nursery
• Callie McAdams, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
  Deputy Economist, U.S. House of Representative’s Committee on Agriculture
• Steven Midway, Department of Applied Ecology
  Assistant Professor in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University
• Erik Soderblom, Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry
  Assistant Research Professor with the Proteomics and Metabolomics Shared Resource, Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology
• Josh Stalls, Agricultural  Institute
  Sales Manager, Benchmark Buildings & Irrigation

Discover more amazing CALS alumni!

This post was originally published in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences News.