written by Donna Liebelt, CALS SAIGE Public Relations Officer
On October 19th CALS SAIGE, in partnership with CALS International Programs, had the pleasure to hear Alumni Distinguished Professor of Crop Science Dr. Bob Patterson present “Benefits from Experiencing our Complicated World: A Retrospective” at its International Seminar Series. Homegrown in the state of North Carolina, Dr. Patterson has been an esteemed member of the wolfpack community since the early 1960’s when he received his B.S. and later M.S. at NC State. He went on to receive his Ph.D. at Cornell University before returning to NC State to begin his professorial career where he would teach for the next 50 years.
Aside from his extensive involvement in our local community, Dr. Patterson has been involved in numerous international advising, committee, and teaching activities. Instructing study abroad courses at the Prague Institute and involvement in the Peace Bread international celebration are among the examples of the international experiences Patterson highlighted in his talk. The seminar opened and concluded with the quote “diversity and inclusion make us stronger in ways that really matter.” True to this message, Patterson took us on a journey through the moments and people that shaped his career and international work stemming from his early days as a researcher under the guidance of Dr. Younts, to his current involvement overseas. We were guided through a lifetime of experiences emphasizing the importance of inclusion, equality, trust, and creating opportunities for all.
The goal of the monthly International Seminar Series is to bring a human aspect to international research and provides a platform for researchers to share their successes and hardships of working internationally. All CALS graduate students, faculty and staff are invited to all the seminars. This is the first seminar series that not only has a focus on international experience but is also open to all of CALS.
CALS SAIGE, the graduate Student Association for Interdisciplinary and International Global Engagement, hopes the seminar series will bring fellow graduate students, faculty and staff from across CALS to learn from the speaker and engage in dialogue focused on international research opportunities and how to overcome hurdles.
Mark your calendars for November 14th at 3:00 pm in Williams 2405 for the next speaker of the series: Dr. Trino Ascencio-Ibanez from the Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry.