The Celebration of Faculty Excellence is held each spring to recognize outstanding faculty who have received prestigious state, national and international awards, accolades or other distinctions during the previous year. In 2021, NC State honored 29 faculty virtually since the annual event could not be held in person.

The CALS honorees:

• Sylvia Blankenship, professor emerita, Department of Horticultural Science, and senior associate dean emerita, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: National Inventors Hall of Fame
• Ruben Carbonell, Frank Hawkins Kenan Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow
• Thomas Ranney, JC Raulston Distinguished Professor, Department of Horticultural Science: National Academy of Inventors Fellow
• Jean Ristaino, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology: American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow

2021 marks the tenth year of the Celebration of Faculty Excellence. In recognition of all honored faculty, the Memorial Belltower was red on May 18.