2014

Oct 20, 2014

Will North Carolina continue to urbanize?

Forty years ago North Carolina was the nation’s fourth most rural state, but today more than 60 percent of the state’s people live in urban areas. What happened? And, will it continue? N.C. State University economist Mike Walden explains. 

Oct 16, 2014

Lee County corn maze honors Extension centennial

Gross Farms in Lee County has joined N.C. Cooperative Extension’s centennial celebration this fall. Guests to their agritourism operation can make their way through a 15-acre corn maze cut in the shape of Extension’s centennial logo. 

Oct 13, 2014

Cyclical or structural?

Many issues in today’s economy are blamed on the recession. This means solutions focus on actions that would speed the recovery from the recession. But, says N.C. State University economist Mike Walden, this focus might be misguided. 

Oct 6, 2014

Why young people are moving to the city

For several decades, city populations have been growing much faster than populations in rural areas and small towns. Indeed, many worry about a brain drain of the best and brightest leaving rural regions for the bright lights of the city. What’s motivating this shift? NC State University economist Mike Walden answers. 

Oct 1, 2014

NC State named “green giant” for leading the way in sustainable energy

Winds of Change, the journal of the American Indian Society for Engineering and Science, named NC State -- and the college's Dr. Heike Sederoff in particular -- as a leader in academic programs focused on sustainable energy. 

Sep 30, 2014

You Decide: Should we go for it?

Should North Carolina offer incentives to attract a new auto-assembly factory and the benefits it could bring to the state? Mike Walden weighs the opposing viewpoints. 

Sep 29, 2014

CALS Business Center Update for September

Throughout the summer, the Business Center Implementation Team and CALS Business employees have been hard at work, honing their skills and developing new processes for the new Business Center model. 

Sep 29, 2014

Imports and jobs

Over the last two decades, even before the recession, job growth has been slower in the United States than it was in earlier years. Some say that’s been the result of foreign imports. N.C. State University economist Mike Walden considers the evidence. 

Sep 26, 2014

NC State scientists crack mysteries of walnuts

Walnuts are known to be a rich source of disease-fighting nutrients; they are often labeled a “superfood” and are key components of the Mediterranean diet. Yet as much as science has revealed about the health benefits of walnuts, their phytochemical makeup in large has remained a mystery to this point. 

Sep 26, 2014

You Decide: Will North Carolina continue to urbanize?

North Carolina used to be a small-town and rural state. In fact, we were traditionally one of the most non-urban states in the country. Today, the majority of North Carolinians live in urban areas – or, as some call them, metropolitan areas.