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Conservation, Education and Beauty

Author: Alice Manning Touchette

two white feathered turkeys in fenced pens

Nov 26, 2025

National Thanksgiving Turkeys Come Home to Roost at NC State

Following a presidential pardon on Tuesday, National Thanksgiving Turkey Gobble and his wingman and turkey alternate Waddle returned to their home state of North Carolina for retirement at NC State. 
Reggie Strickland

Sep 2, 2025

Leadership Starts at Home

Seventh-generation farmer and 2025 CALS Distinguished Alumni Award winner Reggie Strickland is quick to tell you his success as a farmer and a man is due to the people in his life who took an interest in him. 
a group of men standing on a dock work to load a large fish into a pickup truck

Jun 12, 2025

Big Rock Partnership Yields Big Data

For more than 20 years, the Big Rock has partnered with NC State University to ensure the prizewinning fish are processed and sent to labs around the United States for scientists to research the health of the fish and the waters in which they live. 
a man wearing a blue and green checked shirt

Jun 3, 2025

Kelliher Named Roberts and Mikhail Distinguished Chair in Plant Genome Editing

Timothy Kelliher will join NC State University this July as the director of the Genome Editing Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Integrated with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ state-of-the-art Plant Sciences Initiative and its expertise in genome editing and CRISPR, the GEC is poised to revolutionize agriculture. 
Tony Avent in Juniper Level Botanic Gardens

May 28, 2025

Royal Horticultural Society Honors Alumnus Tony Avent

NC State University alumnus Tony Avent, prolific horticulturist and plant conservationist, was recently honored with the Royal Horticultural Society’s prestigious Veitch Memorial Medal, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the science and practice of horticulture. 
cows in a field

Mar 31, 2025

Food Animal Initiative Launches New Leadership

The Food Animal Initiative has named six leaders to head its five platforms aimed to further develop the future of the food animal industry. 
a group of people standing outside with a corpse flower

Mar 6, 2025

Growing Interns

NC State University's JC Raulston Arboretum helps prepare the next generation of horticulturists through its internship program. 
a man in a red and white striped shirt sits next to a woman in a blue and white print shirt

Sep 12, 2024

Find What You’re Called to Do

For Dallas Barnes, 2024 CALS Distinguished Alumni Award winner, finding his true calling in agriculture and leading with faith has laid a path for a successful, fulfilling life. 
a man wearing a sports jacket and blue and white print shirt

Sep 11, 2024

Startup Success Formula: ‘Jump In and Do It’

Transforming from scientist to entrepreneur was a family affair for 2024 CALS Distinguished Alumni Award winner Giles Shih, whose curiosity and ingenuity came together at NC State to launch his successful international business career. 
Juniper Level Botanic Garden gazebo and creek

Sep 9, 2024

Conservation, Education and Beauty

With Tony Avent quickly approaching retirement, his gift of the Juniper Level Botanic Garden to the JC Raulston Arboretum inspired NC State to establish an endowment with an ambitious $20 million goal to maintain the 28-acre research garden and its massive plant data collection.