Sustainable development professorship fully endowed by Bayer CropScience

Bayer CropScience’s Dr. Nick Hamon (center right) presents a check to Dr. Mark Stowers, chair of the North Carolina Agricultural and Life Sciences Research Foundation board. The donation is the final of three gift installments from the company to fully endow funding of the position of Bayer Environmental Science Professor of Sustainable Development in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at N.C. State University. With Stowers and Hamon are Dr. Johnny Wynne (right), CALS dean, and Dr. David Smith, CALS associate dean and director of the N.C. Agricultural Research Service. The presentation was made during the research foundation board’s annual meeting Sept. 23. Created in 2008 and funded by Bayer, the endowment is used to support activities of a full professor working in turfgrass management or other areas of innovation in sustainable development in the College. Eligible CALS departments for the professorship include Crop Science, Horticultural Science, Soil Science, Plant Pathology, Entomology or other departments providing support to the green industry. Dr. Tom Rufty, CALS professor of crop science, is the current Bayer Professor of Sustainable Development. Hamon, head of sustainability for Bayer CropScience in North America, also serves as an N.C. State University adjunct professor of entomology and works closely with CALS and with N.C. State’s College of Management on a range of sustainability initiatives. – Terri Leith