Skip to main content
N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative

Education & Workforce Development Platform

We develop plant science leaders.

A New Breed of Problem Solvers

The future poses challenges for food, agriculture, energy and the environment. That’s why we’re providing a unique training ground for a new breed of problem solvers.

Our scholarship programs, internships and collaborative graduate fellowships pave the way for the agile workforce of tomorrow.

We are making forward-looking investments in recruiting, training and retaining world-class plant scientists.

lifelong learning

education and workforce development

K-12

We collaborate to provide educational opportunities to K-12 students across North Carolina.

Learn more 
demo lab

Demo Lab

Designed to showcase ongoing N.C. PSI research projects to the public and serves as a hands-on educational area for students, teachers, extension agents, and others groups.

Learn more 
2023 PSI Hackathon

Undergraduates, Graduate Students & Beyond

We are constantly providing our N.C. PSI students and postdocs with a variety of professional development opportunities.

Learn more 
Craig Yencho and Mercy Kitavi work with sweet potato samples in a lab in Nairobi, Kenya.

Internships

N.C. PSI students can receive experience from a variety of different internship opportunities.

Learn more 
a man stands next to two computer screens

Fellowships and Awards

There are a variety funding opportunities for N.C. PSI students to support their education.

Learn more 
Researchers in lab

Certificates

Enhance your skills and advance your education with an undergraduate or graduate certificate.

Learn more 

84% of future agricultural jobs have plant science roots

We grow talent with plant science know-how.

Bridging Disciplines, Generating Solutions

At the N.C. PSI BRIDGE Symposium, grad students and postdocs discussed creative bridges across disciplines that could lead to improvements in the economy, environment and people’s lives.

Read more
BRIDGE Symposium participants standing at the front of a room

Researching Agricultural Challenges on the Backroads

In the second annual N.C. PSI Backroad Tour, graduate students and postdocs from several colleges visited farmers and producers across the state.

Read more
N.C. PSI plant sciences initiative graduate students research learn from farmers and NC State Extension
Participants on the second annual N.C. PSI Backroads Tour at Gary Hendrix’s cotton farm in Hoke County.

Annual N.C. PSI Hackathon

The N.C. PSI Hackathon is an annual event that gives undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars the chance to demonstrate their skills in a 3-day competition to solve ag tech related challenges for prizes and, of course, bragging rights.

Learn more
2021 Hackathon participants in action

Learning and Applying Agricultural Data Science

NC State’s Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Engineering and Science introduce a Graduate Certificate in Agriculture Data Science. This program combines data management and analysis techniques with computer science and statistical training to allow students to apply the processes of data mining and artificial intelligence to critical agriculture, food, and life science issues.

Learn more 

Norma L. Trolinder N.C. PSI Graduate Student Endowment 

Norma and Linda Trolinder are a mother-daughter duo of preeminent researchers and have established the N.C. PSI’s first graduate student endowment to propel the future of the field they love.

Learn more 

Re-thinking How We Teach Graduate Students

To address societal challenges, scientific research must be convergent: driven by compelling problems and deeply integrating scientific disciplines. AgBioFEWS students gain this capacity by working collaboratively to research how agricultural biotechnology changes agricultural landscapes and rural communities, integrating tools and cultures from the natural and social sciences.

Learn more 

Terri Long

Education and Workforce Development Platform Director

Throughout her career, Long has made it her mission to inspire others to harness the power of plants. As Platform Director, she creates programs that elevate student experiences and expand understanding of plant science.

Learn More
terri headshot
Terri Long, Education and Workforce Development Platform Director, shares her vision for N.C. PSI.

NEWS FROM N.C. PSI’S EDUCATION PLATFORM

More N.C. PSI News
a man stands next to two computer screens

Planting the Future

With support from the Trolinder graduate student endowment, Weilong He hopes to use machine learning to help breeders more efficiently assess the health of plants and troubleshoot problems for farmers. 
Anna Trolinder in the Kleiner Lab

Award-Winning Plant Science Grad Student Hopes To Share Research Internationally

With research aimed at helping scientists develop a more targeted approach to the design and development of microbial products for sustainable agriculture, North Carolina State University Ph.D. student Anna Garrell… 
BRIDGE Symposium participants standing at the front of a room

Bridging Disciplines, Generating Solutions

Demonstrating the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, nine pairs of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from 12 NC State University departments recently presented their strategies for bringing different fields together for research…