In Adversity, the Wolfpack Unites

Soon after Hurricane Florence emerged as a tropical depression off the coast of West Africa, the NC State community kicked into high gear to help North Carolinians prepare.

Alumni meteorologists tracked the storm from the National Hurricane Center. Faculty and staff experts took to the airwaves to share their knowledge on everything from the storm’s development to its effects on wildlife. NC State Extension personnel worked around the clock to deliver critical safety and preparedness information directly to the people who needed it most.

And after the storm devastated much of Eastern North Carolina with record-breaking rainfall and flooding, NC State was there to help.

The university’s students, faculty and staff didn’t hesitate to head east and lend a hand on UNC System campuses and in communities affected by the storm. NC State scientists helped assess the hurricane’s impacts. Faculty and students provided veterinary care for evacuated animals. And the university created disaster relief funds to support affected communities as well as students in need of food, housing, and financial and educational security.

Our work continues today, as the NC State community keeps helping storm-damaged parts of North Carolina recover and rebuild.

Superfood Presents a Super Opportunity

North Carolina is the No. 1 producer of sweet potatoes in the nation, thanks to NC State’s cutting-edge breeding program and the advent of its breakthrough Covington variety.

Covington triggered the transformation of a dying sweet potato industry into a year-round economic powerhouse that ships food from North Carolina to Europe and other corners of the globe.

The university now leads an effort — fueled by a $12 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation — to bring molecular science to sweet potato breeding programs in sub-Saharan Africa. This research could transform the way sweet potatoes are eaten in several African countries, improving the health of young children and their mothers and creating new economic opportunities.

But our work has only just begun.

NC State researchers, professors and extension agents — in partnership with the state’s sweet potato industry — continue to improve upon the success of Covington, develop new sweet potato varieties and find ways to get the superfood into the hands of the people who need it most.

The Sky’s the Limit

Big ideas take shape on NC State’s campus every day. Our students have exceptional opportunities to grow those ideas into new businesses, technologies, consumer products and whatever else their imaginations might concoct.

Our student entrepreneurs benefit from a supportive network that includes like-minded peers, experienced faculty mentors, invested alumni and community partners. Through academic programs, clubs and events dedicated to business development and growth, students can make valuable connections and gain access to the resources necessary to get their startup ventures off the ground.

The Entrepreneurship Clinic brings together students, faculty and local startups at a thriving co-working space in downtown Raleigh. The eGarage — NC State’s entrepreneurship hub — provides space for prototyping and problem-solving. A number of makerspaces across campus invite student entrepreneurs to experiment with powerful tools, integrated electronics and wearable technology. Students in the Albright Entrepreneurial Village develop their ideas alongside peers in a neighborhood environment that inspires ingenuity.

Creativity and innovation are at the heart of NC State’s Think and Do mission, and we’re proud to rank among the best in the nation for undergraduate entrepreneurship.