Professors Guochen Yang and Sanjun Gu’s work to make ginger a profitable, predictable crop choice for North Carolina farmers was recently highlighted in the News & Record newspaper in the article “Spicing Up Farming.”

Yang, a horticulture professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, and Gu, a horticulture specialist for Cooperative Extension, are researching varieties and growing conditions to make ginger a niche crop option for the state’s small farmers

Kathleen Liang, a professor in the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education and co-director of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, was recently announced as the winner of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s Presidential Recognition Award, the association’s highest honor.

Liang has been a member of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association since 1990. During that time, she has served on many committees, served as paper reviewers/session chair/discussant.

She has been the Chair of the Mentorship Committee since 2020 and has offered multiple training workshops for members, including job market situations for graduate students and job search tips for masters and undergraduate students.

Under her leadership, the association created a series of storytelling events – Listening to Diverse Voices of the AAEA – which generated a unique opportunity for our members to learn from others, share their personal and professional journey, inspire others, and motivate networking among members. She served as the facilitator for these sessions to promote diversity and inclusion.

Radiah Minor, associate professor of animal science in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, was featured recently on WFMY News 2 by reporter Monique Robinson as part of her “Phenomenal Women in Stem” series.

The segment highlighted not only Minor’s swine immunology research and the summer STEM camp she mentors, but also her experience as a first-generation college student, an experience she seeks to pass on to the girls she works with.

“I didn’t come from a wealthy family and I’m the first generation, but maybe that’s why I don’t see what some people might see … as a roadblock,” she said. “I guess my vision was, ‘there is no block.’ ”

The complete segment originally aired Aug. 20.