CAES alumnus Michael S. Regan, a 1998 graduate of N.C. A&T, receives the doctor of humane letters honorary degree during fall graduation exercises at which he was the keynote speaker in the Greensboro Coliseum Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021.

The nation’s top environmental protection official challenged more than 1,300 North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University graduates and their family members to find pursuits that fuel their passion and fight for what they believe in – a practice that not only can make them relevant, but “powerful beyond measure.”

Making a triumphant return to the university as the speaker for fall ’21 commencement ceremonies, Michael S. Regan ‘98 drew parallels between the opportunities graduates have to become change agents today and the opportunities North Carolina A&T students took advantage of during the Civil Rights Movement, changing the nation in the process.

Regan, who graduated from the  College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) with a B.S. in environmental sciences, credited many people in his life for teaching him to stand up and be counted in order to succeed, including his wife, Melvina T. Regan, whom he met at A&T as she earned her B.A. in psychology.

Regan also acknowledged the influence of Godfrey Uzochukwu, Ph.D., senior professor of natural resources and environmental design in CAES and founding director of the university’s Interdisciplinary Waste Management Institute. Regan chose Uzochukwu to be a charter member of the EPA’s Science Advisory Board, where he holds a dual appointment to the Agricultural Sciences Committee.

“His pushing and prodding were about excellence and making me more powerful, which is exactly what A&T, one of the premiere universities in this country, is all about – excellence,” said Regan.

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More than 70 growers came to the University Farm to learn the ways that high tunnels can help them cultivate winter vegetables during Cooperative Extension’s High Tunnel Field Day on Dec. 9.

Kale, turnips, red and green lettuce, kohlrabi, carrots, radishes and more were on the menu during the field day, run by Extension horticulture specialist Sanjun Gu, Ph.D., and assistant horticulture specialist John Kimes of the University Farm. Gu and Kimes shared tips for growing these vegetables in three different types of high tunnels, as well as tips for soil amending. Participants got the chance to take home some of the harvest.

Gu and Kimes also shared tips for high tunnel construction.

A&T Extension is planning additional field days in the spring. Check Cooperative Extension’s web page, https://www.ncat.edu/caes/cooperative-extension/index.php,  for updates.

Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T is excited to offer the second round of stipends to community gardens throughout North Carolina. A&T has been working with North Carolina Community Garden Partners to bolster the statewide network of community gardens by developing a virtual directory and resource hub.   

This year, 25 gardens will be awarded a stipend of up to $1,000 by completing this application and participating in the short COVID-19 response training session. The Covid response training will be held online and will walk gardeners through developing their own garden response plan, food handling and donating best practices, and how to find other resources for growing your garden.

The stipends must be used for community garden enhancements and/or COVID-19 related purchases. We are committed to sharing our resources equitably, prioritizing groups with limited access to other funding and Tier 1 counties. However, we encourage all gardens in need to apply.

Additionally, N.C. A&T is offering the Community Garden Leadership Academy to four garden groups throughout the state this spring. This academy will provide participants with leadership skills and the county support needed to enhance our garden communities.

For more information, contact Alyssa McKim, community foods associate, at mamckim@ncat.edu and (336) 285-4623.

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Contact Sanjun Gu, Ph.D. at sgu@ncat.edu and (336) 285-2333