North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will celebrate the 135th anniversary of the Second Morrill Act with milestone events in 2025-26, including a commemorative dinner; the 40th anniversary celebration of Small Farms Week, N.C. Cooperative Extension’s annual tribute to small-scale farming; and a student research poster display.

The College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) will also unveil a new motto built upon the land-grant mission: “Where Science Meets Society.”

Horticulture professor Guochen Yang, Ph.D., works with doctoral students Will Lashley, right, and Julia Robinson in his lab. The group are assessing ginger seedlings that have been micropropagated, or grown from tissue cultures, to see if ginger is a viable crop option for North Carolina farmers.

“It’s our mission, as the ‘A’ in A&T, to take the results of our research out of the lab and bring them to the people to help them improve their lives,” said Radiah Minor, Ph.D., interim dean of the college. “This landmark piece of legislation, the Second Morrill Act of 1890, opened the doors of higher education wider to include people of color, and today, we lead the way in agriculture, STEM and groundbreaking research.”

Established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890 — which expanded the system of land-grant universities to include historically Black institutions in states where segregation denied minorities’ access to the institutions established under the First Morrill Act of 1862 — N.C. A&T has grown to become the nation’s largest HBCU, with more than 15,000 students anticipated for the 2025 fall semester. It has become a leading university for engineering, agriculture and related sciences, and is ranked third in the state’s 17-campus university system for sponsored research.

Events began Sept. 3 with the Showcase of Excellence, a student research and academic poster event in which more than 100 students prepare posters and make presentations to faculty and visitors about research, internships and study-abroad experiences.

“In support of the land-grant mission of teaching, this year’s showcase will pay tribute to the Second Morrill Act’s anniversary,” said Antoine Alston, Ph.D., associate dean for academics. “This showcase represents the cream of the crop for our college, the finest our students have to offer, showcasing their applied learning and taking what they learned in the classroom out into the world.”

On Sept. 9, the college’s AI team competed with distinction, finishing fourth against 19 other teams in the PlayCyber Cyber and AI Games for Agriculture competition in Washington, D.C. Led by Harmandeep Sharma, Ph.D., the team worked through 25 food and agriculture-focused AI and cybersecurity challenges to resolve potential threats to supply chains, food systems and commodity safety. Other national events included visits to lawmakers and a reception at the National 4-H Council headquarters in Washington.

The campus’s celebration will continue Oct. 24 with a celebratory dinner. The farm-to-table event will be held at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion during Agriculture Awareness Weekend. A highlight will be the showing of “135 Years Strong,” a commemorative video marking N.C. A&T’s journey from legacy to growth.

In the spring, Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Small Farms Week, a statewide celebration of small-scale farming and the everyday citizens who power N.C.’s $111 billion agricultural sector. The week offers a kickoff event, celebrating the 2025 Small Farmers of the Year Elvin and Madeline Eaton, of Granville County; educational forums and hands-on demonstrations; and the crowning of a new Small Farmer of the Year at a farm-to-table dining event.

“Small-scale farmers are the backbone of our state, growing the food we eat and caring for the land,” said M. Ray McKinnie, Cooperative Extension administrator at N.C. A&T. “For 40 years, N.C. Cooperative Extension has honored them with the Small Farmer of the Year Award and the entire Small Farms Week. Because of the Second Morrill Act, we exist and can do that.”