Godfrey Gayle, Ph.D., to retire after 40 years

Godfrey Gayle, Ph.D.

Faculty and staff of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences are invited to attend an Aggie retirement reception in honor of professor Godfrey Gayle’s 40 years of teaching, research and service to the college.

The celebration will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, in Meeting Room 342 of the Student Center.

Please RSVP by Nov. 26; a $25 donation per RSVP is requested. Checks and money orders should be made payable to N.C. A&T State University (reference “Dr. Godfrey Gayle’s retirement” in the memo line) and sent to N.C. A&T NRED Department, Carver Hall, Suite 209A, 1601 E. Market St. Greensboro, NC 27411, to the attention of Cassaundra Dixon or Darlene Primas.

Cards, pictures or letters of congratulations to be included in a retirement book can also be sent to the above address. Letters can be emailed in PDF form to dprimas@ncat.edu.

College updating alumni contact information

Do you know an alumnus who isn’t receiving CAES News? Please share this newsletter and encourage them to update their contact information with Deborah Clemons at dgclemons@ncat.edu.

Extension at N.C. A&T Agents honored for service

Numerous Extension at N.C. A&T agents received awards on Oct. 30 at the State Extension Conference.

Victoria Jean Cope North Carolina 4-H Professional Development Award for 4-H Agents
Stacie Kinlaw, 4-H Agent in Bladen County

Lathan F. Smith, Jr. Excellence in 4-H Award
Stacie Kinlaw, 4-H Agent in Bladen County

Dr. Sandra Zaslow Professional Development Award
Shameca Battle, FCS Agent in Guilford County

NCCE Search for Excellence Awards

North Central District Team Award
N.C. Cooperative Extension Community Resource Development Team – National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, Host Committee, including Traci Dixon, CRD Agent in Nash County; Michelle Eley, N.C. A&T Community and Economic Development Specialist; and Kittrane Sanders, CRD Agent in Harnett County

South Central District Team Award
Alexander County Extension, including FCS Agent Der Holcomb

Overall Team Award
Alexander County Extension, including FCS Agent Der Holcomb

NRED hosts food waste panel discussion Nov. 26

Three CAES graduate students will serve as panelists for the seminar “Food Waste Utilization: A Contribution to Food Security in the United States” noon-1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26, in Carver Hall, Room 213.

The panelists – Jamal Musah, Arjun Kafle and Theophilus Amoah – are pursuing master’s degrees in agricultural and environmental systems. The event is free and open to the public.

CAES creates social committee

Social Committee members are (seated, from left): Deborah Clemons, Meeshay Williams-Wheeler, Nakeisha Goodman; standing (from left) are: Sharon Mitchell, Doug Jones and Darlene Primas.

The CAES is housed in multiple locations, reducing opportunities for engagement and social interaction across its units. Dean Mohamed Ahmedna has appointed a social committee to develop and implement a program of social events and engagement activities that bring the college together to promote a climate of fellowship, appreciation and inclusiveness.

Social Committee Members

  • Meeshay Williams-Wheeler, Family and Consumer Sciences, Chair
  • Deborah Clemons – Agricultural Communications, Member
  • Sandra Simmons – Agribusiness, Applied Economics, and Agriscience Education, Member
  • Doug Jones – University Farm, Member
  • Sharon Mitchell – Animal Sciences, Member
  • Darlene Primas – Natural Resources and Environmental Design, Member
  • Donna Robertson – Agricultural Research, Member
  • Nakeisha Goodman – Cooperative Extension, Member

Faulkner and team awarded grant

Paula Faulkner, Ph.D

Professor Paula Faulkner, Ph.D., of the Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education; Crystal Kyle, Ph.D., of N.C. Cooperative Extension; and Shon Smith, Ph.D., of the N.C. A&T College of Education, have received a grant to fund a project designed to provide programming and assistive technologies to veterans and limited-resource farmers living in rural areas, where there is limited access to the resources and information that would allow them to have sustainable lifestyles.

The project, called “Keeping Them Safe: Farming Practices and Assistive Technologies for Veterans and Limited Resource Farmers,” will involve professionals representing Cooperative Extension, the university and rural health providers, collaborating to identify solutions for improving veterans and farmers’ sustainable lifestyles. Educational training, site visits and demonstrations will assist participants with developing business plans, increase crop yields and use marketing tools.

The project will be delivered at sites in North Carolina that support veterans and farmers, including those individuals with an expressed interest in farming.

Funded by the University of Kentucky’s Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention, the $11,995 project will run through September 2020.

Animal Sciences celebrates sophomores’ achievement

Sophomore animal science majors were given achievement pins in a ceremony in Webb Hall. Standing are Sharon Mitchell, administrative support; Millie Worku, Ph.D.; Department Chairperson Tracy Hanner, Ph.D., ; Dean Mohamed Ahmedna, Ph.D.; Larry Hartsfield, USDA 1890 Program Liaison.

To encourage and recognize its returning students, the Animal Science department hosted a Sophomore Achievement Award Ceremony at 4 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 14 in Webb Hall.

The ceremony’s purpose was to recognize students that returned to N.C. A&T and are making a commitment to graduate, said Tracy Hanner, department chairperson.

 “Student retention and student success are a part of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Preeminence 2023 strategic plan, and are very high on our list of priorities,” Hanner said. “We feel this is a good way to let the students know that we appreciate their being at A&T and encourage them to stay and graduate.”

Other staff and faculty in attendance were Dean Mohamed Ahmedna; Sharon Mitchell, administrative support; Millie Worku, Ph.D.; and Larry Hartsfield, USDA 1890 Program Liaison.

Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society holds fall meeting

Members of agriculture honor society Gamma Sigma Delta include (seated, from left): Valerie McMillian, Valerie Giddings, Obed Quaicoe and Chastity Warren-English; standing (from left) are: Sung-Jin Lee,  Bonita Hardy, Adonica Williams, Kishaa James.

Faculty and staff members of Gamma Sigma Delta, the agriculture honor society, celebrated their chapter’s 45th anniversary and held a forum on student success at their fall meeting on Nov. 14.

Panelists Dawn Nail, of the Center for Academic Excellence; Kishaa James, CAES Director of Student Services; and Jakki Williams, of the Center for Teaching Excellence, spoke about the student support resources in their areas that are available to faculty.

The Center for Teaching Excellence offers programs to develop faculty members so that they can help students in turn, Williams said. Included are programs on culturally responsive pedagogy, rubric formation and academic integrity.

The Center for Academic Excellence offers workshops focusing on student retention, including the Aggie M.E.N. (Male Empowerment Network,) geared toward making strong and positive impacts on male freshmen and continuing students. The center also offers tutoring and a freshman studies course with lessons on notetaking, interviewing, self-care and more, Nail said,

The CAES’s student services are also focused on retention, James said. Her office focuses on being available to students to guide them through life events; academic events, such as a change in major; and prioritizing school success. The office stays connected to CAES students through events, such as Unity Day; counseling, mentoring and generally being available to students who want to talk.

FCS faculty member explores biracial families in new book

Alethea Rollins, Ph.D., an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, has contributed several chapters to the new book Biracial Families: Crossing Boundaries, Blending Cultures and Challenging Racial Ideologies.

The book surveys the diverse experiences of biracial families, including blended and adoptive families, and their responses to the personal and larger social challenges involved in the families’ efforts to construct identity, culture, and meaning.

For more information, visit the book’s webpage.