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A Growing Passion for Improving Crops

college of agriculture and life sciences

Gwen Kirschke

Sep 29, 2025

Pollinator Research Takes to the Skies with NASA Grant

At the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) in Crested Butte, Colorado, Gwen Kirschke, a doctoral student pursuing a Ph.D. in geospatial analytics at NC State University, is pairing traditional boots-on-the-ground pollinator monitoring methods with aerial imagery captured by the U.S National Science Foundation’s National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Airborne Observation Platform.
a man sits at a desk looking at a computer screen

Sep 12, 2025

From Computer Science to Crop Science

At 70 years old, Steve Amerige is working toward a doctoral degree in crop science using skills from his long career in software programming to develop new tools for precision agriculture.
a tan ceramic mug with a skeleton hand around the body of the mug and a dark brown, tan and light blue accented tiled ceramic mug.

Aug 19, 2025

From Pine Cones to Kilns: A Plant Biologist’s Passion for Pottery

A doctoral student in plant biology, Erin Emott has successfully blended her love of art and the natural world, earning two Visual Artist Awards through Arts NC State.
Cooper howling wolf sculpture near greenery and benches

Aug 18, 2025

Sparking Student Entrepreneurism

An award from the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative is helping two Ph.D. students turn lab-based discoveries into commercial products for crop and animal production.
Students gather round a man in a farm field and take notes.

Aug 18, 2025

Grad Students Dig Into AI for Ag

NC State’s GRAD-AID for Ag program got off to a great start this summer in preparing a future-proof workforce at the intersection of plant science and artificial intelligence,
Samantha Kisthardt

Jul 16, 2025

Grad Student Profile: Samantha Kisthardt

Samantha Kisthardt, a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Theriot lab at NC State, researches how the gut microbiome prevents C. difficile infection.
a man wearing glasses and a gray t-shirt holds blueberries on a blueberry bush

Jun 11, 2025

Growing Blueberry Research

Postdoctoral researcher Heeduk Oh’s cutting-edge work with blueberries has earned him the Keller Award for doctoral dissertation research for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
a man and woman stand outside in front of trees and grass

Apr 11, 2025

Investing in Innovation: Two BAE Students Awarded NSF Fellowship

Christopher Oates and Evelynn Wilcox are among six NC State students recently named to the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program’s 2025 cohort.
a woman stands next to a series of clear columns in a laboratory

Feb 27, 2025

From Lab to Field: Using Biochar to Clean Watersheds

Liz Riedel, a graduate student in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, is investigating a low-cost biochar filtration solution to improve water quality in rural wastewater systems.
a women stands outside next to a sign that says syngenta

Jan 22, 2025

A Growing Passion for Improving Crops

As a doctoral student in plant biology, Anne-Marie Pullen envisions a career in the agricultural industry to improve crop resilience against environmental stressors.