Alumni Association News Category
05.23.2013
Caroline Delaney says she’s easy to please when it comes to dipping into the spirits. She’ll try anything, she says.
But lately she’s had a favorite drink of choice — her own.
Delaney, who graduated from NC State in 2008 with an accounting degree, and her husband own Muddy River Distillery, in Belmont, N.C., and produce Carolina Rum. The couple uses a still that her husband, a former contractor, built. They do everything from making the rum to bottling the rum and attaching the labels to the bottles.
Delaney says the idea came to her husband a couple of years back when he was on the road a lot for his contracting job. He wanted something that would allow him to be home more and just happened to come across an in-flight magazine that talked about the craft distilleries that were making a mark.
The couple worked on making Muddy River for a year while they both held down full-time jobs. But recently, both left those jobs to concentrate solely on the distillery.
“It was pretty crazy,” Delaney says. “We did it as a hobby on weekends. It reached a point where we had to do it full time or just let it go. We weren’t having any time for ourselves.”
So they both committed. And the gamble is paying off. So far, Carolina Rum is in more than 275 ABC stores around the state. It’s also a staple in some bars around Charlotte, which is close to Muddy River’s headquarters in an old textile mill sitting nicely on the banks of the Catawba River, for which the company is named, in Gaston County. And Muddy River’s work space is expanding from 500 square feet to a 6,000 square-foot space on the other side of the mill.
Delaney says that Carolina Rum won its first award in December at a competition in Greensboro, and that customers compliment its distinct taste.
“They say it’s really smooth and has a different aftertaste than most rum,” she says.
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The Mecklenburg County Alumni Network will tour Muddy River Distillery Tuesday, May 28. If you would like more details on the event, check out the event’s page on the Alumni Association’s website.
05.23.2013
Need a job? Want a better job? Considering a career change? We may be able to help.
The Alumni Association is partnering with My Workster and other universities to host the second annual Recruit NC Alumni Career Fair on Thursday, June 6, at the McKimmon Center. The event is only open to alumni of participating colleges and universities, including NC State, UNC and Duke. Registration is on a first come, first served basis.
Catherine Tuttle, alumni career services coordinator for the Alumni Association, says that career fairs can help people stand out in a market where there are still more job hunters than there are jobs. “It puts a face to a name,” she says. “It gives you the opportunity to sell yourself beyond a piece of paper.”
Representatives from more than 80 top companies, including Citrix, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, LORD Corporation and UPS, will be there to talk with. In an effort to keep the crowds smaller, a small fee is required to attend the career fair. Click here to register online.
05.05.2013
The Alumni Association is honoring 21 NC State professors with the 2013 Faculty Awards for their outstanding work in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the field. We talked (via email) with some of the recipients about their work and the keys to being a successful professor.
Today we’re visiting with Robert Borden, a professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering. Borden is one of three professors being recognized for Outstanding Extension and Outreach.
What prompted you to become a professor? I really enjoy learning new things, and sharing this with others. It turns out that is exactly what a researcher and teacher does, so it was a great fit for me.
What are the keys to being a successful teacher/professor? Learning to communicate effectively is critical to being a successful teacher and researcher. To do this, you must first identify the critical concepts, and then focus on these ideas. When working with students, I push them to figure out the main conclusions BEFORE they start writing a report. When they do this, the final product is much more concise and easy to understand. The same goes for my own work. When preparing for a new course, I have to first decide what my students really need to know about a topic. Once I understand that, it is much easier to effectively communicate these ideas to students.
What gives you the greatest satisfaction as a professor? Meeting with former students who come back to visit after being away from NCSU awhile. It is truly wonderful to visit with them, hear how things are going, and know you had a little part in their success. I have been teaching long enough now, that some of my first students are starting to show up with their own kids, checking out colleges and planning for the future. What a wonderful experience. Red & White for Life!!!
05.04.2013
The Alumni Association is honoring 21 NC State professors with the 2013 Faculty Awards for their outstanding work in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the field. We talked (via email) with some of the recipients about their work and the keys to being a successful professor.
Today we’re visiting with Shannon Pratt-Phillips, an associate professor in the Department of Animal Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Pratt-Phillips is one of seven professors being recognized as Alumni Association Outstanding Teachers.
What prompted you to become a professor? I became a professor because I loved my own university experience, and I wanted to give other students the same opportunities to learn to love education, and to learn how to reach their goals. I also wanted to have an impact on horse health in terms of nutrition, both directly (through conducting research in this area), and indirectly (through my students - future veterinarians, equine facility operators, current or future horse owners).
What are the keys to being a successful teacher/professor? I think students get excited about a topic - and therefore learn it better - if you (as the instructor) are excited and passionate about it. I try to have a balance between my own life (and horse ownership) experiences and practical, factual information. I try to show lots of videos, keep students updated with current events in the industry, and show how the information we discuss is relevant and useful for them (even if they’ll never own or touch a horse!)
What gives you the greatest satisfaction as a professor? I think knowing students are actually excited to come to my class is a nice feeling. Of course, seeing the students graduate, go on to graduate or veterinary school, or have careers in the industry is always very rewarding. I love hearing from students long after the course is over!
05.03.2013
The Alumni Association is honoring 21 NC State professors with the 2013 Faculty Awards for their outstanding work in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the field. We talked (via email) with some of the recipients about their work and the keys to being a successful professor.
Today we’re visiting with Chris Anson, University Distinguished Professor of English in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Anson, who is also director of the Campus Writing & Speaking Program, is one of two professors being recognized as Alumni Association Distinguished Graduate Professors.
What prompted you to become a professor? My fascination with writing — how it works, how it’s learned, how it varies across a vast array of disciplinary, professional, and social contexts — took me first into a master’s in creative writing and then into a doctoral program in the then-nascent field of writing studies. In both those programs, I also started teaching first-year students how to be stronger and more self-aware writers. Although I might have pursued a career in industry or publishing, it was these first experiences working closely with students that drew me into the professoriate, where I could continue my research on the nature and acquisition of writing while also contributing to the education of college students. Before long, I was working with graduate students as a mentor both in their research and in their own development as teachers.
What are the keys to being a successful teacher/professor? It’s tempting for us to focus our attention and energy inward, and to see ourselves and our knowledge as the key to students’ learning. Only when we start thinking about the students and what they bring into the classroom, and what they do to learn the complex and challenging skills and knowledge of our courses, do we begin to understand how to teach. This principle often gets translated into catchy phrases that characterize our role, such as “sage on the stage vs. guide by the side,” or “ref. vs. coach.” But these phrases do point to a deep ideological difference between assuming it’s completely up to the students to figure out how to learn the material, or putting in the energy to help them be successful learners, using a wide range of tools and methods. There’s deep value in being attentive to what best facilitates students’ learning, and to finding ways to get “windows” into their learning process (for example, through brief, low-stakes writing assignments designed more as a medium for learning than as a test of what’s already been learned).
What gives you the greatest satisfaction as a professor? Engagement. That is, when students become completely engaged in the material of my course and when their intellectual growth becomes visible as a result. I get great satisfaction from carefully working out a process or a set of activities or an assignment that yields visible student engagement and deep thinking. With graduate students, this often involves thinking or working together as co-researchers. I also love to see the transformative results of students’ learning, when they say or demonstrate that our work has changed them and caused them to see something differently and more deeply. Finally, teaching isn’t something one learns early on and then enacts the same way for an entire career. The conditions of teaching, the students we teach, our disciplines, and the social contexts of learning all continue to evolve, which makes teaching a lifelong, intellectually engaging challenge.
05.02.2013
Four graduating seniors will receive the Mathews Medal, the highest non-academic distinction awarded to NC State students, at a ceremony tonight at the Dorothy and Roy Park Alumni Center. The Mathews Medal is modeled after the Watauga Medal and is administered by the Alumni Association Student Ambassador Program.
The award is named after Walter Jerome Mathews, the first student to arrive on the campus of the N.C. College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1889 (we chronicled Mathews’ arrival on campus in the commemorative 125th anniversary issue of NC State magazine). The Mathews Medal recognizes seniors who have made significant contributions to the university based on leadership and service.
Here are this year’s recipients:
Emily Tucker of Gaithersburg, Md. Tucker, a Park Scholar, served on the University Affairs committee as a student senator and founded the Reusable Regatta, a raft race to on Lake Raleigh to promote campus sustainability. She also chaired the Krispy Kreme Challenge and served as president of the Institute of Industrial Engineers.
Josh Privette of Wendell, N.C. Privette was transportation and campus safety chair in his time serving in the Alumni Association Student Ambassador Program. He also represented student interests in his time serving on the Physical Environment Standing committee, streamlining access to campus departments for students.
Mary Charles Hale of Morehead City, N.C. Hale, a Park Scholar, served as a Service Leadership Team committee member for the Center for Student Leadership, Ethics, and Public Service. She led a service trip to the Dominican Republic as a junior and directed NC State’s 125th anniversary homecoming celebration, the largest student-led homecoming in the country.
Andy Walsh of Pittsboro, N.C. Walsh served as student body president. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and served in the Alumni Association Student Ambassador Program, where he implemented the University’s Tradition Keepers program, known as The Brick. He also oversaw the Coaches’ Corner project aimed at celebrating NC State’s most beloved coaches.
05.02.2013
The Alumni Association is honoring 21 NC State professors with the 2013 Faculty Awards for their outstanding work in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the field. We talked (via email) with some of the recipients about their work and the keys to being a successful professor.
Today we’re visiting with Miriam Ferzli, a teaching assistant professor of biology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Ferzli, who earned her masters degree and doctorate at NC State, is one of six professors being recognized as Alumni Association Distinguished Undergraduate Professors.
What prompted you to become a professor? During my graduate career, I was “forced” to be a teaching assistant, and it was during this time that I fell in love with teaching. Prior to that, I just wanted to be a scientist, and teaching was not on my radar. I was actually terrified at the prospect of teaching, but felt right at home from the very first day. Since then, I have made teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning my central focus.
What are the keys to being a successful teacher/professor? I believe that the most important thing to achieve is a strong rapport with your students, one that is built on mutual respect and a love of learning. This will serve as the foundation to fostering a learning community in which students are willing to participate. I always aim to establish this type of learning environment. I lead by example and in the process try to instill a joy in learning the subject material by making it meaningful to their lives. I try to teach them ways of thinking that they can apply everywhere and I make my objectives very clear.
What gives you the greatest satisfaction as a professor? My greatest satisfaction comes when a student has gone beyond doing course work for the sake of a grade and shows investment in learning. An example would be a student who tells me that she found the exam or course very challenging; but that she really liked it, because it made her think and learn. When I see the evidence of learning, I feel rewarded. I also feel rewarded when the students stay in touch with me throughout their undergraduate years and tell me how much my class helped them in later courses. In general, there is a great satisfaction in seeing my students grow and develop academically and professionally — that is my greatest reward!
05.01.2013
The Alumni Association is honoring 21 NC State professors with the 2013 Faculty Awards for their outstanding work in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the field. We talked (via email) with some of the recipients about their work and the keys to being a successful professor.
Today we’re visiting with Michelle Harrolle, an assistant professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management in the College of Natural Resources. Harrolle is one of seven professors being recognized as Alumni Association Outstanding Teachers.
What prompted you to become a professor? I love teaching and always have. Thinking back to my childhood, my friends and I would play school and I always wanted to be the teacher. Teaching is in my nature and a part of who I am. My road to becoming a professor began in 2006 when I was a collegiate head swimming coach at Providence College. I realized I enjoyed the teaching aspects of being a college coach.
What are the keys to being a successful teacher/professor? First and foremost, I believe teachers truly need to care about their students. I always want to see my students succeed. The second most important part of my success has been my willingness to change and adapt. As society changes, so do our student. I enjoy adapting my teaching techniques (e.g., encouraging students to use laptop and tablets in class) and developing strategies to improve my teaching and student engagement (e.g., using student response systems in class).
What gives you the greatest satisfaction as a professor? When students are critically thinking and they have that “a-ha” moment, I am a very happy professor. I love it when former students come back after graduation and tell me they have used financial ratios and break-even analysis within their professions.
04.30.2013
The Alumni Association is honoring 21 NC State professors with the 2013 Faculty Awards for their outstanding work in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the field. We talked (via email) with some of the recipients about their work and the keys to being a successful professor.
Today we’re visiting with Gary Lackmann, a professor and director of graduate programs in the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences in the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Lackmann is one of seven professors being recognized as Alumni Association Outstanding Teachers.
What prompted you to become a professor? If you had asked me during my time as an undergraduate student if I would want to be a professor, I would have said “No! I couldn’t, and I wouldn’t want to!” But then I served as a teaching assistant for an introductory meteorology course while a MS student at the University of Washington. The students gave me tremendous positive feedback, and I enjoyed sharing science with students that were intimidated by the subject. It was extremely rewarding to help these students realize that they could understand science, and also that it could be fun and interesting. But I left school to work, and the idea of being a professor was still really only embryonic at that point. However, my next job was as a field meteorologist for the Navy, and I made two lengthy trips into the arctic as part of a field program. Long hours working on a ship in remote locations gave me time to contemplate. Subsequently I returned to school to earn my PhD, with the goal of teaching atmospheric science at the college level.
What are the keys to being a successful teacher/professor? At advanced levels, it is crucially important to stay current, and work to update and expand knowledge in emerging scientific areas. Bringing in examples and information that aims to make the material relevant to the students is helpful. Maintaining organization, while keeping a consistent but flexible structure clarifies expectations, and enables students to feel confident and comfortable. In order to keep students engaged, I use interactive discussions, hands-on projects, and student presentations to the extent that time permits. A major challenge is helping students to feel comfortable “thinking on their feet” while at the same time developing their critical thinking skills and challenging them to think independently. I strive to make the material and classroom experience exciting, and relevant to things to which they can relate. Lastly, I know that I have room for improvement. Good teachers, in my experience, do not rest on their laurels, but they keep working to get better. I utilize student feedback and performance to gauge where to focus my continued efforts to improve as a teacher, and I also try to learn from observing how others teach.
What gives you the greatest satisfaction as a professor? Observing the success of students, knowing that teaching and mentoring has helped them in their careers, is highly satisfying. The independence and flexibility of faculty positions is also a wonderful aspect; I can study a wide range of topics, and I can expand my research or teaching into different areas of I, or my students, would like to. Publishing a novel finding, or better yet, when a student publishes a solid paper, is both exciting and rewarding.
04.29.2013
The Alumni Association is honoring 21 NC State professors with the 2013 Faculty Awards for their outstanding work in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the field. We talked (via email) with some of the recipients about their work and the keys to being a successful professor.
Today we’re visiting with Molly Fenn, a teaching assistant professor of mathematics in the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Fenn is one of seven professors being recognized as Alumni Association Outstanding Teachers.
What prompted you to become a professor? Teaching has been the clear path for me from a young age. As a young child I had an imaginary class of students I would talk to instead of imaginary friends. The biggest question for me was what level to teach. I admire K-12 school teachers tremendously but eventually learned that doing that job was not for me. Instead, I continued my mathematical studies (another passion of mine) until eventually I realized a faculty position at a college or university would be a great fit.
What are the keys to being a successful teacher/professor? Math can be intimidating to many students, so I think my biggest strengths as a teacher are being approachable, being willing to acknowledge when things are hard, and being willing to show and talk about my mistakes in doing mathematics. Sometimes watching a clear, well thought out lecture can lead students to believe math is not messy, but it is! That’s not to say I don’t plan my classes very carefully, but rather that I’m not afraid to change course, attempt something new or different on the fly, or even let students lead themselves or the whole class down the wrong path. Everyone takes new and often wrong paths all the time, this is how problems get solved. I believe it’s important for students to see and experience this in the classroom.
It’s also very important to me as a teacher that my students are as involved in the learning process as possible. In small classes this mean I often do very little talking but instead plan activities and problems for them to work on during class time. I then act more as their coach than their instructor, helping them when they get stuck and giving them encouragement and confidence when they need it. I’m still learning how to incorporate more of this inquiry or discovery based style of teaching and learning into larger classes.
What gives you the greatest satisfaction as a professor? Seeing the lightbulbs go on. Those moments when students are frustrated and all of a sudden something clicks are amazing to watch and be part of. No matter how hard my day has been, if I can get into a classroom and see this happen, I can’t help but smile and feel great.
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