North Carolina State University will confer more than 3,000 degrees on graduating students during its fall commencement exercises, beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, in the RBC Center in Raleigh. Media coverage is welcomed.
During the ceremony, Chancellor James H. Woodward will confer 3,013 degrees – 63 associate’s, 1,902 bachelor’s, 782 master’s and 266 doctoral degrees. Twenty-one valedictorians will be recognized for earning perfect 4.0 grade point averages during their academic careers at NC State.
Woodward will confer honorary degrees on behalf of NC State to Dr. Jack Ward Thomas, former head of the U.S. Forest Service and career conservationist, and G. Smedes York, Raleigh’s former mayor and NC State alumnus.
NC State officials do not expect major traffic congestion, but advise attendees to be in their seats by 8:15 a.m. NC State’s Amalgam Brass Ensemble will begin playing at 8:30 a.m., and graduates will march onto the arena floor at 9 a.m. More commencement information is available online at www.ncsu.edu/registrar/graduation/index.html.
Note to editors: Scheduled commencement speaker Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri is unable to attend. Media seating will be provided near the front of the stage on the left-hand side. NC State News Services personnel will be available to assist reporters.
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North Carolina State University’s Encore Center for Lifelong Enrichment, which offers a variety of non-credit programs for adults aged 50 and older, has begun registration for its spring 2010 courses, trips and events, which run from Jan. 19 to April 23.
Thirty-eight short courses and six lectures covering a wide range of topics in the liberal
arts and sciences are scheduled. Participants can learn about such diverse topics as Nietzsche vs. Christianity, astronomy, the musical brain, the Vatican, forensic engineering, the films of Ken Russell, the Robber Baron era, American musical traditions, and elements of design. An evening course on Shakespeare and the theme of love, power and redemption will also be offered. A multi-day study trip to Paris will be offered in late April. Day trips will explore NC State’s fish farm, the Triangle’s water supply and a local Habitat for Humanity project. Cultural events include outings to the Carolina Ballet, the NC Symphony and the Durham Savoyard’s production of the Mikado.
Encore’s membership fee is $40 and runs from January through August 2010. The membership includes NC State benefits such as library privileges and discounts on campus cultural events. Most short courses are $45 each and trip and event prices vary. Call 919/515-5782 for a free catalog or visit Encore on the Web at www.ncsu.edu/encore.
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Researchers at North Carolina State University have received grants totaling more than $1.2 million from the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) to support research aimed at improving the health of dogs, cats, horses and wildlife. Continue Reading »
North Carolina State University and The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences have received a $1 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease to study why some patients have serious liver reactions to otherwise safe drugs.
The money is part of the Challenge Grant Program supported by federal stimulus dollars. Dr. David Threadgill, professor and head of the Department of Genetics at NC State, and Dr. Paul Watkins, founding director of The Hamner-UNC Institute for Drug Safety Sciences, are the lead investigators.
The two-year project will utilize the “Collaborative Cross,” a unique mouse population that is being developed in North Carolina to model the genetic diversity of the human population and thereby improve the ability of rodent models to predict and understand human biology. It is anticipated that genetic risk factors will be uncovered that can then be tested in patients who have experienced liver injury due to drugs. This should lead to new clinical tests that can identify sensitive patients so that they can avoid drugs likely to cause a liver reaction. In addition, these studies should advance understanding that will permit the future design of safer medications.
“The Collaborative Cross is an unprecedented tool to study the complex interactions between genes and the environment that determine individual differences in susceptibility to common diseases,” Threadgill said. “This resource can be used to investigate not only factors that determine susceptibility to adverse drug events, but also susceptibility to environmental toxicants or diseases such as colon or breast cancer.”
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Forestry extension specialist can discuss Christmas tree production, fertility and business management.
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