Mick Kulikowski

Apr 24, 2014

Researchers Sequence Genome of Tsetse Fly

An international consortium of researchers, including an entomologist from North Carolina State University, sequenced the genetic blueprint, or genome, of the tsetse fly, one of the world’s most dangerous vectors of human and livestock disease. Tsetse flies (Glossina morsitans) are found in Africa, feed exclusively on blood and transmit sleeping sickness, or African trypanosomiasis. Some… 

Apr 18, 2014

Study Suggests Dan River Water Is Suitable for Irrigation and as Drinking Water for Livestock

Using projections of water-quality trends based on hundreds of water analyses made during a 40-day period following the release of approximately 39,000 tons of coal ash into the Dan River on Feb. 2, 2014, North Carolina State University soil scientists conclude that the river water is suitable for use as irrigation water on crops and… 

Apr 16, 2014

NC State Awarded $25 Million NNSA Grant to Develop Leaders, Improve Technological Capabilities for Detecting Nuclear Proliferation

NC State today was awarded a five-year, $25 million grant by the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development to develop the next generation of leaders with practical experience in technical fields relevant to nuclear nonproliferation. NC State was selected by NNSA over 22 other proposals following a competitive process that… 

Apr 14, 2014

Strawberry Fields Forever

North Carolina is the nation’s No. 3 strawberry producer, but many of the state’s berries grow on small plots lacking the acreage to carry out sustainable growing practices like crop rotation. That, combined with constant concerns about soil pathogens and reliance on chemicals to rid plants of ubiquitous pests like spider mites, puts immense pressure… 

Apr 7, 2014

Praxair to Invest $1.33 Million in NC State’s College of Engineering

North Carolina State University’s College of Engineering will receive a $1.33 million gift from Praxair Inc. and its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Steve Angel, to support workforce development, diversity initiatives, and teaching and research related to areas of engineering and technology of specific interest to Praxair. Angel’s contribution of $667,000 will be matched by… 

Apr 1, 2014

‘Touched’ Female Cockroaches Reproduce Faster

To speed up reproduction, there’s no substitute for the tender touch of a live cockroach. That’s the major takeaway from a North Carolina State University study examining whether artificial antennae – in this case, duck feathers – can mimic a cockroach antenna’s capacity to hasten reproduction in cockroach females. Female cockroaches that get “touched” –… 

Mar 13, 2014

What’s Eating You?

It’s a jungle out there. Humans can be infected by more than 1,400 parasites – viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc. It can be bad enough when one nasty parasite takes hold – it’s certainly no fun to be stricken with tuberculosis – but what happens if you have two simultaneous infections? If one infection is diagnosed… 

Mar 10, 2014

$3 Million Gift to NC State University Seeds Rural Student Access Initiative

Chancellor Randy Woodson announced today a $3 million gift that will start the “Farm to Philanthropy” program designed to expand rural students’ access to an NC State University education. The gift from Dr. Joseph K. and Deborah Kapp Gordon of Raleigh to the university’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will support a number of initiatives… 

Mar 3, 2014

New NSF Dielectrics Center Ties Research Efforts to Product Development

If you want to do research that solves problems facing global industries, it helps to form partnerships with the industries you want to help. That’s the idea behind the National Science Foundation’s new Center for Dielectrics and Piezoelectrics, being led by NC State and Penn State. “Broadly speaking, our goal is to work with industry to… 

Feb 26, 2014

Sischo Named Vice Chancellor for Advancement at NC State

Brian C. Sischo, a 23-year veteran of higher education fund raising, has been named vice chancellor for university advancement at NC State University and president of the NC State University Foundation. Sischo comes to NC State from Syracuse University where he has served as vice president for development since 2009. The NC State Board of Trustees today unanimously approved Sischo’s… 

Feb 18, 2014

Grasso Named Dean of NC State’s Graduate School

Dr. Maureen Grasso, dean of the University of Georgia’s Graduate School, has been named dean of the Graduate School at North Carolina State University. She begins her appointment July 1. A nationally recognized leader in graduate education, Grasso has served as dean at Georgia since 2002, overseeing a graduate program with more than 6,600 students, 95… 

Feb 5, 2014

Emerging Issues Forum to Focus on Teachers, Teacher Quality

National education experts and policy leaders will join N.C. leaders to discuss how teacher quality impacts educational outcomes at the 29th annual Emerging Issues Forum. This year’s forum, titled “Teachers and the Great Economic Debate,” is scheduled for Feb. 10-11 at the Raleigh Convention Center. More than 150 K-12 educators and administrators from across North… 

Jan 30, 2014

Savanna Vegetation Predictions Best Done by Continent

A “one-size-fits-all” model to predict the effects of climate change on savanna vegetation isn’t as effective as examining individual savannas by continent, according to research published in Science this week. Savannas – grasslands dotted with trees – cover about 20 percent of the earth’s land and play a critical role in storing atmospheric carbon, says… 

Jan 28, 2014

NC State Moves Up to 4th Place on Top 10 Best-Value List

North Carolina State University received more accolades for providing a quality education at an affordable price today as the university ranked fourth in the “Top 10 Best Value Public Colleges for 2014,” released by The Princeton Review. An education services company, The Princeton Review chose its “Best Value Colleges” for 2014 based on criteria covering… 

Jan 8, 2014

Poisonous Water Leads to Bigger, But Fewer, Fish Babies

Living in extreme environments often entails taking extreme measures to survive. Live-bearing fish mothers in toxic North and South American waters try to give their offspring the best chance at surviving the harsh environment by giving birth to big babies, according to research published in Ecology Letters. The study examining nine different live-bearing fish species…