May 15, 2026 WUNC

“This rule is a slap in the face:” Critics say proposed plans to reduce toxic chemicals in NC water protects polluters, not public health

“PFAS … (are) also known as forever chemicals because they don’t break down in the environment,” said Knappe, a renowned PFAS researcher and professor at North Carolina State University. “The Haw River and the Cape Fear (River Basin) have … historically … high (levels) of 1,4 Dioxane and PFAS.” 

May 15, 2026 Yahoo! News

AI data centers pass 1 gigawatt and strain the U.S. power grid

The Open Energy Outlook Initiative, a collaboration between Carnegie Mellon University and North Carolina State University, found that electricity demand from data centers and cryptocurrency mining is projected to grow by 350% by 2030. 

May 15, 2026 Charlotte Observer

Is it a copperhead or a non-venomous lookalike? How to tell the difference in NC

When figuring out whether a creature is a copperhead, you may not want to rely on the shape of its head. That’s because some non-venomous species mimic the triangular shape when there’s danger, N.C. State University professor Ivana Mali wrote in an online Q&A. 

May 15, 2026 WRAL

Ask the Meteorologist: How bad is our rain deficit statewide since September of 2025?

Using data from North Carolina State University, we can visually understand how the rainfall deficit has evolved over time. 

May 14, 2026 Hindustan Times

Who is Anil Kochhar? 5 things to know as Indian-origin philanthropist clears loans for 176 NCSU grads, video goes viral

Indian-origin philanthropist Anil Kochhar has generated excitement by committing, together with his wife Marilyn Kochhar, to pay off all final-year student loans for the 2026 graduating class at North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles. 

May 14, 2026 Fortune Magazine

NC State graduates showed up for a commencement speech. They left with their senior-year loans paid off

But Anil Kochhar, the commencement speaker at North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles, helped ease some of that anxiety with a surprise announcement that he’d be covering the final-year education loans for every graduate of that school who had taken out loans during the 2025-2026 academic year.  

May 14, 2026 Live Mint

OpenAI says no user data stolen after supply-chain hackers accessed employee devices

Academic and industry studies have repeatedly warned about the growing risks posed by malicious npm packages and compromised maintainer accounts. A 2021 research paper titled “What are Weak Links in the npm Supply Chain?” by researchers from Microsoft, North Carolina State University and other institutions found that attackers could potentially hijack thousands of npm packages… 

May 14, 2026 The Independent

Graduates shocked after commencement speaker reveals their loans are paid off during speech

Anil Kochhar took the stage Friday during the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University’s commencement, when more than 170 students earned their bachelor’s degrees, and 26 received their master’s, according to Axios Raleigh. Kochhar’s father, Prakash Chand Kochhar, received his bachelor’s and master’s from the college in the Fifties. 

May 13, 2026 India Today

Indian-origin entrepreneur, wife clear loans of 176 US grads. Who’s Anil Kochhar?

Students attending the graduation ceremony at North Carolina State University Wilson College of Textiles received a pleasant surprise after an Indian-origin entrepreneur and his wife announced they would pay off the student loans of at least 176 graduating students. The announcement by alumnus and donor Anil Kochhar came during Wilson College’s commencement ceremony on Friday… 

May 13, 2026 The Guardian

US university’s commencement speaker reveals he will pay off students’ final-year loans

Anil Kochhar, a North Carolina State University donor, gave graduates of the school’s Wilson College of Textiles a lot more than just words of wisdom when he delivered their keynote commencement address recently. The Indian American entrepreneur also announced that he would pay off any student loans taken out by the college’s graduating pupils during… 

May 13, 2026 The Daily Mail

Incredible moment North Carolina State University graduates find out their senior year debts are WIPED

Graduates at North Carolina State University cheered as they were told by a commencement speaker that he and his wife would pay off all of their senior year debt. Donor Anil Kochhar revealed the surprise gift during the college’s graduation ceremony at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. Kochhar told students that he and his wife Marilyn… 

May 13, 2026 ABC News

Student loans of NC State seniors to be paid off by graduation commencement speaker

North Carolina State’s Wilson College of Textiles commencement speaker announced he and his wife will pay off all seniors’ final-year loans, hoping to give graduates a debt-free start to their future. 

May 13, 2026 Bioengineer

New Study Uncovers How Fungal Parasites Attack Strawberries and Raspberries

As Michael Bradshaw, assistant professor of plant pathology and lead author, emphasized, the assumption that pathogens originate from a singular global source misses the intricate ecological interplay at work. 

May 13, 2026 Science X

Strawberries crossed oceans—and walked straight into an ambush already waiting underground

A new finding from NC State University regarding strawberries and raspberries encumbered with powdery mildew disease in North America, Europe and Asia suggests the latter happens more frequently than we thought. 

May 13, 2026 Morning Ag Clips

Study Reveals How Strawberries, Raspberries Were Ambushed by Fungal Parasites

“We have this general idea that a pathogen originates in one spot, and then it spreads throughout the world. But what we’re showing here is that’s not always the case,” said Michael Bradshaw, assistant professor of plant pathology at NC State and corresponding author of a paper describing the research.