NC State University

Jim Moss has raised cattle for decades. He’s experienced good times and lean times, economic upturns and downturns. He’s handled everything the industry, the market and the weather could throw at him. He’s been buffeted at times, but he remains standing. But Moss has never seen anything like the drought of 2026. “I’ve been through tons of droughts, but none like this at this time of the year,” said Moss, who graduated from NC State in 1975 with an animal science degree.

Two professors from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS) received Fulbright awards for research initiatives in Australia and Northern Latvia, showcasing the college’s academic expertise on a global stage.

The FIFA World Cup is marketed as a global celebration for audiences everywhere, presenting itself as an event that transcends national, cultural and social boundaries by bringing people together through soccer. Yet the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, has drawn criticism for high ticket prices and immigration policies that many argue contradict its promise of accessibility and inclusion.

Even though the United States of America had a 111-year headstart on the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, as NC State University was first named when it was created in 1887, over the last 139 years North Carolina’s first land-grant institution has enriched the nation through its devotion to research, teaching, outreach and engagement.

Media Contact: tracey_peake@ncsu.edu Researchers from North Carolina State University and Rice University have created a non-toxic, stretchable battery that operates by extracting moisture from the ambient environment – even in climates as dry as the desert. The batteries could be useful in Internet of Things (IoT) applications ranging from wearables to advanced surveillance monitors with built-in kill-switches.

Many technologies that modern society depends on were first developed with a military or defense application in mind. The internet’s arguably the most influential example, which can be traced directly to ARPANET — a computer-to-computer network developed by what’s now known as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

As a child in Tyner, North Carolina, Lilah Byrum grew up with an agricultural background. She and her parents raised cattle as a hobby, and many of her extended family are in row crop production. Inspired by her passion for agriculture, Byrum, who is serving as the 2026-27 North Carolina Watermelon Queen, wants to help raise awareness about the industry and the farmers who grow our food.

Andre West, who has served the Wilson College community dutifully as the director of Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE) since 2019, will be stepping down from his role and beginning phased retirement effective June 30. Melissa Sharp, the associate director of ZTE, will take over as the interim director effective July 1.

Recent Ph.D. graduates Sina Jamalzadegan and Sobhana Sripada have been selected as the winner and honorable mention recipients, respectively, of the 2025 James K. Ferrell Outstanding Ph.D. Graduate Award.

Neo-P’s confirmed arrival in North Carolina in 2022 was followed by the phasing out of Thiram, one of the most effective fungicides in growers’ arsenal, along with supply chain issues that made other chemical standbys hard to access. Growers, reporting average losses of 12%, or $13,000 per farm in a year’s time to the disease, were eager for solutions.