Alumni
We fuel Pack pride by creating powerful experiences that connect our alumni, friends, students and partners to NC State — and one another — for life.
Making a Difference
Bolstered by an exceptional education and valuable real-world experiences, College of Natural Resources alumni leave our halls ready to work hard to drive innovation and tackle global challenges that affect us all. They are leading the way in fields like sustainability and conservation, paper science, recreation and tourism, public policy, business, law and environmental science.
Our alumni go far, but many also stay near. They are making North Carolina a better home for all its residents by driving three of the state’s top five industries: forestry, wood products, and tourism and golf.
Stay Connected
The College of Natural Resources is a small community on a big campus. Our faculty, staff and students are a family who learn and solve problems together, support one another and build networks that span the world and last a lifetime.
After you graduate, you remain a valued part of our community. By giving your time, talent and resources to the college, you can support our important work, especially in developing the next generation of natural resources leaders.
Check out some ways you can stay connected with us and with NC State.
Lauren Henderson ’25 is turning her passion for sports into advocacy for women and girls everywhere. 🏅
Basketball and softball were Lauren’s first loves, but after 10 years, she suffered a back injury. This ultimately led the #NCStateCNR alumna to her true calling: advocating for women in sports and sport management. Today, she is pursuing her master’s degree in sport leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University.
“I’m going to get my master’s degree, and I want to use that in conjunction with the College of Natural Resources and my sport management degree to hopefully one day become a WNBA general manager, where I can not only focus on my love for basketball and help organize logistics, but then help use that platform of a WNBA team to create or continue working on certain initiatives to help promote girls and women in sports and other underrepresented groups.” —@laurenghenderson
Check out the link in our bio to read more about Lauren.
Gregory Godwin `24 turned his passion for the outdoors into a purpose-driven career in wildlife conservation. 🌿
After graduating from NC State with a degree in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, Gregory began working with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission—first as a conservation technician and now as a wildlife conservation biologist for District 4.
"Some of the most rewarding days are when I get a text saying, “Gregory, listen to the quail I have on the farm,” or “Look how many wild turkey poults I have on my trail camera.” Interactions like these remind me that I am not only making a difference on a personal level, but also positively contributing to the success of a variety of species in our state." —@gregorypg48
Check out the link in our bio to read more about Gregory`s journey.
Way to #ThinkAndDo this year, #NCStateCNR Pack! 🐺🐾
We can’t wait to see what 2026 holds.
New research from NC State’s Department of Forest Biomaterials (@ncstatefb) shows that electrification, biomass power and efficiency could drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. pulp and paper mills. ⚡🌿📄
“We’ve found that there is a path toward zero emissions for these mills, but only if that progress is made in the electrical grid,” - Dr. Lokendra Pal, the EJ “Woody” Rice Professor in Paper Science and Engineering
Click the link in bio to read more about how NC State researchers are leading the change toward clean energy.
📸: Dr. Lokendra Pal (left) and Maria González, lead author and Ph.D. student in the Department of Forest Biomaterials, showcase the “Wolfpack Baby” pilot paper machine in the Paper and Pulp Testing Laboratory.
We hope that all of our students, faculty and staff have a wonderful winter break! ❄️ #NCStateOnCampus
Through the Women in Sport Spring Series, faculty and students in NC State’s College of Natural Resources are expanding opportunities for women in sport management and recreation. 🤝 🌱
Led by Dr. Kim Bush and supported by Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy, the initiative offers networking, mentoring, clinics and the annual Women in Sport Leadership Summit, connecting students with professionals shaping the future of the industry.
“I see both the desire and the need for more involvement from people of underrepresented genders in all roles surrounding athletics.” —Dr. Kim Bush
Click the link to see how NC State is helping the next generation of women sport leaders grow, connect and thrive.
Students at NC State are getting hands-on training that prepares them for real-world fire management, and new resources are making a huge difference. Thanks to more than $5,000 in donor support, students now have access to essential safety gear and equipment. 🔥
These resources allow students to safely participate in prescribed burns, gaining real-world experience that complements their classroom instruction. This fall, students applied their skills to 939 acres of forest, preparing them for Firefighter Type 2 certification and careers in fire management.
“Students voluntarily come out with us as an extracurricular activity, and fire equipment and PPE are really expensive. Some of the shirts and pants are $250. We want to be able to lend out safety clothing and equipment. So the gifts fulfill a real need.” —Dr. Jennifer Fawcett, NC State Extension specialist in wildland fire
Click the link in our bio to learn more about this impactful program.
📸 via @ncstateextension: NC State students conducted a prescribed burn at Calloway Forest Preserve in Raeford, North Carolina, as part of Fire Week 2025.
Meet Uchenna Osia, a Ph.D. candidate in NC State’s Center for Geospatial Analytics. 📚🌍
From earning a Fulbright Scholarship in the Netherlands to receiving multiple fellowships, Uchenna’s journey shows how passion and purpose can shape research that impacts real communities.
“I would also encourage students to be open and flexible but to stay grounded in their `why.` If you end up doing work that doesn’t truly interest you or that you can’t fully stand behind, it’ll be hard to stay motivated. Treat your degree as more than milestones to meet; it’s also a time for growth and self-discovery.”
Click the link in our bio to read Uchenna’s inspiring story.
The Buzzard Etiquette and Networking Dinner is our annual gathering bringing together current and former Buzzard Fellows, #NCStateCNR leadership, board members, community mentors and select guests. The evening provides a meaningful opportunity to connect, share experiences and strengthen professional relationships across the college.
Wishing you the best in all your future endeavors, #NCState25! 🎓 🎉 Take a look back at today’s ceremony and receptions at @ncstate`s McKimmon Center, where we celebrated 130 new undergraduate alumni and 68 graduate alumni.
Meet our fall #NCState25 graduate student commencement speaker: Lauren Pharr. 🎓 🐺
Lauren is graduating this fall with her Ph.D. in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology. She completed her master’s degree in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology from the college in 2021.
After graduation, Lauren plans to continue building on her Ph.D. work and pursuing a postdoctoral or faculty position. She will continue to focus on cooperative breeding birds, ideally with Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, as well as other systems such as acorn woodpeckers or Florida scrub-jays.
During her time at NC State, Lauren was a member of the American Ornithological Society, The Wildlife Society and The North Carolina Chapter of The Wildlife Society. She received many awards and grants during her time in the college, from the North Carolina State University Forestry and Environmental Resources Charles B. Davey Fellowship for Excellence in Biological Sciences to the North Carolina Wildlife Federation Conservation Leadership Grant.
“We’ve learned to collaborate across boundaries: between science and art, policy and practice, people and place. Whether our classrooms were forest plots, rivers, parks, computer labs, or community centers, we’ve shared one truth — that the work we do matters. It matters to the planet, to the people who depend on it, and to the generations who will inherit it.” —@ldpharr
Check out the link in our bio to learn more about Lauren.
Meet our fall #NCState25 undergraduate student commencement speaker: Julianna Welch. 🎓 🐺
Julianna is graduating this fall with her bachelor’s degree in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology. After graduation, she plans to work seasonally before pursuing a master’s degree. Upon earning her master’s, Julianna hopes to move back home and pursue a career in conservation or a related field.
During her time at NC State, Julianna has been involved with the College of Natural Resources Ambassador program, the James Buzzard Leadership Development Program, and she served as the vice president of communications for Epsilon Eta last year. She had internships in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Discover Life In America, a small non-profit in the park, and she served as the assistant crew lead on the Indigenous Conservation Corps in Cherokee, North Carolina.
“I found our majors have similar objectives: forming a passion for the environment, a drive for innovation, and a commitment to creating a better future. Soon, it made sense why there is such a diverse set of majors, to help create broad perspectives, enable collaboration, and make connections inside and outside of the classroom.
The people you meet here, whether in your major or not, are part of your community. The more time I spent here, the more I realized campus wasn’t as different as home; the 39,000 students soon didn’t intimidate me. The College of Natural Resources, with roughly 1,700 students, didn’t feel like such a big place, but more like a home that I’m glad to have called my own for the last few years.” —@juli.annaw
Check out the link in our bio to learn more about Julianna.
