Meet the Fall 2025 Student Commencement Speakers

Though their NC State journeys have been unique, soon-to-be graduates Julianna Welch and Lauren Pharr share a common message: the College of Natural Resources has shaped them academically and inspired them to make a positive impact in the world.

Welch and Pharr will share that message, along with personal reflections on their experiences and their hopes for the future, with their classmates and other attendees at the college’s fall 2025 commencement ceremony on Friday, December 12.

Each semester, the college selects two students to speak at commencement for their academic achievements, community service and ability to inspire. Welch and Pharr earned this honor through their exceptional contributions, both inside and outside the classroom.

Welch, who is graduating with bachelor’s degrees in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology and plant biology, will address the college’s undergraduate students. Pharr, who is graduating with a Ph.D. in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, will address graduate students.

Both students have shaped their futures through a commitment to excellence and service. In the following stories, we explore their journeys, the lessons they’ve learned, and the paths they plan to pursue as they step into the next chapter of their lives.

Julianna Welch

From an early age, Julianna Welch’s passion for the outdoors was fostered by her upbringing in national parks and the influence of her parents’ careers in conservation.

Welch’s parents both worked as park rangers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and as she grew older, her mom took on seasonal work at other parks during the summer months.

“From living in Yellowstone to New River Gorge National Park, I was always outside and knew I wanted to have a similar career to my parents,” Welch said. 

Welch volunteered at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in high school and later served as a rafting guide, reinforcing her aspirations to work outdoors. 

As she was preparing for college, Welch focused on finding academic programs that would align with her goal of working in conservation.

That’s when she discovered the College of Natural Resources at NC State, where she enrolled as a fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology major with a minor in applied ecology.

Lauren Pharr

Driven by a love of birds and a belief in inclusive science, Lauren Pharr has combined field research, conservation and advocacy to make lasting impacts on both wildlife and the scientific community.

Now, as she prepares to graduate, Pharr looks toward the future with both excitement and determination, while also looking back on her transformation from an undergraduate to a leader in wildlife research and science communication.

Pharr’s journey began at Wingate University. As an undergraduate, she developed a passion for avian ecology while studying the Chinese blue-breasted quail, which eventually led her to enroll in the Master of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology program at NC State.

Under the direction of Caren Cooper in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Pharr focused her master’s research on the effects of urban noise and light pollution on avian health and survival.

Pharr completed her master’s degree in 2021 and enrolled in the Ph.D. in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology program, focusing this time on partial brood loss in red-cockaded woodpecker populations.