Notable Alumni

Nov 21, 2012

Alum Aspires to be Principal Chief of Cherokee Tribe

Cory Blankenship (Political Science '07) is a third generation NC State alum. He's also a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and hopes one day to serve his people as Principal Chief. 

Nov 5, 2012

Psychology Alum Follows His Passion to Reform Criminal Justice

CHASS alum Brandon Buskey attributes his professional and personal success to his many experiences at NC State. He recently joined the Criminal Law Reform Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, where he will focus on his passion: criminal justice reform. 

Oct 19, 2012

CHASS Alumnus Has a Heart for the Underdogs

Jon Powell never considered going to law school until his NC State communication professor, Dr. Ed Funkhouser, mentioned that one of his other communication students was taking that route. Today, Powell directs Campbell Law School's Juvenile Justice Project. 

Oct 1, 2012

Psych Alum Leads $15M Grant to Study Autism

Psychology alumnus Kevin Pelphrey (’96) is principal investigator on a newly-awarded $15 million grant from the National Institutes of Health that will investigate why autism spectrum disorders are almost five times more common among boys than among girls. 

Aug 29, 2012

Award-winning Sci Fi Writer Returns to Read

Famed science fiction writer and NC State alum Andy Duncan (MA, English '95) returns to campus on September 12, 2012, to read from his work. His former teacher and mentor John Kessel calls Duncan "one of the very best performers of his own fiction -- maybe the very best I have ever heard." 

Jul 25, 2012

Alums Share Wisdom with Wolf Pups

When 658 new CHASS majors -- freshmen and transfer students -- came to campus this summer for orientation, CHASS alumni were on hand to welcome them, encourage them, and share some advice from their side of the diploma. During panel presentations during orientation, alumni offered their words of wisdom. 

Jul 19, 2012

Book celebrates Cullen Jones’ life in and out of the pool

While former NC State swimmer Cullen Jones (2006, English) is preparing for the Olympics in London, a new children's book tells just how far he's come. "Speed to Glory: The Cullen Jones Story" tells how Jones nearly drowned in a pool when he was five years old, prompting his mother to enroll him in swimming classes. Jones went on to compete at the highest levels of swimming and was part of the dramatic 4×100 relay with Michael Phelps, Jason Lezak and Garrett Weber-Gale that won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. 

Nov 16, 2011

“ACC Road Trip” Host Comes to Town

An unpaid internship at Turner Sports evolved into a 14-year career doing on-air promotions for Tommy Kane (Comm '93). The former basketball player returned to campus to film "ACC Road Trip," his award-winning show that highlights campus football culture. 

Aug 22, 2011

Meet Dan Neil, Pulitzer Prize Winning Automotive Critic

Dan Neil (MA, English '86) says he was a "singularly unpromising candidate" when he arrived at NC State. Neil went on to write automotive columns for the News and Observer,The L.A. Times, and the Wall Street Journal. In the process, he earned a Pulitzer Prize. 

Jun 16, 2011

Doc Hendley: Humble Hero

In 2009, CNN named Doc Hendley (Communication ’04) one of its top ten heroes of the year for his work to bring clean water to some of the world’s poorest areas. Since he was in the nation’s spotlight, Doc has continued to carry out his mission. Wine to Water, the nonprofit he created, is now…