Category: Press

Lithium Discovery Could Spark Major Economic Growth in North Carolina

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GREENSBORO, N.C. (November 12, 2025) — As Toyota expands its footprint in our state, another breakthrough right here in the Triad is putting our area on the national map for battery innovation. A new discovery by UNCG researchers could change the way lithium batteries are made.

Lithium batteries power almost everything these days such as phones, laptops, and electric cars. But getting lithium out of the ground is a long, expensive process that requires large-scale mining. A team at UNCG believes they’ve found a cleaner, faster, and much cheaper solution: filtering lithium directly out of water.

Inside a Greensboro research lab located at Gateway Research Park’s North Campus location in Browns Summit,  Minerva Lithium LLC scientists are running groundwater through a new type of filter they developed. As the water flows through, the filter captures lithium. That becomes one of the key building blocks of modern batteries.

Dr. Hemali Rathnayake, who leads the project, says this technology could be a game changer for the state.

“This is a huge breakthrough for North Carolina.”

And the timing couldn’t be better. The U.S. Department of Energy projects our need for lithium will grow up to 1,000 percent over the next decade. North Carolina already sits on valuable pockets of the mineral, but mining remains costly and environmentally challenging.

That’s where UNCG’s new process stands out. Instead of digging into the earth, researchers say they can extract lithium from lakes and groundwater in a fraction of the time.

“Currently it takes up to 18 months to get that lithium concentrated,” said PhD student Shawn Adams. “But in less than 48 hours, we can get 99 percent purity.”

UNCG estimates their method is also more than 60 percent cheaper than traditional mining.

“If we use this technology to extract lithium, then we can have a huge economic impact and job growth,” Rathnayake said.

To help the project reach major manufacturers, NCInnovation is investing in the research and promoting it to global companies that are already eyeing North Carolina.

“As global companies look to North Carolina and look specifically to this region, they are looking for workforce, but they are also looking for all the ripple effects of having really strong clusters of innovative technology,” said Michelle Bolas with NCInnovation.

From cutting-edge filtration to future battery demand, UNCG’s breakthrough could help drive the next wave of economic growth in our state.

Source:  WFMY News 2, Ben Briscoe, author.

NC Researchers Fighting Honey Bee Extinction with New Technology

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RALEIGH, N.C. (September 5, 2025) — A pesky parasite is impacting bees, threatening colonies all over the world.

Bees keep our crops pollinated and now their keepers are looking for a way to stop this killer. Honey bees are a key contributor in the state’s largest industry.

“Part of our goal really is shoring up food security, crop production in North Carolina,” said Kaira Wagoner, a research scientist at UNC Greensboro works in the UNCG Plant & Pollinator Lab located at Gateway Research Park in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Wagoner and her team are keeping the buzz about bees going from the honeycomb to the fume hoods.  Wagoner’s passion is protecting one of the planet’s most prolific pollinators.

Researchers have pinpointed the parasite responsible for decimating bee colonies across the country.

The Varroa destructor, a small mite that’s living up to its name, is feeding on honey bees and amplifying deadly viruses, Wagoner said.  “That’s really the No. 1 threat to honey bee health in the United States, and really globally, is this mite and the damage that it causes through spreading of those diseases,” she said.  These sly creatures bury themselves in brood cells, the small hexagonal openings in the hive, where bee pupa are developing.

“She hides under that food and has a snorkel to breathe,” Wagoner said. “They cap over that cell so she can’t be detected as easily. Then the baby bee will eat up that food, releasing her from that brood food. She’ll come out and start feeding on the baby.”

Wagoner said some bees have a way of stopping the spread.

“The honey bees that can smell very well, that are very sensitive, can then detect these Varroa mites, these problems, and throw them out of the colony, preventing the colony from dying,” Wagoner said.

Wagoner developed a method to find these overly hygienic bees so they can be used for future breeding.

Her technology is called unhealthy brood odor or UBeeO. The pheromone-based spray mimics the scent of a Varroa mite. Once it’s on the frame, it’s placed back in the beehive. Two hours later the same frame is removed, examined and photographed to document the progress.  The tests we saw had mixed results.

The first frames were mostly untouched, and this hive didn’t uncap any cells.  A second set of bees removed a few, even pulling out some of the pupa to prevent potential spread and look for mites.  The final test we watched had near perfect results.  The bees checked every sprayed cell.

Wagoner says colonies that can identify at least 60% of the sprayed cells have fewer mites, less bacteria and lower fungal loads.

High-scoring colonies are also found to have fewer viruses, all qualities that make them good candidates for selective breeding, a process intended to strengthen bees.

Wagoner is exploring another discovery using NCInnovation funding from the state.

She found hygienic honey bees have a different microbiota from less-hygienic bees.  Her team of researchers is now exploring that link. “We have potential to develop a product out of this, finding that could actually improve honey bee health,” Wagoner said. “We’re starting to get into that in the last few years and we have a lot of exciting research ahead of us, thanks to NCInnovation.”

Wagoner said beekeepers from all over the world are interested in her research and starting to use UBeeO for themselves to identify hygienic bees.  She hopes her technology can promote more intentional breeding that can help bees be more resistant to parasites and save farmers money by eliminating the need for expensive miticides.

Source:  Spectrum News, article written by Marshall Keely, Central NC.

Catherine Edmonds, Ed.D. Named Interim Provost at NC A&T State University

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GREENSBORO, N.C. (July 2, 2025) — A former interim chancellor and university chief of staff with a decade of combined leadership experience in the University of North Carolina System Office and the N.C. Department of Public Instruction has been tapped to serve on an interim basis as chief academic officer at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, her alma mater.

Catherine Edmonds, Ed.D., ’92, began work in her new role Tuesday, July 1. Her prior service as interim chancellor of Elizabeth City State University and as chief of staff at North Carolina Central University – both historically Black universities (HBCUs) – give her a unique and well-informed perspective to lead academic affairs at N.C. A&T, America’s largest HBCU for the past 11 years, said Chancellor James R. Martin II.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Dr. Edmonds over the past year at UNC System and Board of Governors meetings,” said Martin. “Her breadth of experience in higher education as well as in public instruction for the state of North Carolina have given her a perspective on university academic processes, instructional needs and education overall that few other professionals possess.

“As we say farewell this week to our current provost, Dr. Tonya Smith-Jackson, who will soon assume the presidency of Rutgers University-Newark, Dr. Edmonds’ insight, collaborative leadership and steady hand will serve us well during our search for a new permanent provost.”

Edmonds’ year-long service as interim ECSU chancellor ended last month. On her watch, the university enrolled its largest entering class in more than a decade and its largest transfer class while setting an overall enrollment record.

That followed two successful years as chief of staff for N.C. Central. Before Central, she served for a year as deputy superintendent of the statewide Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh.

Edmonds was superintendent of Bertie County Schools and then Elizabeth City Pasquotank Public Schools from 2019-21. For two years prior, she was director of Educational Leadership and Development and state director of the Principal Fellows Program for the UNC System after serving as director and executive coach of North Carolina State University’s Northeast Leadership Academy.

Prior to that role, she served for seven years as district transformation coach team lead for the state Department of Public Instruction after working as an instructional improvement officer for Guilford County Schools.

In addition to many educational leadership roles, Edmonds has presented at and served as a panelist at numerous professional conferences on topics ranging from diversity in education leadership to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on classroom learning to the economic impact of ECSU.

Edmonds holds an Ed.D. and master’s in educational leadership, both from N.C. State, and B.S. in mathematics education from A&T. She serves on the boards of directors for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority and the Regional Education Laboratory Southeast. She also previously served on the advisory board for A&T’s College of Education.

Source:  NCAT.edu
Media Contact Information: jtorok@ncat.edu

N.C. A&T Researchers: Extracellular Vesicles May Change How We Treat Cancer, Neurological Disease

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GREENSBORO, N.C. (March 14, 2025) — Small, membrane-bound structures that cells in the human body release to transport a variety of proteins, nucleic acids and metabolites may also be used to carry specialized treatments for a wide array of diseases across a critical layer of cells meant to protect the brain against pathogens: the blood-brain barrier.

Writing in the peer-reviewed journal Advanced Biology, a team of nanoengineers from the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, located at Gateway Research Park, Inc., explored four categories of chronic illnesses and how the small structures, known as extracellular vesicles (EVs), can be utilized for both diagnosis and treatment: cancer, cardiovascular disease, orthopedic disease and neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Principal investigator Kristen Dellinger, Ph.D., an assistant professor of nanoengineering and founder of the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering’s NanoBio Innovation Lab describes EVs as “tiny lipid packages” that can be used for intercellular communication and transportation. Because of their cellular characteristics, EVs are capable of carrying various therapies across biological barriers.

Dellinger and her team focused on EV’s potential to cross the blood-brain barrier and synthesized findings from nearly 250 reference sources for their comprehensive review. Doctoral students Farbod Ebrahimi, Anjali Kumari, Samaneh Ghadami and Saqer Al Abdullah contributed to “The Potential for Extracellular Vesicles in Nanomedicine: A Review of Recent Advancements and Challenges Ahead.”

A Subcategory of EVs: Exosomes

Exosomes are a subcategory of EVs that measure between 30 and 150 nanometers. A nanometer is 10-9 meters, making exosomes incredibly small — about 1,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Exosomes play a significant role in physiological and pathological processes.

Exosomes’ numerous benefits include their superior tissue penetration, efficient and consistent cellular internalization and more predictable biodistribution of whatever they are carrying. They are generally considered better alternatives to synthetic nanoparticles because they are naturally released from cells and so potentially less toxic to the body.

Exosomes have been considered a novel potential alternative to radiation therapy, chemotherapy and other cancer interventions because “the tissue selectivity, safety, crossing biological barriers and stability of exosomes make them advantageous as drug delivery systems” among other potential benefits, the research team wrote.

With regard to cardiovascular disease or CVD, toxicity and other challenges diminish synthetic nanocarriers’ efficacy as nanocarriers for drug carriers. Exosomes can “function as carriers of CVD-related active agents to target cells for their cardiac regenerative and protective potential,” the researchers explain in the article.

The team referenced previous research of a triple hybrid cellular nanovesicle design that showed promise in addressing cardiac injury, though there are still challenges to mitigate, which the NanoBio Innovation Lab is working on at North Carolina A&T State University.

The team encouraged further research on those challenges, including a lack of standardized procedures in using exosomes and lack of established quality control, as well as studies that measure therapeutic effects and long-term safety of exosome-mediated treatment.

Dellinger’s team has secured substantial funding, including a two-year $369,024 NCInnovation grant for drug delivery research in 2024.

 

By Jamie Crockett, NC A&T State University
Research, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering

ImpactData & Raeden Partner to Deliver Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Capable Data Center In Greensboro, North Carolina

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GREENSBORO, N.C. (February 18, 2025) – Raeden, the leading solutions provider and operator of tactical (Artificial Intelligence – AI, Machine Learning – ML, Hyperscale, and Enterprise) data center and network facilities, today announced the signing of a joint venture (JV) agreement with ImpactData, a scaled developer of strategic land sites enabling rapid construction and readily available power with the initial intent to bring 20MW+ of turnkey colocation resources to Greensboro, North Carolina. Driven by the wide-ranging power capacity demand of AI and ML workloads, the JV intends to directly support turnkey data center requirements uniquely matching leading GPU provider “kits” with space, power, and network services optimizing speed-to-deployment and operational efficiency. Complete buildout of 20MW+ in Phase I will provide customers with coveted 2026 data center space and power capacity scaling to 300MW+ in subsequent phases.

“ImpactData’s strong efforts to obtain readily buildable land and near-term deliverable power from Duke Energy, technologically anchoring Gateway Research Park and coordinating access to a leading AI and ML talent pool at adjacent North Carolina A&T University provides technology companies unprecedented opportunity when paired with Raeden’s design, build, and operational expertise,” commented Jason Green, Raeden Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer.

  • 20MW+ turnkey, customized-to-suit (meaning supporting of any power and cooling density), solutions available Q2 2026 supporting single or multi-tenancy
  • Impact Data’s formal partnership with North Carolina A&T including development of land tied to the University provides significant economic development opportunities and resources via public/private partnership
  • North Carolina A&T, the first four-year accredited University in the Southeast with a major in Artificial Intelligence Science, provides a direct resource to the data center campus for highly skilled and trained professionals capable of transitioning from internship to dedicated staffing
  • Gateway Research Park and Duke Energy support scale and growth of the initial Phase providing anchor tenants linear opportunities to expand, leveraging initial investments and infrastructure deployments

Raeden and Impact Data will expand the Greensboro Development to other similar University-adjacent projects across the Southeastern United States allowing tenants to establish footprints in multiple geographies leveraging critical network interconnection resources, a major benefit of Raeden’s data center connectivity platform

“The Joint Venture between ImpactData and Raeden formalizes years of development to validate the vision of at-scale data center solutions derived from the foundation of land, power, and human talent intentionally providing the largest technology companies in the world the most resourceful means to operate,” said Terry Comer, ImpactData’s CEO.

About ImpactData

ImpactData facilitates land, power, and partnership resources enabling the development of current and future-state data centers including unlocking the significant strengths and benefits of strategic higher education, municipal and research organizations. ImpactData aims to create a dynamic network of mini-cloud-enabled regions integrating “digital learning” infrastructure to foster more interconnected campuses and communities, while supporting the commercial needs of leading technology providers. Through public-private partnership models, ImpactData will deploy over $1 billion in data center and related infrastructure opportunistically supporting advanced research, innovation, and workforce development in the next 24-months.

About Raeden

Raeden delivers the ability of any technology company to install and operate technology infrastructure into virtually any real estate asset complete with industry standard MSA and SLA documentation. From data centers to network equipment to energy solutions, Raeden’s platform turns existing land and real estate assets into resource pools of space, power, cooling, and network services, eliminating the need to solely deploy at a preexisting data center or settle for lack of network connectivity. With installed colocation solutions ranging from 10kW to 20MW+, Raeden’s dedication to solutions engineering means client requirements drive solutions development and Raeden’s deep founder-driven real estate acumen ensures clients receive colocation experiences in previously non-colocation facilities.

Raeden currently represents 30,000+ assets across North America and the United Kingdom with installed infrastructure solutions including all forms of colocation and  physical layer network infrastructure supporting all forms of wired and wireless solutions.

Source: Raeden.com

N.C. A&T, Merck Introduce High School Students to Biotechnology

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GREENSBORO, N.C. (Oct. 9, 2024) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, hosted a five-day biotechnology camp for 12 high school students at the Merck Biotechnology Learning Center located at the Gateway Research Park South Campus.

The camp is a result of N.C. A&T and Merck’s ongoing partnership efforts to provide teaching, research and engagement opportunities not just to faculty and students on campus, but to young scientists in the local community.

“I believe that the camp helped the students learn more about the biotechnology industry, in general, and biochemistry/molecular biology, in particular,” said Nathan F. Simms Distinguished Professor Robert H. Newman, Ph.D., in A&T’s College of Science and Technology (CoST). “They were introduced to concepts and techniques that they can build on in the future as they pursue careers in bioscience research.”

Specifically, the students learned how to express, purify and analyze recombinant proteins through hands-on activities for a guided research project and as parallel, they participated in professional development activities that introduced them to biotechnology careers.

The students also developed their scientific communications skills, which included learning how to present a research poster effectively and how to explain their research in a short, elevator speech.

“By engaging in authentic research throughout the program and honing their scientific communication skills, the students were able to grow in their scientific self-efficacy,” said Newman. “Hopefully, the program will be a catalyst for the students as they continue to grow as researchers and as people.”

Most of the camp participants – Chandler Pearson, Megan Jackson, Cheick Amadou, Favour Faleye, Ayesha Mehreen, Oliver Miller, Mekhi Norwood and Kaleb Roland – were from the greater Greensboro area. The others were Wilhelmena Johnson of Raleigh, North Carolina, Poshika Prabu of Apex, North Carolina, Sydney Williams of Dallas and Miles Wooden of Atlanta.

“The biotech camp was very enjoyable and educational! It cemented biochemistry as my intended career choice,” said Faleye.

“Thank you for the informative and fun week of biochemistry. Although I clearly still have much to learn, I feel as though a possible field in the area isn’t as unreachable as I initially thought,” said Roland. “It will definitely be on my list of future careers.”

Organizers were somewhat surprised to receive applications from students across the country, but that further proved that there is growing interest in the field.

Facilitators were B. Miles Baker, M.S., Chancellor’s Distinguished Fellow and graduate student in CoST’s Applied Science and Technology Ph.D. program; Rosalind Dale, Ed.D., vice provost for outreach and engagement; and Stephanie Goodrich, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the Newman Lab.

Source:  NC A&T, www.ncat.edu
By Jamie Crockett / 10/09/2024 Research, College of Science and Technology

A&T to Drive AI Innovation, Economic Development in Collaboration with NVIDIA

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EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. – Sept. 6, 2024 – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University today announced it has entered a collaboration with NVIDIA aimed at accelerating North Carolina’s economic growth, enhancing workforce capabilities and fostering innovation across key sectors, helping further position the university as a leader in research and technology.

This collaboration aligns with N.C. A&T’s goal to achieve Carnegie Classification R1 research status, the highest classification of research institutions in the United States. By leveraging NVIDIA’s AI technology and resources, A&T will boost its research capacity in fields critical to economic and human advancement.

“Through this impactful relationship, North Carolina A&T and NVIDIA will enhance a foundation for collaboration and innovation, economic development and workforce preparedness, and groundbreaking research,” said Timothy Minor, interim vice chancellor for the Division of Strategic Partnerships and Economic Development. “By integrating AI into every facet of learning, A&T is equipped to prepare students and faculty to find solutions to problems and meet the industry demands for talent in North Carolina and the nation.”

“Workforce enablement is foundational to economic development, and equipping students and faculty with AI training and tools is key to setting them up to foster generative AI innovation,” said Louis Stewart, head of Strategic Initiatives for Developer Ecosystem at NVIDIA. “This collaboration has the potential to greatly elevate NC A&T’s research capabilities and make a lasting impact on North Carolina’s economy and technology ecosystem.”

Key objectives of the collaboration are:

  • Research Enhancement. The collaboration will strengthen A&T’s research initiatives in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, biotechnology and sustainable agriculture. These fields are pivotal to the university’s strategic mission of achieving R1 status, reflecting A&T’s commitment to groundbreaking research and innovation.
  • Educational Excellence. Working with NVIDIA, A&T will develop and refine educational programs, equipping students with the critical AI skills needed to thrive in the global tech industry. This initiative aims to place A&T graduates at the forefront of technological innovation, preparing them for careers in technology.
  • Economic Development. The collaboration seeks to harness AI to drive economic growth in North Carolina’s key industries, including energy, biotechnology, and information technology. This AI-driven transformation will create new opportunities for businesses and communities, helping solidify North Carolina’s position as a tech hub.
  • Inclusivity and Community Engagement. As part of the initiative, A&T will work with NVIDIA to foster a diverse and inclusive technology ecosystem by engaging with community stakeholders, helping ensure that the benefits of AI innovation reach underserved populations.

“A&T is preparing the next generation of socially conscious leaders, pioneering researchers, visionary entrepreneurs, and global change-makers to transform lives and improve the human condition,” said Tonya Smith-Jackson, Ph.D., provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “Advanced technology, including generative AI, is integral to that mission.

“Our collaboration with NVIDIA supports synergies that our students and faculty can both contribute to and benefit from, such as advanced research applications, innovations in teaching and learning, and new ways to drive economic empowerment, particularly for those who are underserved. We appreciate the forward-thinking vision of NVIDIA and its recognition that a collaboration with A&T will undoubtedly serve the state, nation and globe.”

Media Contact Information: avallen@ncat.edu

Core Technology, homegrown Greensboro injection-molding company, to fledge nest for a home of its own

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GREENSBORO, NC – JULY 19, 2024 – The homegrown Greensboro company Core Technology Molding Corporation, a plastic injection molding company born as an MBA semester project, is about to fledge from its nest at the Gateway Research Park for a home of its own.

Greensboro City Council on Tuesday approved an economic-development incentive package for the company worth up to $520,407. It’s conditioned on Core Technology keeping its present workforce of about 52 plus creating 26 new jobs through 2029 and making a total capital investment of $27.85 million.

Core Technology is considering a site on Millstream Road. The county notice said the company is considering a site in the Millstream Industrial Park, which is along Interstate 40/85.

The company was founded in 2006 by Geoff Foster, an engineering alumnus of N.C. A&T State University and MBA alumnus of Wake Forest University. It’s based at the Gate City Boulevard South Campus of Gateway Research Park, a joint operation of N.C. A&T and UNC-Greensboro.City Economic Development Manager Marshall Yandle told council the company is considering other sites in the Southeast.

However, Foster, in brief remarks to the council Tuesday, was clearly leaning toward staying. He thanked the city and Greensboro Chamber of Commerce for supporting the company in its 18 years, noting it’s able to ship to 150 countries.

The move to the Greensboro site would allow Core Technology to consolidate operations under one roof and operate more efficiently, while offering career-track jobs in robotics and other advanced STEM fields, Foster said.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan and council members also heaped praise on Foster and the company, noting its Greensboro roots.

“I think he has a Fortune 500 company. If it isn’t already, it will be,” councilwoman Sharon Hightower said

While not yet a Fortune 500 company, Core Technology has been a frequent name on the Business Journal’s annual Fast 50 list of fastest-growing Triad companies, reflecting dollar and percentage growth. It is also one of the largest minority-owned businesses in Triad, and if it grows to 78 jobs, it would become the largest Black-owned business in Greensboro.

Core Technology and Foster have won recognition for work exposing young people to potential science, technology, engineering and math careers, such as through its nonprofit arm Molding Kids for Success, which has a summer STEM camp for youth.

Foster conceived of the business as a project for an entrepreneurship class during his final semester in graduate business school at Wake Forest University. Foster had earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from N.C. A&T State University and had been working in various engineering roles.

The company has registered triple-digit growth in the past few years as it has found success in an array of sectors, but primarily in pharmaceuticals and automotive.

A turning point came when it got tier-one supplier status with BMW in 2015, Foster said in an interview with Triad Business Journal. It made a part for vehicles assembled at the German company’s U.S. assembly plant near Greer in upstate South Carolina.

Foster put it this way: BMW recommended Core Technology across markets to drugmaker Merck, who recommended the company to Pfizer, and then to Volvo Group, whose North American base for Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks is in Guilford County.

“And I think when we hit tier one status, it didn’t matter if it was automotive, pharmaceutical, appliance, semiconductor — when you get to that status, it gets people’s attention that you’re able to deliver on time,” Foster said. “In 2015 when we were able to hit that, I started to realize that I think we’ve got something.”

Automation has been key, Foster said.

 “We’re able to compete with China, India, Mexico, where some of our competitors, they either can’t make the investment, the automation is expensive, … or won’t make it, but they can’t compete, and that’s why they can’t get to this tier one status.”

For a while, automotive made up about two-thirds of the company’s business, but now biopharmaceuticals account for about 65% of business, Foster said. It helps to be relatively close to Research Triangle Park and its many drug-development and manufacturing companies, Foster noted.

The company has been asked many times to relocate near some of its major customers, from Alabama to South Carolina, but Foster said Greensboro has a special appeal. He remains an adjunct engineering faculty member at N.C. A&T, which offers ready access to a pipeline of vital new talent.

“I get to cherry pick the best engineers out of that school,” Foster said. “Having that relationship with the largest HBCU in the country, having that relationship and able to teach on campus, recruit, I wouldn’t give that up. It’d be hard to replicate that in Charleston. I don’t know anybody there, and there’s just so much talent in Greensboro on that campus.”

Core Technology is leaving a space of about 30,000 square feet, but which can have a second story added to double it, Gateway center Executive Director Paul Meyer told TBJ.

“The great news is we have a manufacturing space that somebody might very well be interested in locating on our campus. And given everything that’s taking place in the Carolina Core, we’re thinking that there’ll be a fair amount of interest.”

As for Core Technology leaving, “That’s a great success and a testament to the power of partnership with these universities, and certainly with Gateway itself, and so we’re excited for Core Technologies taking the next step.”

SOURCE:  Triad Business Journal
Article Written By David Hill – Reporter, Triad Business Journal

Transportation Secretary Buttigieg, Gov. Cooper Tout A&T Transportation Innovation

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EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (July 3, 2024) — U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg joined Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday to visit the transportation research facility at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Gateway Research Park North Campus. Gateway North houses a diverse fleet of connected autonomous vehicles and one of the nation’s first rural test tracks for testing and developing autonomous vehicles.

Buttigieg, Cooper and North Carolina Board of Transportation Chair Michael Fox rode autonomous shuttles on the test track and witnessed the vertical takeoff and landing of prototype “air taxis” being developed for package delivery and urban air mobility. Students also demonstrated A&T capabilities in using autonomous aerial vehicles to inspect bridges and other infrastructure.

“The work that is being done here at North Carolina A&T is going to help make it possible for America to advance in transportation technology, like autonomous driving and flight,” said Buttigieg. “It is being done with a great deal of attention on safety and data on the equity implications like how we serve rural areas, improve access to healthcare and education and how we can support the disability community.”

Buttigieg is the latest federal Cabinet member to travel to A&T for review of significant research activity and federally sponsored projects. Others include EPA Administrator Michael Regan ’98, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Buttigieg, Cooper and Fox got a briefing Tuesday from an array of A&T faculty researchers focusing on high-profile current studies and other prominent research that has seen the university emerge as a national leader transportation research and autonomy in recent years. Those researchers included:

  • Maranda McBride, Ph.D., management professor and director of the Center for Advanced Transportation Mobility and co-director of Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities
  • Rachel Liu, Ph.D., UPS Endowed Professor of Supply Chain Management and director of the Transportation Institute. McBride and Liu are Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics faculty.
  • Ali Karimoddini, Ph.D., electrical and computer engineering professor and director of CR2C2, the Region 4 University Transportation Center, which also includes Clemson, Florida Atlantic, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia as research partners. A&T is the first HBCU to serve as a regional lead in the UTC program’s history.
  • Abdollah Homaifar, Ph.D., Duke Energy Eminent Professor and director of the Autonomous Control and Information Technology Institute on air and ground transportation)
  • Venktesh Pandey, Ph.D., assistant professor of civil engineering and co-lead of CR2C2 on equity and accessibility of transportation systems.

Sarah Searcy, senior advisor for Innovation, Integrated Mobility Division, North Carolina Department of Transportation, concluded the session by detailing her agency’s support for transportation research at A&T.

The demonstration portion of the tour featured rides in Aggie Autonomous shuttles on the rural test track, a 2-mile-long route simulating rural driving conditions. This track allows researchers to test A&T-developed technology that enables vehicle autonomy in real-world conditions.

Guests then witnessed demonstration of the prototype aircraft being developed with support from NASA. These air taxis ultimately promise to relieve congestion on urban roadways and increase connectivity to rural communities by flying goods and passengers from location to location.

Media Contact Information: jmhowse@ncat.edu

By Michiko Horie and Jordan M. Howse / 07/03/2024 Research and Economic Development, College of Business and Economics, College of Engineering

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Triad BioNight 2024 Excellence Awards honor two Gateway Research Park bioscience leaders

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JUNE 28, 2024 – GREENSBORO, NC – Two professionals located on the campus of Gateway Research Park have been honored with Excellence Awards at Triad BioNight 2024, a celebration of the region’s life sciences industry organized by the Piedmont Triad Office of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.  About 400 people attended the networking and awards event June 27 at the Grandover Resort and Spa in Greensboro.

The recipients were chosen by an independent awards committee after nominations were solicited from the region’s life sciences community. The following individuals and organizations won awards.

Academic Development Excellence Award: Sherine O. Obare, Ph.D.

Dr. Sherine Obare kicked off her first week as UNCG’s Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement with an award for her scholarly impact.  Obare received the 2024 Academic Development Excellence Award, which recognizes educational program development or workforce skill development. Her research in environmental chemistry and engineering has led to innovations in the detection and remediation of environmental contaminants, the design of nanoscale materials for drug delivery, improved healthcare, biomass conversion, alternative energy and anthropogenic nanomaterials.

The professor of nanoscience, who previously served as dean of the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering located at Gateway Research Park, received the distinction for her work at the intersection of environmental chemistry and engineering. Her research has led to innovations in environmental contaminant detection and remediation; the development of nanoscale materials for drug delivery, healthcare, biomass conversion, and alternative energy; and an increased understanding of the fate, transport, and toxicity of anthropogenic nanomaterials.

Biotechnology Community Leadership Excellence Award: Molding Kids for Success

Molding Kids for Success is a non-profit organization in Greensboro that exposes youth to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.  Molding Kids for Success was formed by Mr. Geoff Foster, CEO and President of Gateway tenant, Core Technology Molding Corporation.

The organization created a summer program allowing upper-elementary students or middle school students to perform STEM-based activities and to see first-hand how STEM principles are applied in industrial manufacturing rooms. The curriculum is aligned with the North Carolina Essential Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards.

The organization is a partner with NCBiotech on a Build Back Better federal grant that supports training and career opportunities in life sciences manufacturing for underserved and distressed communities, including historically excluded populations.