Kennedy West, a 2024 North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alumna and Astronaut Scholar, is continuing her trajectory of academic excellence and service as a graduate student at the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, where she is pursuing advanced training in patient-centered care and health equity. West, who earned her B.S. in chemistry from N.C. A&T’s College of Science and Technology, was recently recognized with the Kappa Phi Award, an honor that celebrates outstanding academic achievement, leadership and commitment to service. The recognition underscores her sustained dedication to advancing STEM education, mentorship and equitable access to health care. “The award reflects the work I’ve committed to…

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University recognized its fall 2025 graduating class during the Fall Commencement Breakfast and Graduation Rehearsal, an event conducted by the Office of Alumni Relations to celebrate student achievement ahead of graduate and baccalaureate commencement ceremonies held Dec. 12 and 13. The breakfast brought together graduate and undergraduate students, university leadership, faculty and staff to reflect on the academic journeys leading to commencement and reaffirm the values of Aggie excellence, leadership and service. The event also served as the official rehearsal for the commencement ceremonies. University representatives opened the program by emphasizing the importance of preserving and sharing the story of North Carolina A&T and…

A “Blue Christmas” is a holiday season met with loneliness, grief, and sorrow. In the history of North Carolina A&T State University, no Christmastime matches that phrase more than the season of 1955. That was when President Ferdinand Douglas Bluford passed away on Wednesday, December 21, 1955. He was 73 years old and had served A&T for 43 years, 30 of them as our longest-serving leader. Looking back on this season brings up some of the hardest moments in A&T’s history but also highlights how our university has persevered through hardship. Officially, Dr. Bluford’s death could be attributed to illness; however, there was no question among Aggies that the events…

More than 400 enthusiastic Aggies and guests came together May 8-10 for an unforgettable Alumni Reunion Weekend – North Carolina A&T’s largest two-class reunion ever, celebrating the Golden Class of 1975 and the Silver Class of 2000.   Golden and Silver Aggies from Arizona to Massachusetts traveled in to enjoy the festivities and reconnect with classmates. Celebrants gathered at the Alumni Foundation Event Center on May 9 for a kick-off event that includes games, line dancing, food, Aggie vendors and photo opportunities with CeeCee, the AI robot.   That evening, the Induction Banquet for the Society of Golden Aggies (SOGA) and the Society of Silver Aggies (SOSA) was held at the Koury…

Alumni at A&T often look back to their graduating years with fond memories, but they can also recall the adverse times and hardships they faced. Members of the Silver Class of 2000 still recollect the fears of Y2K, and recent Aggies of the classes of 2020-2025 will always remember the impact of COVID-19. Looking back into Aggie history, the Centennial Class of 1925 remains remarkable for graduating through the transfer between two of our greatest leaders, Dr. James Benson Dudley (1859-1925) and Dr. Ferdinand Douglas Bluford (1883-1955).  Faculty 1925, with Dr. James B. Dudley seated in the front center. F. D. Bluford is second to the left of Dudley.   This…

Photo: Left to Right, Rear, Mrs. Mae C. Fuller, Albert, 14, Grady Jr., 18, Greta, 20; Front, Ophelia, 9, and Helen, 8. Not in this photo is daughter Jewel, 19. Small children being led by their parents’ hands or babies pushed around in a stroller are not a strange sight in Aggieland. Many Aggies today are full-time students or full-time employees while also being full-time parents, if not all three at once. Generations of scholars around the world grew up on our campus as their parents taught classes or completed their dissertations. In preparation for National Week of the Young Child (April 5 – 11) and National Library Week (April…

Kamal Bell ’14 was never just interested in farming. He was drawn to transformation. At 34, Bell stands at the helm of Sankofa Farms, a 12-acre regenerative farm in Orange County, North Carolina, where rows of vibrant vegetables, buzzing beehives and bright minds grow side by side. While leafy greens and fresh honey fill baskets, Bell’s true harvest consists of opportunity, identity and liberation. Raised in Durham, North Carolina, Bell’s fascination with nature and animals took root early, nurtured by countless hours lost in books about biology and the natural world. That curiosity eventually led him to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University—one of the nation’s premier historically Black…

The names of Frances Grimes, Sophia M. Parker, Florence Garrett, and other female staff and alumni from our earliest years are more widely known today than in earlier generations, thanks to new research from the University Archives and Special Collections. Since the last story about the earliest women in Aggieland was published, even more fascinating discoveries have been made about the “Founding Mothers” of North Carolina A&T State University, which we are proud to share once again for Women’s History Month and Founder’s Day.   “The Agricultural and Mechanical College for the Colored Race” was established in 1891, with Greensboro selected as the location site in 1892. The first college building…

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is fortunate to have Kimberly Gatling ‘96, J.D., an award-winning legal leader, at the helm of its Board of Trustees. A distinguished partner and Chief Cultural Engagement Officer at Fox Rothschild LLP, one of the nation’s most respected law firms, she has built an impressive career that spans national and international arenas. Gatling’s remarkable journey began at North Carolina A&T, where she laid the foundation for a career that would see her practicing law not only in North Carolina but also before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She is also admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. Her contributions extend…

Tony B. Watlington, Sr, ‘92, Ed.D., has been named the 2025 Superintendent of the Year by the District Administration Leadership Institute. The District Administration Leadership Institute is a national PreK-12 organization that provides leadership development opportunities for superintendents and senior education leaders across the country. Tony B. Watlington, Sr, is the proud Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, the 8th largest school district in the nation, serving nearly 200,000 students. Appointed on April 1, 2022, and officially sworn in on June 16, 2022, Watlington wasted no time launching a bold and ambitious Entry Plan designed to transform the district into the fastest improving large, urban school district in the country.…