The NC State belltower on main campus.

The Best of 2020

2020 was a year of disruption, deep hurt and tremendous challenge. It was also a year full of triumphs.

An NC State astronaut returned to earth and addressed more than 9,100 new graduates. Alumni and friends rose time and again in support of our community. Faculty and staff worked tirelessly to keep teaching, guiding and protecting our Pack. And our remarkable students kept reminding us — day in, day out — why NC State matters.

Here’s to you, Wolfpack. Below, you’ll find just some of the things you thought and did.

Admissions

Take a look back at the past year at NC State. Then make yourself a part of our 2021 story.

Apply now
COVID-19 Updates

Here's how NC State is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic — and what you can do to help.

Get the latest
Chancellor's Fall Address

To kick off Red and White Week, Chancellor Woodson reflected on a year of challenges — and no few successes.

Watch the address

9,100+ New Graduates

NC State's spring, summer and fall 2020 graduates come from 72 countries and 45 U.S. states.

Follow #NCState20
Dr Kendi addresses a crowd of students, staff and faculty at Stewart Theater
MLK Commemoration

A visit from the renowned author and thought leader challenged the MLK we thought we knew.

Relive the event
Student Health Services staff provide COVID-19 testing in the tent behind the building.
Research and Innovation

While COVID-19 has brought much of the world to a standstill, it hasn’t stopped NC State researchers from using their expertise to battle the pandemic.

See their crucial work
YouTube

Starting in July, AnnE Ford spoke with student leaders about getting involved in life at NC State.

Explore the series
A split-screen still showing NC State student AnnE Ford and Melani Flowers, student body president.
Health and Wellness

In a difficult year, the Counseling Center and Prevention Services continued to show up for NC State students.

Going online
Research and Innovation

In the fall, we surveyed some of the surprising ways NC State researchers are tackling climate change and its consequences.

How we'll respond
A hand makes "wolf ears" next to a bell in NC State's Memorial Belltower.
Giving

On June 23, 2020, a long-awaited sound finally emanated from the top of the Memorial Belltower.

Go behind the scenes
Activist and designer Jemima Liteli.
Design

In September, the College of Design spoke with activist and designer Jemima Liteli about becoming her "true self."

Read the Q&A
Two-time NC State graduate Threa Almontaser.
Humanities and Social Sciences

For the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2020 was filled with success and awards — including a Walt Whitman prize for alumna Threa Almontaser.

Explore the highlights

70,000+ Educators Reached

For teachers, leaders and caregivers, the College of Education was a key resource amid COVID-19.

See the full year in review
A bat on the side of a tree
Natural Resources

Wildlife habitats face increasing pressure from logging and other human activities, leading to the emergence of animal-to-human transmitted diseases.

Learn more
NC State University Architect Lisa Johnson in Talley Student Union.
Women's History Month

In honor of Women's History Month, we spoke with three of the innumerable women who are helping define NC State's present — and future.

Hear their stories
Partnerships

In 1990, ABB became our university's first corporate partner. Three decades later, we're still working together to advance smart energy.

Entering a new decade
NC State graduate student Ryan Spurney delivers his masters defense remotely.
Graduate School

Revisit the key moments of the year for the Graduate School, which stayed nimble in a year of many changes.

View the timeline
Diversity and Inclusion

Rupert Nacoste spoke about his new book, To Live Woke: Thoughts to Save the Soul of America, which explores ways to embrace our nation’s neo-diversity.

Meet a beloved professor

$23,223,425 Raised

In just 24 hours, the NC State community once again showed its generosity and kindness.

Relive our Day of Giving
A race car from above, surrounded by bright colored paint or chalk.
Research and Innovation

Our annual Envisioning Research content yielded another set of stunning images.

Flick through the gallery
A group of AGEP-NC faculty
Faculty in STEM

NC State is part of an alliance that aims to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in STEM faculty.

Discover AGEP-NC
Sciences

From a statistician's soulful singing to an astronaut alumna, Sciences had lots of good news to share.

Browse a dozen
Student Media

On Feb. 1, NC State's longest-running student newspaper turned 100. We looked back at a century of student journalism.

Read all about it
Arts NC State

When classes moved off campus, the Arts NC State community reached through the ultimate fourth wall.

See what they did
Doneka Scott
Academic and Student Affairs

In November, we announced the hiring of our new vice chancellor and dean of the Division of Academic and Student Affairs.

Meet her
Employee at Nonwovens Institute
Nonwovens and Textiles

The Nonwovens Institute ramped up production to create mask filters and masks for health care workers on the front lines.

Read the story
Campus Life

Our first-year and transfer students are resilient, innovative and dedicated to improving the world.

Meet our newest class
The words "RESPECT the Pack" painted at the entrance to NC State's Free Expression Tunnel.
Poole College

Over the summer, Poole College rolled out a new platform to put its insights in the hands of business professionals.

Explore the hub
Staff of the Nubian Message during an internal meeting.
Black History Month

As part of February's celebration of Black history, we dove into the history — and present — of NC State's Black student newspaper.

Go behind the scenes
Sustainability

Amid this year’s unprecedented challenges, our university made important progress toward its sustainability goals — and ranks in the top 20 green colleges nationwide.

Read the report
Entrepreneurship

In its sixth year, NC State's annual entrepreneurship and innovation competition went virtual without missing a beat.

See the winners
Natural Resources

A professor in the Department of Forest Biomaterials explained why supplies were wiped out in April.

Read the story
The NC State belltower shines as a beacon of hope over the campus of NC State.
Class of 2020

In May, we asked our graduates to tell us about all they thought and did here. Here's what they said.

Their story, in their words
A smiling Marvin Malecha, former dean of the NC State College of Design.
Design

The award-winning architect served as dean of the College of Design for more than two decades.

Read about his legacy
A woman at work in the Feed the Pack food pantry.
COVID-19 Response

Thanks to a massive campuswide effort, NC State’s food pantry stayed open and continued to serve the Wolfpack throughout the pandemic.

Read more
An aerial shot of NC State's Brickyard.
Campus Life

Nine special spaces on our campus stand ever cherished in the hearts of generations of the Pack — no matter where they are.

Explore them all
Natural Resources

The steadfast Christmas tree continues to be the subject of cutting-edge research at NC State.

Find out how
Engineering

The computer science graduate becomes NC State's fourth recipient of the prize — only 46 of which were awarded nationwide this year.

Read his story
Poole College

Explore four student startup companies chosen to complete the Andrews Launch Accelerator summer program.

Ready for liftoff
Students enjoy a fall day by the copper wolves in Wolf Plaza on main campus.
COVID-19 Response

Thousands of NC State employees have strived to keep campus running and care for our students during COVID-19.

Explore their stories

$1,867,856 for Students in Need

Since March, more than 4,400 donors have stepped up to support the Student Emergency Fund.

Give now
An overhead shot of the new open stairwell in D.H. Hill Jr. Library
Campus Life

After a yearlong renovation, the D.H. Hill Jr. Library is brighter, more inviting and more helpful for students.

Go inside
Metal wolves on the Brickyard
Giving

On Day of Giving, the Extraordinary Opportunity Scholarship Initiative received two major gifts totaling $5 million.

Learn more

Running With the Wolfpack

At NC State, our students, faculty and staff Think and Do the Extraordinary every day.

Share the NC State experience on social media.

Follow us on Instagram
Welcome to the Wolfpack, class of 2024.

Welcome to the Wolfpack, class of 2024.
A banner in Talley Student Union welcomes students home.

A banner in Talley Student Union welcomes students home.

 Go Pack!

Go Pack!

News Read More

Dec 16, 2020

Botta Named NC State’s 4th Marshall Scholar

Computer science graduate — and puzzle enthusiast — Colton Botta received the prestigious scholarship for graduate study in the United Kingdom.

Dec 16, 2020

Vaccine Q&A: Vaccines 101, mRNA and Adenoviruses

Here's how vaccines work and what mRNA and adenovirus vaccines are.

Dec 9, 2020

Standout Staff

NC State employees continue to go the extra mile during the COVID-19 pandemic, making a big difference for others along the way.

Upcoming Events View Calendars

Thursday11:00 AM

Poole College of Management Graduate Programs Coffee, Chat and Class Event

Thursday4:00 PM

Gregg Museum: Third Thursday Virtual Tour

Wednesday1:00 PM

Professional Development Boot Camp

Sunday3:00 PM

Climb the Wall at the Climbing Center at Carmichael Gym
Aerial of Holladay Hall and the NC State belltower

Visit NC State

Explore our extraordinary campus in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Take a virtual tour