From passing moments to new perspectives, take a look through a collection of our favorite campus shots from the NC State community. Click on a photo below to see the full image.
True Colors: A new public art plaza is attracting attention on Centennial Campus. The “Reds and Whites” installation, composed of sculpted red and white glass, is designed to be experienced: Walk through and around the space and watch the light make magic. The idea for public art on the Engineering Oval came from Susan Woodson, an artist and Chancellor Randy Woodson’s wife. Acclaimed artist Larry Bell, who is known for his work with glass, was commissioned for the project, which was funded by private donations. “This piece will create a new gathering space on Centennial Campus for the whole community to explore and enjoy,” Susan Woodson said at an unveiling in May. The space was named Susan Woodson Plaza to honor her. On The Web: thinkanddo.ncsu.edu/redsandwhites/. Photograph by Marc Hall ’20 MA, NC State Fall 2024.Burnin’ It Up: As our basketball teams made historic runs in the NCAA tournament, images of DJ Burns Jr. were everywhere — including this portrait of the Big Man in the Free Expression Tunnel, which was featured in The New York Times. The mural was painted by Sean Kernick of Raleigh, who was inspired by a photo of Burns peeking over red sunglasses — taken during the team’s media day at the beginning of the season — because it was “playful and fun.” Kernick’s commissioned work has appeared all over the Triangle, but this one was a labor of love that he completed in 24 hours. “Amid giants like UNC and Duke, NC State stands as the working class hero of this area, and I had to honor that by hustling down to ‘The Tunnel’ to throw up a mural of DJ Burns Jr. with a nod to the entire men’s and women’s teams,” Kernick wrote on his Instagram page. “What they’ve done for Raleigh goes beyond the court.” Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC State Spring 2024.Puppy Love: Dhanush Kaza, a graduate student studying computer engineering, gets some canine love from Delilah, who was on hand at the Pause for Paws event in front of D.H. Hill Jr. Library in October. The events are designed to help students — or faculty and staff members — destress by taking some time out to interact with therapy dogs. We’re pretty sure Delilah got her share of belly rubs. Photograph by Marc Hall ’20 MA, NC State Winter 2024.Glass Houses: High atop the new Plant Sciences Building on Centennial Campus is a glass castle — a series of greenhouses, each 25 feet high, tall enough to accommodate trees. A total of 10,000 square feet sits under glass — tempered glass with a high-tech glazing to ensure even light dispersal. The chambers regulate temperature and humidity, and an all-glass air duct system ensures that nothing blocks the light. (That circle near the top of the photograph is part of the air duct system feeding into a glass chamber.) The rooftop also boasts a BSL 3 greenhouse, one of the few in the nation, requiring special protocols and allowing researchers to study plant diseases that shouldn’t be released into the atmosphere. Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC State Fall 2023.“Wolf!”. . . “Puck!”: NC State’s club hockey team, known as the Icepack, skated before a crowd of 26,000 screaming fans in Carter-Finley Stadium in February. The event came after the NHL brought its Stadium Series to Raleigh, turning a football field into an NHL-regulation ice rink. The Carolina Hurricanes took the ice first, but two days later, it was the Icepack’s turn. The best part? We beat UNC, 7 – 3. And the crowd was the largest attendance of any non-football sporting event at NC State this year. Photograph by Marc Hall ’20 MA, NC State Spring 2023.Work It Out: All you need is a gym bag, and you’re good to go. The new Wellness and Recreation Center has been a big draw for students since it was refurbished in 2020, with amenities like a rock-climbing wall and private fitness studios. Here, a gym-bag-toting student heads to the center on an enclosed aerial walkway. The new center is next to Carmichael Gym, which opened in 1961. Photograph by Marc Hall ’20 MA, NC State Winter 2022.A Chancellor Jam: Packapalooza was back on Hillsborough Street to kick off the fall semester, and this year Chancellor Randy Woodson jammed on stage with B.J. Barham, the lead singer of American Aquarium. Barham studied history and political science at NC State and remains a huge Wolfpack fan. Woodson, who picks a mean guitar when he is not chancellor-ing, joined the band on stage for a song called, appropriately enough, “Wolves.” Packapalooza, NC State’s annual welcome-back-to-school block party, had been on hiatus for two years during the COVID pandemic. Watch on the web: go.ncsu.edu/wolveslive. Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC State Fall 2022.Line Art: The circles and swirls in this mural created by Carmina Ferreras ’15, ’21 MR, represent her view of the journey to success. Ferreras, who won a contest to design the mural for the Graduate School office, says people often think it’s a straight line. “Instead,” she says, “that journey looks more like meandering, U turns, circles, mistakes and trial and error.” Ferreras is a former teacher who was hesitant to enter a new field (architecture), and going to graduate school helped her make the leap. The striking design is on display on a wall in the lobby of the Graduate School at 1020 Main Campus Drive on Centennial Campus. Photograph by Marc Hall ’20 MA, NC State Summer 2022.Circle of Life: Dancers clad in all colors of the rainbow create a human circle at a performance of Ballet Hispánico in Stewart Theatre. The piece, called Tiburones, was one of several performed by the New York-based company, which offers live productions and dance training that celebrate Latino culture. This performance was part of NC State LIVE, which brings theatre, music and dance to stages on campus. NC State LIVE continued offering events during the pandemic with outdoor concerts and virtual events. Last fall, audiences returned to Stewart Theatre for live performances with a concert by acclaimed jazz saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin. For information on upcoming events, go to live.arts.ncsu.edu. Photograph by Chris Seward ’80, NC State Spring 2022.Pack Much? It was move-in day, or in this case, move-in-a-lot day, as parents struggled with that last suitcase alongside plastic bins and cardboard boxes. If it fits in the minivan, it has to fit in the dorm room, right? Parents and students battling the August heat and lining up to move in to their new homes was a welcome sight, as the university opened its doors to a record number of students. Photograph by Marissa McHugh ’21, NC State Fall 2021. Home Sweet Home: Wolf Plaza, a trio of bronze lattice wolves near Talley Student Union and the Free Expression Tunnel, is a popular spot for students to take photos. An American robin also found the spot picture perfect, and built a nest in the open mouth of the howling wolf (the other two are prowling, not howling). Look closely and you can see the pin feathers on the baby birds, who were preparing to take off and leave an empty nest — just like thousands of NC State students do every year. This photo was taken in April, and even though traffic on campus was lighter than usual, the university’s grounds services staff put up a sign asking people not to disturb the wildlife. Photograph by Marc Hall ’20 MA. NC State Summer 2021.Table For One: A lone student with her laptop open makes use of the Hunt Library in a photo taken last fall. This is the Quiet Reading Room on the second floor, and in normal times, there might be dozens of students taking advantage of the long tables and light-filled space (and quiet!). This fall is likely to find the library with more traffic, as the university prepares for an opening that will bring back a full complement of in-person classes and on-campus residents. Luckily, there will still be plenty of room at NC State’s libraries. Photograph by Becky Kirkland, NC State Spring 2021.Taking Flight: For years, the tiny plot of land between Primrose and Tompkins halls had been less than inviting. But when the Office of Global Engagement moved to Primrose Hall, the area got increased attention. It’s now been transformed into the Global Courtyard, an outdoor gathering space designed to celebrate the international diversity of NC State. Fittingly, it’s home to “Dream of Flight,” an art installation by Heath Satow ’91 that was originally part of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Students from a master’s landscape architecture class at the College of Design worked on the plans. Near the sculptures, pavers replicate a globe-shaped pattern that was part of the terrazzo flooring of the airport terminal. Photograph by Marc Hall ’20 MA. NC State Winter 2020.Moonlight Sonata: All 55 bells in the carillon were installed this summer, and the tower is now lit from within at night. The bells range from the largest, at 45″ and 1,800 pounds, to the smallest, at just 6″. We can expect to hear them ring out at a dedication ceremony in 2021, when the plaza will be officially renamed Henry Square in honor of Bill Henry ’81 and his wife, Frances, of Gastonia, N.C. A gift from the Henry family allowed the $6.5 million project to proceed. Photograph by John Hansen. NC State Fall 2020.For Spacious Skies: As dusk descends on NC State’s campus on a late April night, our smokestack seems to keep watch. In the foreground, Syme Hall is catching the last rays of light as the city skyline stretches out on the horizon. This image was taken just after sunset using drone photography. The smokestack, spelling out “State College” in white bricks, was built in 1924 along with the Yarbrough Steam Plant. Photograph by John Hansen. NC State Summer 2020.Have a Seat: Here’s a view from the Hunt Library you may not have seen before — from underneath a custom-made bench in the lobby outside the main entrance. The bench helps set the tone for what visitors are about to experience when they visit the modern and eclectic take on a university library. There’s even a popular online site dedicated to the library’s chairs. The bench shown here is 17 feet long and was made by Matthias Pliessnig, a furniture designer in Brooklyn, N.Y., out of steamed white oak. Visit chairsofhuntlibrary.tumblr.com. Photograph by Patrick Maxwell. NC State Spring 2020.
