| Hannah Talton of Greensboro, a junior majoring in Urban and Community Horticulture at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, is the recipient of the 2015-16 Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence, an annual honor that recognizes one undergraduate student who demonstrates consistent excellence in academics and leadership. Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. presented the award to Talton during the annual Student Honors Convocation April 13.
Talton, who will be a first-generation university graduate in May 2017, has made the dean’s list every semester, while collecting numerous leadership and community service credentials during her three years at N.C. A&T. Most of her achievements were facilitated by the many U.S. Department of Agriculture-supported opportunities that are administered through the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (SAES), including scholarships through the Multicultural Scholars and ELITE leadership programs, as well as research assistantships at the University Farm, and in the plant biotechnology and integrated pest management laboratories. She has presented her research in several campus and national venues, including the SAES’s annual Small Farms Week celebration, the SAES Showcase of Excellence, and at National Science Foundation and USDA events in the nation’s capital.
Talton has been inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta and Golden Key honor societies, and serves in leadership roles for several campus organizations, including Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) and SAES Advocates, for which she serves as historian. Her service to campus and community has been extensive, including participating in recruiting events, and volunteering every semester with Cove Creek Gardens, as well as the FFA Bio-Rally. Talton also participates in biannual Adopt-A-Stream clean ups with MANRRS and with the University’s Honors Program; and has volunteered at the United Way of Greater Greensboro, Greensboro Beautiful, and Share the Harvest. Talton spent a previous summer completing an internship with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.
“Ms. Talton is an excellent example of a well-rounded scholar, demonstrating high-level performance in both the classroom and in the community,” said Dr. Antoine Alston, associate dean for academic studies for the SAES.
In addition to its degree program in urban and community horticulture, the SAES administers Cooperative Extension and agricultural research programs, as well as undergraduate and graduate-degree programs in agricultural education, agricultural economics, animal sciences, biological engineering, environmental studies, family and consumer sciences, fashion merchandising and design, food and nutritional sciences, landscape architecture and sustainable land management. The school is strongly focused on sustainable agricultural innovations for small-scale rural and urban farmers and growers, through its Local Food and Health Initiative.
N.C. A&T is an 1890 land-grant doctoral higher research university dedicated to learning, discovery and community engagement. |
