Your stories

I remember my “Principles of Chemical Engineering” class with Drs. Felder and Hofenburg. It was an eye opener in how to think and approach problems. After a successful 40+ year career in the chemical industry, I would estimate that at least 75% of what I needed to know I learned in that class.

I had a wonderful time in the chemical engineering [department], I have very good memories and a lot to be thankful for, congratulations on the hundred years of existence.

Organizations/Involvement: Foreign students

I am proud to be a second-generation college student. My uncle was not the first but one of the first African-American students to graduate with an engineering degree from NC State. I was elated to carry on our family tradition by becoming the second-gen of engineering graduates in our family.

In 1974, I graduated from NC State with a degree in civil engineering. In the spring of 1974, I, along with a few other classmates, built two concrete boats and challenged other engineering schools to do the same and come to Raleigh for the first concrete boat race. I wrote an article for the engineering school memories back in 2004.

We built a canoe and kayak and won the first concrete boat races held by area engineering schools. Our trophy was on display at Mann Hall. Hope it is still there. This was the start of an annual event that is held each year. My 2004 article gives a summary of the event.

After graduating, my career of nearly 40 years, saw employment with the State of North Carolina, William G. Lapsley and Associates, first county engineer for Henderson County, and ran my own firm, Tweed Engineering, before retiring. I have always enjoyed building things. My last job was serving as project coordinator for the restoration of the Historic Courthouse in Hendersonville, NC. Building these concrete boats at NC State I often think may have been the start of my interest in building.

My time at NC State was special, and both my sons attended as well. Three generations in my family have attended NC State.

Organizations/Involvement: Chi Epsilon

I arrived at NC State in the fall of 1975 with the intention of obtaining a degree in Construction Engineering. Little did I know then how much that experience would transform my life.

I was able to get my undergrad in 1980 while also working and serving in leadership positions in a social fraternity. Later, I received a Masters of Engineering degree in 1994 through the video based distance learning program.

Since then, I have been fortunate enough to stay close to the CCEE department and serve on the advisory board. I will also never forget the smell of Mann Hall primarily coming from the labs in the basements. I can also still vividly remember many professors that I had the privilege of experiencing – JC Smith, Rooney Malcolm, George Blessis, David Johnston, Etc….just to make a few. The best of the best.

In short, the College of Engineering at NC State holds a special place in my heart. I will always be thankful for the connection that I have enjoyed with the college and look forward to continuing that going forward.

I attended NC State from 1980 to 1985 and graduated with a BS in civil engineering. I have great memories of my time there, like when studying in Mann Hall at night and you could hear the basketball game across the tracks in Reynolds. I must have had a test the next day! 1983 was a pretty good year to be at NC State.

The memories of being on Hillsborough Street seem surreal now. I am very grateful to all of my professors at NC State. I will make note of one, Dr. Rooney Malcolm. I think that every student that he taught will have a memory of “No, -20” on a test. I took a PE prep class with him and I remember someone asked him why he did not submit questions to the PE exam. All the NC State grads in that class laughed out loud. He smiled. Never thought I could learn so much from getting a 40 on an exam.

I live in Portugal now and wear my ‘State Stuff’ with pride. GO PACK

Organizations/Involvement: Intramural sports

Going to NC State and being in the College of Engineering was one of my best decisions. I found so many friends who were like-minded to myself and are still my friends to this day, and it is cool to see how their careers and lives have grown. I have friends from the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Village, as I joined WISE in 2013, so it has been 10 years since, so those are also special.

I take pride that I still get to work with different professors at NC State and Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) as my career keeps molding. I have special memories of Mann Hall with the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering that cannot be replaced or replicated. Engineering will continue to evolve and change as we all will and has given me a lot of joy in my life and career.

Organizations/Involvement: Women in Science and Engineering Village

When I came to NC State as a freshman back in 2011, I knew I wanted to go into civil engineering but didn’t know what paths this could lead to. As my time at NC State went on, I began to see the endless possibilities of what I could do and accomplish thanks to the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering and the College of Engineering. Thanks to the great people interacted with throughout my time at NC State, I have been able to accomplish many of my career goals I set for myself such as passing the PE exam and becoming a registered Professional Engineer in the State of North Carolina. And I also took everything I learned and now apply it in my career where I serve the people of North Carolina as an engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation. It’s amazing that the College of Engineering is celebrating 100 years and I can’t wait to see what people accomplish in the next 100 years thanks to the College of Engineering at NC State.

Organizations/Involvement: American Society of Civil Engineering

I started in the Mechanical Engineering Systems (MES) hybrid program in Havelock, NC but decided after three semesters that I wanted to pursue civil engineering. I was very impressed by the professionalism of the faculty and staff and with their willingness to help a non-traditional student such as myself. I learned what would be the equivalent to a long interstate bridge deck’s worth of knowledge while I was there and it has helped me to become successful in my second career. I will forever be grateful for the time I spent in the (old) CE building.

Organizations/Involvement: Engineering Online

What does the NC State College of Engineering mean to me?

After a successful career in telecommunications, I joined NC State University, the College of Engineering and the Department of Computer Science in 2001 to lead their corporate engagement efforts. I haven’t “worked” a day since, as it just doesn’t feel like work when you love what you do! From the moment I arrived on campus, I recognized what a special place this is! Every day, I get to work with not only some of the most brilliant minds in the world, but also some of the most caring and compassionate people I’ve ever met. I’ve heard it said that NC State is “MIT with a heart,” and I have found that to be true. This job has afforded me the opportunity to meet and work with incredible people from CEOs of major corporations and best-selling authors to astronauts and technology icons like Steve Wozniak. It has allowed me to have a seat at the table in our state’s efforts to bring major corporations to the area. And it has provided me the privilege of working with so many alumni, to help them fulfill a deep desire to make a real difference in other peoples’ lives. I feel so fortunate and blessed to have been given this opportunity for an incredible career working in this college for more than two decades!

I will be forever grateful to the incredible leaders I have worked with and for – people like Alan Tharp, Mladen Vouk, Laurie Williams, Gregg Rothermel, George Rouskas, Sarah Heckman and Louis Martin-Vega…to those who made their impacts here and moved on to make impacts abroad, but who will always be like family – people like Michael Young, Annie Anton, and Peng Ning…to alumni and friends who have inspired me beyond their knowledge – people like Keith Collins, Donald Thompson Jr., Troy Tolle, Mark Wyatt and Tony Brown…to those who touched my heart as students and continue to do so as their lives and careers blossom – people like Bushra Anjum, Khalia Braswell, and Amir Bahmani…and to those who have departed this earth, but whose memories will live with us forever – like Carol Miller, Bob Funderlic, and Naomi Rose Patrick. Along the way, I have developed so many lifelong friendships. I have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams.

That is what the NC State College of Engineering means to me!

Organizations/Involvement: CSC Student Ambassadors

I had 151 to take hours to get my degree in 1958.

Organizations/Involvement: Engineers’ Council

Organizations/Involvement: Engineers’ Council

My memories of NC State revolved around the time in my life where I had recently returned from Vietnam as a soldier; had recently married and wanted to get on with my life. I had returned from Vietnam in February 1968 and my then girlfriend Billie, whom I had dated in high school, had sent me off to Vietnam and supported me throughout my Army time as a 1966 draftee.

Through letters while I was deployed, (that was long before phone calls or the internet!) we had decided to get married when I returned and I would go NC State on the GI Bill. Somehow she managed to get me accepted into NC State while I was still in Vietnam… although I have never figured out how and I suspect it would be impossible in today’s environment.

We moved into a small apartment a few blocks from the campus. I stared taking courses in the summer of 1968 in electrical engineering and Billie (my wife) started looking for a job to support us. The plan was for her salary to support us and my GI bill to pay for my education. It worked out… however after a year or so, I took a part-time job in apartment maintenance to provide us with our big college event… a weekly Friday night beer and movie!

I was lucky in that I returned before the really bad negative attitude about the war had surfaced in the nation; however, it was brought back to me one afternoon in late 1968 or early 1969 when NC State students conducted an anti-war march on the capital. I did not take part. I remember standing alongside the road, on a small hill as the marchers passed by and one of the marchers looked at me and said “Hey…Join us!”. At that time, I could only silently shake my head “no’ as the group moved on down the street. 50+ years later… I would join them.

Our time at NC State turned out to be the best thing we could have done. We are still married and my education at NC State provided me with interesting career experiences, travel and adventure. A really good life. Thank you NC State!

Organizations/Involvement: Veterans Club

NC State Engineering was the perfect mix of education, industry experience and extra-curricular activities.

Hoping that NC State produces more entrepreneurs and creates more jobs in the next century!

M.S. Computer Networking

Organizations/Involvement: President of MAITRI, Indian Graduate Students Association

NC State is the only university that I had applied as an international student in the USA. So, the only and the best choice I have ever made in my life. I cannot be thankful enough for the knowledge and experiences. I wish NC State will give another opportunity to do a Ph.D. in the coming years. Thank you, WolfPack.

Organizations/Involvement: FREEDM Systems Center

I finished my BSEO in 1974 and MSIE in 1976. The spring of ’76, I saw a poster in Riddick Hall inviting students to a free lunch and an outside speaker. The “free lunch” really caught my eye; I did not pay attention who the speaker was. So on that day, I made my free ham sandwich, got some chips and a soda and sat down. The speaker was an administrator from Duke University Hospital talking about management engineers (IEs in healthcare speak). He mentioned the name of a student intern and the name of the firm Duke contracted with for their MEs. The firm was CHIP (Carolinas Hospital Improvement Program). I tracked down the student, Ben. He led me to Charles, whose intern led me to John — my first networking experience. I landed my first professional job with CHIP. In the six years at NC State, I had NEVER heard of IEs in healthcare and it sounded amazing.

So I was in healthcare 45 years, retiring as adjunct at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte teaching Healthcare Leadership & Ethics. So a “free ham sandwich” opened my 45-year career, helped me find my future bride (now wife of 44 years). I tell our grown sons, you’re here because of a “free ham sandwich.”

Thank you NC State IE department for giving me the tools, some talents, and the opportunity to make a difference.

Organizations/Involvement: Engineering Operations (EO) Society

I can truly say that NC State changed my life forever. The start was being placed in a study group with three other students — two industrial engineering majors and a computer science major — to solve linear programming problems by hand. Fortunately, the group quickly dissoled to two, myself and the beautiful comp sci major, Kathryn (Grim) Hajnos ’82.

We are celebrating our 40 years of marriage on the same day, May 28th!

Additionally, our oldest son, John Hajnos ’15, also became an industrial engineering major!

Organizations/Involvement: Engineers’ Council, President of the student chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE)

I learned to stretch beyond what I thought I could do. I realized my potential and formed lasting friendships and connections. My hope for the next generation is that they will do likewise. Don’t limit yourself but seek to do great things in ways not thought of before!

Organizations/Involvement: Women and Minority Engineering Programs (WMEP)

In the spring of 2002, I embarked upon a new chapter of my academic journey, joining the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at NC State University. Fresh off completing my M.S. degree from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, I arrived as a graduate international student, filled with a mix of excitement and anticipation. Little did I know that my NC State COE experience would shape my future in profound ways.

Initially, I assumed the role of a teaching assistant for a semester before I joined the research group led by Professor J. P. Maria as a Ph.D. student. Our laboratory and research group were located in Research Building-1 (RB-1) on Centennial Campus, even though many of the classes were held in the old campus.

Looking back now, I cannot help but feel a great sense of privilege for having been a part of this exceptional graduate research group, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and the College of Engineering as a whole. The experience was not only intellectually enriching but also incredibly enjoyable. It fostered lasting friendships that have endured for over two decades.

Currently, as a mid-career industrial R&D materials scientist at 3M in Minnesota, I continue to create innovative solutions for the energy and electronics market. I would like to acknowledge that my trajectory in this particular area of materials science was ignited during my time at NC State. The formal training and guidance that I received there have played a pivotal role in shaping my current career and for that I remain forever grateful.

There are numerous fond memories of life as a grad student. I will mention just a few. Friday afternoon was “lab cleaning” time and we all played a role in tidying up the lab. Later in the evening, much of the research group would gather at a local restaurant or pub and everyone had a jolly good time!

I recall a particularly memorable event during my early years at NC State. In late 2002, a severe winter storm descended upon the Raleigh area, causing havoc as power outages became prevalent. As someone hailing from eastern India, the sight of snow and ice was a novelty, prompting me to venture outside with my camera. Capturing the mesmerizing wintry scenes, I eagerly shared them with friends and family back home. However, the power outage left us unable to cook and hence we flocked to the few restaurants on Hillsborough Street that were fortunate enough to have electricity, enduring lengthy queues and long waiting times in our quest for a warm meal!

For many international students, it is rather challenging to be close to one’s family during Thanksgiving. I was fortunate enough to have a supportive Ph.D. advisor who graciously invited me to his house and participate in this quintessential American tradition. The warmth, delicious food, and genuine hospitality left an indelible impression on me.

In 2013, I had the opportunity to return to my alma mater, NC State University, marking my first visit since completing my graduate studies in 2005. Representing 3M at the Center for Dielectrics and Piezoelectrics (CDP), an NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) collocated at NC State, I enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with my mentor, Professor Maria, and reunite with former research group members, now engaged in diverse professional pursuits in various organizations. Witnessing the impressive development of the Centennial Campus firsthand since my departure has filled me with awe and admiration.

Hopes for the next century would be for the COE to attain even greater heights, continue to make breakthroughs in STEM and other related areas, cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship at all levels and most importantly train students who can continue to solve important problems for mankind and make a real difference.

I was unprepared for it and the school knew it.

I had a brutally honest faculty adviser that first year at NC State who showed me my predicted grade point average. The university expected me to flunk out. I nearly met the expectation.

He explained that this was not a nurturing environment. It was culling. I would be thrown into the deep end of the pool and would sink or swim. Either way, the University did not care.

It didn’t help that I was put in a program called Living and Learning. We lived on one side of campus, far from the madding crowd, a group of freshmen with very few upper-class role models. The upside: We’d have some classes in the dorms.

But most classes were on campus. Some of them had more students than the entire population of my rural high school. I was overwhelmed.

It didn’t help that there was a lot of social change going on in the world. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in April. There were riots downtown. We were locked on campus and watched the National Guard encampment at Pullen Park.

It didn’t help that the Vietnam War dragged on and failing college meant I would be headed to it. The campus was in transition that first year. You had to be careful who you flashed with a peace sign.

It didn’t help that I worried about finances.

It didn’t help that I suffered a youthful pride that blocked me from asking for help. I was humbled and humiliated by what a speck I was.

What sustained me were the things I could do as part of a team.

Marching band was a blast. I still brag that I played in the 1967 Liberty Bowl (among the third trumpets). The football team beat Georgia. The marching band won halftime.

I loved the ME class projects. In my senior year, Ford gave us a new Mustang to re-engineer. It wasn’t as pretty as when we got it, but it was safer and easier to drive.

I loved hanging out with my friends after a guest lecturer came on campus. We’d meet at some late night spot on Hillsborough Street and argue about what we heard as if we were the only one to hear it right.

I volunteered with Student Union committees, putting up flyers for a free film or concert.

I created an ME newsletter, that was part news and events, but mostly stuff we made up to jab the faculty. (They were either good sports or ignored it well.)

The university and I were evolving.

By my junior year, I was landing on the dean’s list. I loved thermodynamics because it had a zeroeth law. Wow! …A discipline that admits it missed something along the way. I loved the second law and the way it captured chaos. Or not. I never really understood the philosophical facet of entropy.

We looked different. The university built some new dorms (I was on top floor of the newly minted Metcalf) We started to see afros and dashikis and bellbottoms on campus. I went from a JFK style haircut to Martin Van Buren muttonchops.

In my freshman year, there were 1,000 women on a campus of 11,000 and fewer people of color. I never saw either in my classes. By my senior year, the number of women doubled, we elected a female student body president, elected a Black homecoming queen and established our first Black fraternity.

The University and I were each exploring diversity and finding its very positive impacts on us. We were together exploring new concepts like ecology and redefining what we did to accommodate those concepts. Computer programming had been a discipline for the community colleges to teach. But now it was about to replace our ubiquitous slide rules and revolutionize engineering.

I became very proud of my school and extremely happy that it gave me a chance to swim. I had a wonderful 50-year career because of it.

When I cleaned out my last office upon retirement, I left two handwritten questions on my white board.

“What do you think we should do?

Who else should be involved in this decision?”

Those lessons in humility and inclusion were hard won in my four years at NC State.

Happy 100th to you

Chuck Kleeberg

Tacoma, Washington

BSME 1971

I was in a STEM club in middle school where many of the activities were sponsored by NC State. One time we went on an overnight visit to the university where, if my memory serves me, I believe that we stayed in Wolf Ridge. Then I knew I wanted to be an engineer and that NC State was my dream school. It was beautiful, extremely walkable, and boasted a high-quality program for my career aspirations. When I was accepted I screamed, and when I received what was practically a full a ride through the Pack Promise Program, I cried. I wanted to be an engineer, but I knew the only way it would happen was through generous scholarships.

Here I’ve been able to pursue activities that align with my moral compass: helping people and the environment. With the large and numerous career fairs as well as endless support from WMEP, I was able to easily research and interview with many companies and find the right fit for me when I was looking for internships. I have a summer internship right now and a co-op that I will begin the this fall!

Along the way I’ve found the most wonderful friends that are understanding, compassionate, and excited to go on this engineering adventure with me. I couldn’t be happier. I’m just halfway through my degree, but at the end I will be a mechanical engineer ready to improve the quality of life for many people. I know throughout my journey the pack will have my back. And I know that for the rest of my life, I’m part of the Wolfpack!

Organizations/Involvement: Women and Minority Engineering Programs (WMEP), Engineering Village

So very fortunate to have been able to attend the NC State College of Engineering as an undergrad in the early 1980s (BSNE 1986) and then return as a professor in the same department 35 years later (Fall 2021).

A lot has changed but the essentials remain the same. Great faculty, great staff, great students and a wonderful community of teachers and scholars. The next generation begins as my son enters the College of Engineering this Fall. Go Pack!

Organizations/Involvement: Engineering Online

NC State gave me a great education. I have had fabulous opportunities because of my Wolfpack education.

Alumnus: 1977 BS Zoology; 1986 MS BAE; 1992 Ph.D. Engineering/Operations Research

Organizations/Involvement: Engineers’ Council

Graduated NC State in 2017 from the College of Natural Resources and started working for College of Engineering in 2018.

Seeing the College through the lens as an employee of the University has been special. During my undergraduate years, I saw but never fully understood all that went into making my day-to-day life as a student a success. Coming to work and knowing our common goal is to make the College of Engineering the greatest it can be will only continue to drive our focus for the next 100 years. I am proud of the research our students and faculty produce and create, the diverse workplace our College welcomes, the alumni who give back to build legacies for future generations and and the Wolfpack as a whole feeling like home. My hope for the next 100 years is for our city, state and country to see, feel and benefit greatly from the work our college is doing. For us to push the needle forward in making our world a better place.