Portfolio

Feature and Science Writing

For Htoo Saw Ywa, what's growing at a new small farm in eastern Wake County is more than produce and more than added income. It's solace from the memories of persecution in his native Myanmar. A way to connect with his farming roots and with fellow refugees. And a chance for generations to bond through food traditions.

Talking the (Plant) Talk

One day soon, tiny electronic sensors will translate the language of plants and send waves of data to growers, giving a heads-up at their crops' first talk of trouble. The North Carolina Plant Sciences initiative leads the way.

I AM CALS: Rick Brandenburg

His liver shut down, his kidneys stopped working, and his lungs partially collapsed. For weeks, his wife stayed by his bedside, fearing he would die. Rick Brandenburg had contracted malaria while in Malawi. Seven months later, he was back in the African nation, continuing his work helping farmers and scientists solve peanut production problems.

The Secret Reproductive Lives of Honey Bees

Honey bee health has been on the decline for two decades, with U.S. and Canadian beekeepers now losing about 25% to 40% of their colonies annually. This news release, which explains key findings about queen bees' failing reproductive health, was shared by media outlets around the globe and spawned an interview on the popular radio show Science Friday, which reaches some 1.8 million listeners each week.

Regaining What's Been Lost

At Sankofa Farms, North Carolina State University doctoral student Kamal Bell looks to agriculture and to the past to break down educational barriers for young African American men.

Project Management

CALS Magazine
As 2022-23 acting editor of NC State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Magazine, I coordinated the work of staff and freelance writers, copy editors, designers, photographers and videographers. The fall 2022 issue highlighted the college's rich heritage, while the spring 2023 issue focused on powering positive change in North Carolina and beyond.

Marketing Communications

What's That Smell?
Blooms of a rare corpse flower at NC State University have not only drawn thousands of visitors and sparked media coverage, they've let the world know that the university is a great place for aspiring plant scientists to earn degrees. As part of an award-winning team working with a shoestring campaign budget, I wrote web copy and news releases; helped coordinate media interviews; developed a fact sheet; and profiled the student gardener who made the events happen.

Copy editing

After newspaper reporting, I took my first copy editing job at NC State University in 1989, working with subject-matter specialists, graphic designers and printers producing publications for 4-H'ers. Since then, I have put my copy editing skills to work on fact sheets, brochures, magazines, annual reports, technical reports and even a book. One of my favorite projects: Virginia Cooperative Extension's "Managing Wildlife Damage: Canada Goose."

Podcasting

Issues in agriculture affect not just farmers. They influence our lives every day. I launched the Farms, Food and You podcast and website early in the COVID-19 pandemic to help consumers understand timely issues facing those who grow our food. I retired in 2021 after handling all aspects of production, marketing and distribution for 29 episodes, but the podcast continues under the leadership of a new producer.

Dee Shore