Meet the CEFS Team
For questions about CEFS internships, apprenticeships, and other career pathways opportunities, please contact Dr. Angel Cruz, aecruz@ncsu.edu or 919-513-0954.
For questions about CEFS events, please contact Amber Polk, agpolk@ncsu.edu or 919-513-3924.
For communications and media inquiries, please contact Janie Hynson, janie_hynson@ncsu.edu or 919-213-1390.
For any other questions or general information about CEFS, please contact us at cefs_info@ncsu.edu or 919-513-0954.
You can also view the CEFS staff contacts directory in table format.
Leadership Team | Research Unit Coordinators | Programs and Initiatives | CEFS-Affiliated Faculty | Support and Extension
Leadership Team
Dr. Chyi Lyi (Kathleen) Liang
CEFS Director, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Programs and Initiatives
Shironda Brown (she/her/hers)
Interim Project Director
NC Farm to Early Care and Education
Sara Kidd (she/her)
Project Coordinator
Boots on the Ground: NC Veteran Farmer Apprenticeship
Laura Lauffer (she/her)
CEFS Western NC Food Systems Program Director
EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems
Dr. Arnab Bhowmik
Assistant Professor in Soil Science
Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Design
N.C. A&T
Dr. Dara Bloom
Associate Professor and Local Foods Extension Specialist
Youth, Family, and Community Sciences
NC State
Dr. Mallory Choudoir (she/her)
Assistant Professor and Soil Microbiome Extension Specialist
Department of Plant and Microbial Biology
NC State
Liz Driscoll
4-H Youth Specialist
Departments of Crop and Soil Sciences, Entomology and Plant Pathology, and Horticultural Science
NC State / North Carolina Cooperative Extension
Dr. Alejandra Huerta (She/Her)
Assistant Professor
Entomology and Plant Pathology
NC State
Dr. Kenrett Jefferson-Moore
Associate Professor
Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education
N.C. A&T
Allison Pullin (She/Her)
Assistant Professor of Animal Welfare
Prestage Department of Poultry Science
NC State
Debjani Sihi (She/Her)
Assistant Professor
Plant and Microbial Biology and Crop and Soil Sciences
NC State
Dr. Andy Smolski (he/him/él)
Postdoctoral Research Scholar
Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences
NC State
Dr. David H Suchoff
Assistant Professor of Alternative Crops
Department of Crop & Soil Sciences
NC State
Dr. Stephanie H. Ward
Assistant Professor, Dairy Extension
Department of Animal Science
NC State
Tiffany Slade (she/her/hers)
Business Services Coordinator
Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T
Dr. Nancy Creamer
Blue Cross and Blue Shield/W.K. Kellogg Distinguished Professor Emerita, Horticulture
NC State
Former NC State Director of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems
Dr. Mike Linker
Professor (Retired), Crop Science
NC State
Former State IPM Specialist
Dr. Jean-Marie Luginbuhl
Professor (Retired), Crop Science
NC State
Former Coordinator of CEFS’ Pasture-Based Meat Goat Unit
Dr. Paul Mueller
Professor (Retired), Crop Science
NC State
Former Coordinator of CEFS’ Farming Systems Research Unit
Dr. John O’Sullivan
Professor (Retired), Agricultural Extension
N.C. A&T
Former N.C. A&T CEFS Director
Dr. Charles Raczkowski
Adjunct Associate Professor
Natural Resources and Environmental Design
N.C. A&T
Dr. Steve Washburn
Professor (Retired), Animal Science
NC State
Former Coordinator of CEFS’ Pasture-Based Dairy Unit
| Position | Name | Program or Initiative | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEFS Director | Dr. Chyi Lyi (Kathleen) Liang | cliang@ncat.edu | 336-285-4683 | |
| CEFS Director | Dr. Michelle Schroeder-Moreno | michelle_schroeder@ncsu.edu | 919-513-0085 | |
| Superintendent | Johnnie Howard | Cherry Research Farm | johnnie.howard@ncagr.gov | 919-609-0720 |
| Assistant Director of Community Based Food Systems | Dr. Dara Bloom | dara_bloom@ncsu.edu | 919-515-8475 | |
| Assistant Director of Collaborative Research | Dr. Chris Reberg-Horton (he/him) | chris_reberg-horton@ncsu.edu | 919-515-7597 | |
| Education, Extension and Field Research Liasion | Melissa Bell (they/them) | mcbell@ncsu.edu | 919-271-7557 | |
| Farm to Fork Coordinator & Events Assistant | Daphane Birch | CEFS | dbirch@ncsu.edu | 919-513-3924 |
| Outreach Coordinator | Drea Blackburn (they/them) | Farm to School | kblackb@ncsu.edu | |
| Program Director | Sarah Blacklin | NC Choices | seblackl@ncsu.edu | 919-928-4771 |
| Business Associate | Tamekia Brandon | CEFS | tlbrando@ncsu.edu | |
| Interim Project Director | Shironda Brown (she/her/hers) | Farm to Early Care and Education | sewilli3@ncsu.edu | 919-413-8843 |
| Multimedia Manager | Marcello Cappellazzi (he/him/his) | CEFS | mcappel@ncsu.edu | 919-360-6435 |
| Event Associate | Calliope Carion | CEFS | cmcarion@ncsu.edu | 919-513-3924 |
| Academic and Extension Initiatives Manager | Dr. Angel Cruz (she/her) | CEFS | aecruz@ncsu.edu | 919-513-0954 |
| Community-Based Food System Research Scholar | Dr. Niesha Douglas (she/her/hers) | CEFS | ndougla@ncsu.edu | |
| Agroforestry Research Unit Coordinator | Dr. Alan Franzluebbers | Research Units | alan.franzluebbers@ars.usda.gov | 919-515-1973 |
| AgEd Business Assistant | Stephen Gotchard | CEFS Career Pathways | sgothar@ncsu.edu | 919-513-3924 |
| Administrative Assistant | Lauren Hill | lmhill5@ncsu.edu | ||
| Communications Manager | Janie Hynson (she/her/hers) | CEFS | janie_hynson@ncsu.edu | 919-213-1390 |
| Project Coordinator | Sara Kidd (she/her) | Boots on the Ground: NC Veteran Farmer Apprenticeship | skkidd@ncsu.edu | |
| CEFS Western NC Food Systems Program Director | Laura Lauffer (she/her/hers) | EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems | lwlauffe@ncsu.edu | 919-444-1478 |
| Technical Program Coordinator | Lee Menius | NC Choices | lamenius@ncsu.edu | 704-202-9348 |
| Business Program Associate | Meredith Owens (she/her/hers) | CEFS | maowens4@ncsu.edu | 919-513-3924 |
| Program Director | Abbey Piner (she/her) | Community Food Strategies | abbey_piner@ncsu.edu | 206-295-5275 |
| CEFS Business and Events Manager | Amber Polk | CEFS | amber_polk@ncsu.edu | 919-513-3924 |
| Pasture-Based Beef Unit Coordinator | Dr. Matt Poore | Research Units | matt_poore@ncsu.edu | 919-515-7798 |
| Program Coordinator | Johnny Rogers | Amazing Grazing | jrroger3@ncsu.edu | 919-515-4005 |
| Project Administrator | Jesse Rosenblum | EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems | jarosen2@ncsu.edu | 828-782-3062 |
| Communications Assistant | Abigail Sherrod (she/her/hers) | CEFS | asherro2@ncsu.edu | |
| Business Services Coordinator | Tiffany Slade (she/her/hers) | Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T | sladet@ncat.edu | 336-285-4653 |
| Agroecology Education Farm Manager | Sara Snyder (they/them) | NC State Agroecology Education Farm | sasnyde4@ncsu.edu | |
| Director of Operations and Strategy | Carlos Solórzano | CEFS | carlos_solorzano@ncsu.edu | 919-513-0954 |
| Business Associate | Ali Stone | Community Food Strategies & NC Local Food Council | alstone3@ncsu.edu | 919-307-7927 |
| Statewide Coordinator | Robyn Stout (she/her) | NC 10% Campaign | robyn_stout@ncsu.edu | 919-515-5362 |
| Committee on Racial Equity in the Food System (CORE) Director | Bevelyn Afor Ukah | Committee on Racial Equity in the Food System (CORE) | bevelyn_ukah@ncsu.edu | 404-735-4377 |
| Apprenticeship Coordinator | Kathleen Wood (she/they) | CEFS | kwood2@ncsu.edu | |
| Farming Systems Research Unit Coordinator | Dr. Alex Woodley | Research Units | alwoodle@ncsu.edu | 919-515-3957 |