Meet the CEFS Team
For questions about CEFS internships, apprenticeships, and other career pathways opportunities, please contact Dr. Angel Cruz, [email protected] or 919-513-0954.
For questions about CEFS events, please contact Amber Polk, [email protected] or 919-513-3924.
For communications and media inquiries, please contact Janie Hynson, [email protected] or 919-578-7009.
For any other questions or general information about CEFS, please contact us at [email protected] 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
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
Ann Bybee-Finley
Assistant Professor of Agroecology, Director of Agroecology Programs, Director of NC State Agroecology Education Farm
Departments of Crop and Soil Sciences, Agroecology Education Farm
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
Prof. Balu Gokaraju
Professor, Associate Director of Visualization and Computation Advancing Research (ViCAR) Center
Computational Data Science Horticultural Science
N.C. A&T
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
Felipe Carvalho da Silva (He/Him/His)
Assistant Professor & Beef Extension Specialist
Animal Science
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
ASPIRE Faculty Mentors
Find Agroecology Scholars Program in Research and Extension (ASPIRE) faculty mentors here.
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 | [email protected] | 336-285-4683 | |
| CEFS Director | Dr. Michelle Schroeder-Moreno | [email protected] | 919-513-0085 | |
| Superintendent | Johnnie Howard | Cherry Research Farm | [email protected] | 919-609-0720 |
| Assistant Director of Community Based Food Systems | Dr. Dara Bloom | [email protected] | 919-515-8475 | |
| Assistant Director of Collaborative Research | Dr. Chris Reberg-Horton (he/him) | [email protected] | 919-515-7597 | |
| Education, Extension and Field Research Liasion | Melissa Bell (they/them) | [email protected] | 919-271-7557 | |
| Farm to Fork Coordinator & Events Assistant | Daphane Birch | CEFS | [email protected] | 919-513-3924 |
| Outreach Coordinator | Vacant Position | Farm to School | ||
| Program Director | Sarah Blacklin | NC Choices | [email protected] | 919-928-4771 |
| Interim Project Director | Shironda Brown (she/her/hers) | Farm to Early Care and Education | [email protected] | 919-413-8843 |
| Multimedia Manager | Marcello Cappellazzi (he/him/his) | CEFS | [email protected] | 919-360-6435 |
| Event Associate | Vacant Position | CEFS | 919-513-3924 | |
| Academic and Extension Initiatives Manager | Dr. Angel Cruz (she/her) | CEFS | [email protected] | 919-513-0954 |
| Agroforestry Research Unit Coordinator | Dr. Alan Franzluebbers | Research Units | [email protected] | 919-515-1973 |
| Ag Ed Business Assistant | Stephen Gothard | CEFS | [email protected] | 919-513-0954 |
| Administrative Assistant | Lauren Hill | [email protected] | ||
| Communications Manager | Janie Hynson (she/her/hers) | CEFS | [email protected] | 919-578-7009 |
| Project Coordinator | Sara Kidd (she/her) | Boots on the Ground: NC Veteran Farmer Apprenticeship | [email protected] | |
| CEFS Western NC Food Systems Program Director | Laura Lauffer (she/her/hers) | EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems | [email protected] | 919-444-1478 |
| Technical Program Coordinator | Lee Menius | NC Choices | [email protected] | 704-202-9348 |
| Business Program Associate | Meredith Owens | CEFS | [email protected] | 919-513-3924 |
| Program Director | Abbey Piner (she/her) | Community Food Strategies | [email protected] | 206-295-5275 |
| CEFS Business and Events Manager | Amber Polk | CEFS | [email protected] | 919-513-3924 |
| Pasture-Based Beef Unit Coordinator | Dr. Matt Poore | Research Units | [email protected] | 919-515-7798 |
| Program Coordinator | Johnny Rogers | Amazing Grazing | [email protected] | 919-515-4005 |
| Project Administrator | EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems | 828-782-3062 | ||
| Communications Assistant | Abigail Sherrod (she/her/hers) | CEFS | [email protected] | |
| Business Services Coordinator | Tiffany Slade (she/her/hers) | Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T | [email protected] | 336-285-4653 |
| Agroecology Education Farm Manager | Sara Snyder (they/them) | NC State Agroecology Education Farm | [email protected] | |
| Director of Operations and Strategy | Carlos Solórzano | CEFS | [email protected] | 919-513-0954 |
| Business Associate | Ali Stone | Community Food Strategies & NC Local Food Council | [email protected] | 919-307-7927 |
| Statewide Coordinator | Robyn Stout (she/her) | NC 10% Campaign | [email protected] | 919-515-5362 |
| Apprenticeship Coordinator | Kathleen Wood (she/they) | CEFS | [email protected] | |
| Farming Systems Research Unit Coordinator | Dr. Alex Woodley | Research Units | [email protected] | 919-515-3957 |