NC State faculty member Cranos Williams was recently named a Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Agricultural Analytics by the College of Engineering (COE) and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). 

The new professorship was bestowed on Williams for promoting cross-college collaborations leading to next-generation precision agriculture solutions, as well as for his research, teaching, and leadership in using data-driven approaches to understand the biological processes behind plants’ growth, development, and adaptation to changing environments. 

Williams will continue to carry on his efforts through a joint faculty appointment that supports COE’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, as well as CALS’ Department of Plant and Microbial Biology.

“Cranos’ work provides an excellent example of an engineering faculty member working across disciplines to solve important societal challenges,” said Louis Martin-Vega, dean of the College of Engineering. “We’re grateful for the Goodnights’ recognition and support of his research and for the opportunities that this endowed professorship will present for more collaboration with colleagues in CALS.”

Williams is an accomplished researcher who has engaged in collaborations with nine CALS faculty across eight funded research projects, which have led to new ways of producing plant-based alternatives to petroleum-based fuels, the discovery of molecular mechanisms that set off stress responses in plants, and optimized cultural practices and resource management strategies for growers and producers.