In its long list of international accolades, Dr. Julia Kornegay’s resume includes an unusual line: Her quick action during the Rwandan genocide in 1994 catalyzed a collaboration that helped prevent famine and save lives.
The project, Seeds of Hope, warded off a second disaster by providing seeds from Rwanda’s six most important crops to farmers who returned from the conflict to find their harvest gone and their seed stock decimated.
Colleagues say this forward thinking is characteristic of Kornegay, now a professor and director of graduate programs in NC State University’s Department of Horticultural Science.
- Written by Chelsea Kellner