Donald E. Moreland (1919- ) began as a student in the forestry program at North Carolina State College (later North Carolina State University) in 1940, but left school for active duty in the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1946, Moreland returned to the college. With help from the G.I. Bill, he earned a bachelors degree in forestry in 1949 and a masters degree in forestry in 1950. In 1953, Moreland completed his doctorate degree in plant physiology, also from North Carolina State College.

For the next 50 years, Moreland served as a faculty member at North Carolina State, teaching crop science, botany, forestry, and toxicology. During this time, he also worked on several projects for the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service in Raleigh, N.C. In 1995, he became a Professor Emeritus.

Always active in the professional community, Moreland was a member of numerous organizations, including the American Society of Plant Physiologists, the Weed Science Society of America, Southern Weed Science Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the North Carolina Academy of Science, and the Botanical Society of America. He also belonged to several honor societies, including Sigma Xi aand Alpha Zeta. Moreland has received numerous awards and honors, including Presidential Rank Award as a Meritorious Executive in the United States Government's Senior Executive Service (1987) and Weed Scientist of the Year Award from the Southern Weed Science Society (1988).