Jim Woodward Named Interim Chancellor of NC State University

Dr. Jim Woodward has been named interim chancellor of North Carolina State University, bringing years of administrative experience and leadership to the university.

“I have a special affinity for NC State that has grown since my time as a professor here,” Woodward said. “This institution is critical to the state of North Carolina and to the nation in preparing future leaders and conducting groundbreaking research.

“We must all continue to work together to move this university forward and continue its rich tradition of service and excellence.”

Woodward, who started work at NC State June 9, previously served as the chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte from 1989 to 2005. During his tenure at UNC Charlotte, Woodward oversaw the significant expansion of the school to over 19,000 students, the awarding of the school’s first doctoral degrees and the largest fundraising campaign in the school’s history.

While serving at UNC Charlotte, Woodward also chaired the UNC System’s Information Technology Strategy Network Infrastructure Assessment Task Force. Woodward also served as a member on the UNC Tomorrow Commission and the North Carolina Education Lottery Commission.

Prior to serving at UNC Charlotte, Woodward, an aerospace engineer, had been dean of engineering and senior vice president of academic affairs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He worked at UAB from 1969-1989.

Woodward taught as an assistant professor in the engineering mechanics department of NC State’s College of Engineering in the 1968-69 academic year. Woodward received his Ph.D. in engineering mechanics from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1967, and his MBA from UAB in 1973.