Chancellor’s Fall Highlights

Well, Dead Week is upon us! This beautiful fall is finally coming to an end in seemingly perfect unison with our academic calendar. From occupiers and tuition discussions to hosting the President of the United States, life at NC State continues to provide our students with outstanding opportunity for personal and professional development. As our students cram and athletic teams compete for championships and bowl games, I want to take a moment to share with you just a few of our many occasions and accomplishments.

Susan and I are thrilled to announce that The Point, the new chancellor’s residence on Centennial Campus (pictured above), is now complete! Navigating our way through a sea of boxes, we are continually impressed by both the functionality and personality of our new home.  Dean Marvin Malecha’s innovative design sends the world a strong statement about who NC State is and how we build a dynamic vision for the future on the steadfast foundation of an illustrious past.  Made possible through the generous support of so many, Susan and I look forward to the lasting Wolfpack memories sure to come at The Point.

The NC State delegation to Asia returned home after a whirlwind tour through Hong Kong, China and South Korea, where we strengthened important partnerships with leading Asian universities and corporations. International opportunities in industry and academia add new dimensions to our faculty and students’ global awareness, and our international alumni are eager to engage with their alma mater. We are proud of how these international partnerships enhance our capacity to drive economic and academic innovation.

Strategic collaboration is but one component of our strategic plan, a plan that builds on past success to provide our faculty, staff and students with unparalleled opportunity. Our main focus now is the cross-campus implementation of the specific strategies laid out in the plan. Be on the lookout.

This fall, our faculty and staff tailgate was a howling success as our employees put away some delicious food just before our football team put away Central Michigan. It was a wonderful way to show our appreciation and support for the families of those who work hard every day to make NC State so great.

We also announced the Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Fund to complement the world-class faculty we already have. NC State faculty will be able to fund research that attracts leading scholars in areas of emerging strength and high potential impact. Emphasis will be placed on interdisciplinary study to drive innovative research in health, education, energy and the environment, and safety and security, areas presenting the world with some of our most difficult challenges.

And for one last time this year, I joined students at the Park Shops Port City Java on Monday for this semester’s final “Chat with the Chancellor.” These chats have proven to be an excellent opportunity for me to hear student concerns, answer their questions and solicit constructive feedback.  We’ll be setting the dates for our spring chats soon.

Through a challenging year, NC State has remained competitive around the globe and active in communities across North Carolina. With the 125th anniversary of our founding on the horizon, I look forward to the new year as we continue our steady progress forward and celebrate our rich heritage and continued success.