In his 15 years as NC State’s chancellor, Randy Woodson has signed over 150,000 diplomas. This Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium, he conferred the last 7,000-plus of his tenure to the class of 2025. 

“For the 31st and final time as your chancellor, I want to tell you how proud I am of each and every one of you and how excited I am for your future,” Woodson said. “We’re graduating together — it’s just taken me a little longer.”

The spring 2025 commencement ceremony was Woodson’s last official event as NC State’s chancellor before his retirement. In what has become a tradition for NC State’s longtime leader, Woodson walked through the rows of graduates prior to the event to say hello and pose for selfies with soon-to-be Wolfpack alumni. Throughout the ceremony, speakers praised Woodson for his leadership and the university’s many achievements under his supervision. However, Woodson kept the focus on the graduates and their accomplishments during his remarks.

“I really do thank you for everything that you’ve done for NC State,” he said. “Thank you for all your hard work. Go out and do good for this world, and come back to NC State often. I’m confident that your future is bright, and it’s time to take your knowledge, your creativity, your compassion — and yes, your Think and Do attitude — out into this big, bold world. I am so happy for all of you. Congratulations.”

Following his final acts as chancellor, Woodson handed his keys to the new head of the Pack. Kevin Howell was announced as NC State’s 15th chancellor in March, and his first day on the job was Monday. In an email to the university community, Howell expressed his gratitude for Woodson and his transformational leadership. He also said he planned to spend the first months on the job meeting stakeholders across the university and beyond to learn about opportunities, challenges and goals.

“I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to lead one of the best universities in the country,” Howell wrote. “What’s more, I’m so excited to be back home at my alma mater.”

NC State Bestows Honorary Degrees

In addition to Woodson, several other members of the Wolfpack were honored for their contributions to the university and to their larger communities at commencement. Three people received honorary degrees at the ceremony:

• Ann Goodnight has spent more than 25 years advocating for children and education. She is a co-founder of and board member for the Cary Academy, and she has served on both the NC State Board of Trustees and the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors. She is also chair of the Goodnight Educational Foundation, which funds NC State’s Goodnight Scholars Program.
• Vivian Howard is an award-winning chef, cookbook author, TV personality and restaurateur. After working in some of New York City’s most esteemed restaurants, she opened her own establishment, Chef & the Farmer, in Kinston, North Carolina, in 2005. Her first cookbook, Deep Run Roots, became a New York Times bestseller in 2016 and was named Cookbook of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. A Chef’s Life, her series with filmmaker Cynthia Hill, won a daytime Emmy, a Peabody Award and a James Beard Award for Outstanding Personality/Host. 
• Adm. Daryl Caudle leads the U.S. Northern Command and the U.S. Strategic Command, and he serves as the U.S. Strategic Command Joint Force Maritime Component commander. He has more than 125 ships, 1,000 aircraft and 103,000 active service members and government employees under his charge. He is a recipient of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. 

In addition to receiving an honorary degree, Caudle served as commencement speaker and challenged graduates to Think and Do in their next phases of life. He also shared his five P’s for success: people, prioritization, planning, practice and performance.

“If you Think and Do with people, prioritization, planning, practice and performance, you’ll carry the tools needed to lead in any field, under any condition, in any era,” Caudle told graduates. “Take care of people. Set and protect your priorities. Bridge the think-do gap with planning. Create your own luck by practicing, and then relentlessly perform and execute each day by hard work, grit and tenacity.

“I believe it is the duty of each of us to act as if the fate of the world is dependent on us. We must live for the future, and not for our own comfort or success. So I challenge you: Act as if the fate of the world depends on you, because it does. You are thinkers. You are doers. You are NC State. Now, go out and show the world what a member of the Wolfpack can accomplish. Go make us proud. Go Pack!”