Red Chair Chats

Episode 11: Apple COO Jeff Williams

Filmed in front of a live audience of NC State alumni, Chancellor Randy Woodson visits the Bay Area for a conversation with NC State alum and Apple COO Jeff Williams. Woodson talks with the 1985 graduate and 2021 honorary degree recipient about innovation and the importance of experiential learning.

Episode 10: Professor Rodolphe Barrangou

Chancellor Woodson sits down with Rodolphe Barrangou, a pioneer in the discovery of CRISPR, at the Plant Sciences Building to discuss this revolutionary technology. Barrangou, the Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at NC State University, was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2023.

Episode 9: Veterinarian Dr. Jb Minter

Chancellor Woodson takes the red chairs and his family on the road to sit down with Dr. Jb Minter, an NC State College of Veterinary Medicine alumnus. Minter oversees the care of 250 different species among the 1,700 animals at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro — the largest natural habitat zoo in the world.

Episode 8: NASA Astronaut Christina Koch

Chancellor Woodson sits down with NASA astronaut and three-time NC State graduate Christina Koch for the first live episode of Red Chair Chats, filmed at NC State’s Stewart Theatre. In their conversation, Koch shares a glimpse into her 328-day stay on the International Space Station and discusses why she chose NC State for her undergraduate and graduate career.

Episode 7: Coach Laurie Henes

Chancellor Woodson sits down with Laurie Henes, head coach of women’s cross country and men’s and women’s track and field. With back-to-back NCAA championships and seven straight ACC titles in women’s cross country, Henes is one of the winningest coaches in NC State history.

Episode 6: 321 Coffee Founders Lindsay Wrege and Michael Evans

Chancellor Woodson sits down with alumni Lindsay Wrege and Michael Evans to talk about how NC State helped them launch their mission-driven coffee shop, 321 Coffee. Plus, barista Sam teaches Chancellor Woodson how to make a dirty chai latte.

Episode 5: Professor Kofi Boone

Chancellor Randy Woodson sits down at Raleigh’s historic Chavis Park with Kofi Boone, a distinguished professor of landscape architecture at NC State. During his 20 years with the university’s College of Design, Boone has worked to bridge the discipline of landscape architecture with social and environmental justice.

Episode 4: Bee Downtown Founder Leigh-Kathryn Bonner

Chancellor Randy Woodson sits down with NC State alumna Leigh-Kathryn Bonner. A 2015 graduate of the NC State International Studies program, Bonner has been named a Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur for her work as founder and CEO of Bee Downtown.

Episode 3: American Aquarium’s BJ Barham

Chancellor Randy Woodson sits down with singer-songwriter BJ Barham, NC State alumnus and frontman of American Aquarium. Tune in as they discuss Wolfpack football, classic guitars and what’s next for the band.

Episode 2: Athletics Director Boo Corrigan

Chancellor Woodson sits down with NC State Athletics Director Boo Corrigan to talk about his second full year as the head of Pack Athletics. Tune in as they discuss their favorite sports moment, cars and where the nickname “Boo” comes from.

Episode 1: Coach Kevin Keatts

The premiere episode of Red Chair Chats features Wolfpack men’s basketball Coach Kevin Keatts as our first guest. Watch as Chancellor Woodson and Coach Keatts play a game of HORSE, discuss Keatts’ coaching style, bond over their first cars and more.