Chancellor Randy Woodson

From the Chancellor

From the streets of Cairo to the East Room of the White House, NC State helped transform the world in 2011. Our students braved tear gas in Tahrir Square to capture the sights and sounds of the Arab world awakening, our faculty solved problems once thought unsolvable, and our research flew into history aboard the final shuttle mission.

It’s nothing new for NC State.

For 125 years, this university has been transforming lives in North Carolina and around the globe through innovative education, groundbreaking research and real-world solutions. Our researchers invented the synthetic aorta, a prototype for an artificial retina and a nanocoating for fabric that kills bacteria and viruses when exposed to light. We’ve also linked scientific discovery to economic opportunity, creating more than 80 new companies, 150 commercial products and thousands of jobs.

Our tradition of transformational achievement continues, and the pace is accelerating. But so are the challenges facing our world. That’s why I set up the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund to support some of NC State’s most promising research. The first four recipients are featured in this report.

You’ll also read about Dr. Jay Baliga, who joins Steve Jobs and Bill Gates as one of a handful of innovative pioneers to receive the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement. And you’ll meet other faculty, students and alumni who are transforming the world in fields as diverse as food science, architecture and textiles engineering.

As you explore these pages, you’ll see why I’m so proud of the Wolfpack community.