Provost’s Corner: February 2018

Dear faculty and staff,

Even though we’re in the shortest month of the year, our campus is full of activity. We’re excited  to launch the next phase of our strategic plan, which will guide efforts to propel our momentum and strengthen the campus community over the next three years. Forbes magazine recently recognized our efforts by ranking NC State among the Best Employers for Diversity in the country, and we’re the only higher education institution in the state to make the list.

We’re also in the midst of celebrating Black History Month, through the lens of “Reclaiming Our Time: Solidifying Our Existence in the Wake of Resistance.” The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs has created a wide variety of programming to showcase the importance of counter-storytelling and of recognizing the social, political, economic and cultural contributions of members of the Black and African Diaspora.

Our faculty have been quite busy as well. James Rand, the Distinguished Professor of Architecture in the School of Architecture, has been selected to attend the 2018-2019 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in Finland. Rand is a Distinguished Chair selection — the first from NC State — and will be teaching and conducting research at Aalto University in Helsinki from January-May 2019. Rodolphe Barrangou, the Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Scholar in Probiotics Research in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, will receive the 2018 NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences for his CRISPR-Cas systems research. We celebrate their achievements and dedication to discovery, learning and engagement.

We also want to honor the staff members who continue to advance our mission and support continual excellence at our world-class institution. Please consider nominating a staff member for a University Award for Excellence, the most prestigious honor bestowed upon NC State staff. Recipients demonstrate excellence in their college, department/unit, the NC State campus community or in the lives of others. 

Whether you are faculty or staff, I hope that each of you will take time to complete the University of North Carolina system Employee Engagement Survey, which is open until Monday, February 19. The survey aligns with the goals of our strategic plan, and we want to use the results to make our campus a stronger, more inclusive place for all.

That’s already happening thanks to your dedication to demonstrating excellence in your work and commitment to achieving our mission. I look forward to seeing how this success will continue to grow in March and beyond.

To keep up with all academic and faculty- or staff-related developments, follow @NCStateProvost on Twitter.

Until next time,

Warwick Arden
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost