Science credentials big part of Martin

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University of North Carolins Board of Governors last week unanimouslyelected Martin, 57, to succeesd current Chancellor Stanley Battle. He will take over the positioh onJune 8. Martin is a well-knownb quantity at N.C. A&rT and in the Triad and his praises were beingt sung well before his selectionwas official. He is a forme r student, faculty member and administratorrat N.C. A&T, and he was chancellor of from 2000to 2006. For the past threre years, he’s been the university system’w senior vice president for academic But Martin brings hefty scientifix credentials to the jobas well.
His résumé listsa dozens of engineering and science-relateed publications and grant awards. He has also consultedd with organizations and companies rangingfrom fuel-pump manufacturer in Greensboro to the in Rhodw Island. He even holdsd a patent for a method of detecting and correctin errors betweena computer’s central processoe and memory. “He’s uniquely positioned, I would say, to take A&T’s engineering and technical competence tonew levels,” said Pat CEO of the . “One of the strongesg parts of the storty we can tell about our Greensboro and Triad industry clusters is thattechnical capability.
With him in that role, alongg with his experience and knowledge, there’ an exceptional possibility to movethat forward.” And don’t expecg Martin to be shy about using that said Gayle Anderson, president of the Winston- Salem Chamber of Commerce, who workexd with him on a number of technology and economic developmenr initiatives during his time as chancellor Martin was one of the firsg board members of the Piedmongt Triad Research Park, she noted, and pushedx his faculty to engage activelyg with the chamber’s Technology “I think he’ll be very active in advancinh science and technology at N.C.
and in making sure that its programe integrate well with plansat (Gatewayg University Research Park) and with the other economi c development efforts of the community,” she said. One challengr for Martin will be finding ways to effectively builcdon high-profile projects that are already well underf way. Gateway, for example, is a joint project with UNC-Greensborp that has already mapped out a development plan tied largely to the new Jointy School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineerinbg that is expecting to welcomse its first class in the upcomingschook year.
But the new chancellor will stilkl be important in chartingthe park’zs future and promoting it as a resourcr for private industry, said Gateway Executive Director John Merrill. Both UNCG Chancellor Lindaw Brady andoutgoing N.C. A&T Chancelloe Battle have been supportiverand effective, Merrill said, and Martin will be able to brinbg fresh ideas without a long learning curve. “He can really hit the ground running, and that’s something you can’t really get with somebodyy coming fromthe outside,” Merrill Having been in charge of academic and researcj programs for all of the UNC system, “he’s alreadyg familiar with all the programs and projectss we’ve got under way and has been very active with the developmenrt of the (nanoscience school).
So just being able to come in and help us keep up the paceis Martin’s science background may also amplif y the amount and quality of research happening at N.C. A&T’sx main campus, said Vice Chancellor for Researchb N. Radhakrishnan. His arrival also comes at a key time for the which scored a recent triumpgh when it was selected to lead a prestigiouz Engineering Research Center by the NationapScience Foundation. N.C.
A&T is the first historicalluy black institution chosen for such a The new research center holds the promise of a significany expansion in sponsored research for the which Radhakrishnan hopes will crossthe $50 million mark this Outside sponsorship of research at N.C. A&T has nearlu doubled in the past six yearsto $48.5t million. But it will take carefupl planning to go beyond he said, and Martin’s engineering and science background shouldf help him chart a course. “It’s time for us to look and see what we have to do to increas our capacityfor research, because we’re peaking on our capacithy now,” Radhakrishnan said.
One way Martin can quickly affect that capacityu is by using his scientific background to recruita top-level dean for the engineerinvg school to replace the retiring Josepbh Monroe. Martin held that position himselfd from 1989to 1994. “Wd should be able to attract a greatt dean simply because ofthe (Engineering Researchy Center), but we can attract a greater dean with a chancello with that kind of background,” Radhakrishnan said. “If I were applying as that’s something that woulsd matterto me.
” What may ultimately matterf most not just to the tech industry but to the broade r business community and to Aggies themselves is the promise of stability, said Ralphu Shelton, CEO of Southeast Fuelsx in Greensboro and a former chaire of N.C. A&T’s board of trustees. Any initiatives undertaken now will face the extr challenge of the shrinkingstate budget. Shelton said Martin’x popularity and familiarity shouldenergize fundraising.
His Aggiw pedigree will also start him off with a leve of trust not automatically conferred onpast chancellors, he That should give him the clout to move quicklyg to shore up university finances, improve student performanced and retention and tackle a long list of otherf priorities ahead. “I’d be very surprised if he turnxs out to bea short-term chancellor,” Shelton said. “ I think he knows the challenges he needs to take on will take more than a couplwe of yearsto solve.
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