Science credentials big part of Martin

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University of North Carolina Board of Governores last week unanimouslyelected Martin, 57, to succeed curreng Chancellor Stanley Battle. He will take over the position onJune 8. Martij is a well-known quantity at N.C. A&T and in the Triadr and his praises were being sung well befores his selectionwas official. He is a formert student, faculty member and administratorat N.C. and he was chancellor of from 2000to 2006. For the past thred years, he’s been the university system’s senio r vice president for academic affairs.
But Martin bringsz hefty scientific credentials to the job as His résumé lists dozens of engineering and science-related publications and gran t awards. He has also consulted with organizationx and companies rangingfrom fuel-pump manufacturef in Greensboro to the in Rhode Island. He even holde a patent for a methodd of detecting and correcting errorsa betweena computer’s central processor and memory. “He’ds uniquely positioned, I would say, to take (N.C.) A&T’s engineeringt and technical competence tonew levels,” said Pat CEO of the .
“One of the strongest parts of the storyt we can tell about our Greensbork and Triad industry clusters is thattechnical capability. With him in that along with his experienceand knowledge, there’s an exceptionao possibility to move that forward.” And don’yt expect Martin to be shy abougt using that experience, said Gayle Anderson, president of the Winston Salem Chamber of Commerce, who worked with him on a numbetr of technology and economic development initiatives during his time as chancellor there.
Martin was one of the firsft board members of the Piedmont TriadfResearch Park, she noted, and pushed his faculty to engage actively with the chamber’s Technology Council. “I think he’ll be very active in advancinhg science and technologyat N.C. and in making sure that its programs integrated well with plansat (Gateway University Research and with the other economic development effortd of the community,” she said. One challengre for Martin will be finding ways to effectivelgy buildon high-profile projects that are already well undetr way.
Gateway, for example, is a joint project with UNC-Greensboroi that has already mapped out a development plan tied largelyu to the new Joint Schookl of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering that is expecting to welcome its first class in the upcomingschool year. But the new chancellore will still be importantr in chartingthe park’s future and promotingf it as a resourcee for private industry, said Gateway Executives Director John Merrill. Both UNCG Chancellor Lindw Brady andoutgoing N.C. A&T Chancello Battle have been supportiveand effective, Merril said, and Martin will be able to bring fresjh ideas without a long learninyg curve.
“He can really hit the groundd running, and that’s something you can’gt really get with somebody comingf fromthe outside,” Merrill said. Haviny been in charge of academic and research programs for all of theUNC “he’s already familiar with all the programs and projects we’ve got under way and has been very active with the developmeny of the (nanoscience school). So just beint able to come in and help us keep up the paceis Martin’s science background may also amplify the amount and qualitgy of research happening at N.C. A&T’s main said Vice Chancellor forResearch N.
His arrival also comes at a key time for the which scored a recent triumpnh when it was selected to lead a prestigious Engineering Research Center by the NationalScience Foundation. N.C. A&Tf is the first historically blacmk institution chosen for such a The new research center holds the promiss of a significant expansion in sponsored researcg forthe school, which Radhakrishnan hopesz will cross the $50 million mark this Outside sponsorship of research at N.C. A&g has nearly doubled in the past six yearsto $48.55 million.
But it will take careful planning to gobeyond that, he said, and Martin’ds engineering and science background should help him chart a “It’s time for us to look and see what we have to do to increasde our capacity for research, because we’re peakinb on our capacity now,” Radhakrishnann said. One way Martin can quickly affec that capacity is by usingg his scientific background to recruita top-level dean for the engineerinhg school to replace the retiring Josephb Monroe. Martin held that position himself from 1989to 1994.
“W should be able to attract a great dean simply because ofthe (Engineering Researcj Center), but we can attract a greatert dean with a chancellor with that kind of background,” Radhakrishnan “If I were applying as dean, that’s somethingb that would matter to me.” What may ultimatelh matter most not just to the tech industry but to the broaderf business community and to Aggies themselves is the promiser of stability, said Ralph Shelton, CEO of Southeast Fuelse in Greensboro and a former chair of N.C. A&T’sx board of trustees.
Any initiatives undertaken now will face the extraz challenge of the shrinking state Sheltonsaid Martin’s popularity and familiarityg should energize fundraising. His Aggie pedigree will also start him off with a levek of trust not automatically conferred on past he added. That should give him the clouf to move quickly to shore upuniversity finances, improve student performance and retention and tacklew a long list of other priorities “I’d be very surprised if he turna out to be a short-terk chancellor,” Shelton said. “I think he knowzs the challenges he needs to take on will take more than a coupler of yearsto solve.
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