Woodson, now at Purdue, will take Wolfpack helm

By Gregory Childress

gchildress@heraldsun.com; 419-6645

Chapel Hill -- As was expected, the UNC Board Of Governors on Friday named William "Randy" Woodson to become the next chancellor of N.C. State University.

Woodson, 52, the executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at Purdue University, will take the helm of the university no later than May 1. He will earn $420,000 a year.

In choosing Woodson, UNC President Erskine Bowles said Woodson, one of three finalists for the post, is the right person to take N.C. State to the next level in terms of academics, athletics and in its research mission.

"At each step of the way, he has proven himself to be an engaged and effective leader who promotes openness and collaboration, strategic problem-solving, and a real-life commitment to academic excellence and student success," Bowles said

Woodson was joined at Friday's election ceremony by his wife Susan, a graphic designer and co-founder of "HELEN" magazine and their three children, two of whom attend Purdue.

"I'm proud to be a part of the Wolfpack Nation," said Woodson, who shared a row of seats with his family and former UNC system President William Friday, who earned an undergraduate degree from N.C. State.

Also in attendance were more than a dozen members of the 18-member chancellor search committee who winnowed an extensive list of chancellor candidates down to three finalists.

"This has been a very good process to be a part of, said Robert Jordan, chairman of the search committee and a member of the N.C. State Board Of Trustees. "Our committee feels 100 percent comfortable with the outcome and is even proud."

For his part, Woodson was reluctant to talk about what he thinks needs changing at N.C. State without getting to know what the university's needs are. He said he was attracted to the post because of North Carolina's commitment to higher education and great people and programs at N.C. State.

"This is an outstanding university that is poised for even more success in the future," Woodson said.

As a plant scientist, Woodson added that he has become familiar with the Research Triangle Park on visits here to consult with Syngenta and other companies.

"I understand the impact of N.C. State in this kind of environment where entrepreneurship out of the university means so much to the economy of the region and the state," Woodson said. "The great thing about institutions like N.C. State is they aren't afraid to partner with the private sector."

He quipped that a colleague at Purdue is fond of saying, "The only problem with tainted money is there t'aint enough of it," which drew chuckles.

Woodson has been Purdue's provost since May 2008. Before that, he served as the dean of agriculture at Purdue from 2004-08.

He succeeds James H. Woodward, who has served as interim chancellor since June. Woodward replaced James Oblinger, who resigned under pressure after becoming embroiled in a scandal involving the controversial hiring of former Gov. Mike Easley's wife, Mary Easley, to a post at N.C. State.

Woodson joined the Purdue faculty in 1985 and became a professor in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture in 1993. He directed the school's plant biology program from 1995-97 and served as head of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture from 1996-98.

A native of Arkansas, Woodson received a bachelor's degree in horticulture and chemistry from the University of Arkansas and a master's degree in horticulture and doctorate in horticulture/plant physiology from Cornell University.

Before moving to Purdue, Woodson was an assistant professor of horticulture at Louisiana State University.