North Carolina State University

By James A. Barham, PhD

North Carolina State University (NC State) was founded in 1887. With more than 36,000 students, NC State is the largest university in the state of North Carolina. NC State is also one of the corners of the famous “research triangle,” along with the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Duke University in Durham.

NC State is divided into 11 academic colleges. It is perhaps best known for its professional colleges, including the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Engineering, the Wilson College of Textiles, and the College of Design. NC State’s College of Engineering offers a program in nuclear engineering that is generally considered to be one of the best in the world.

NC State’s department of Online and Distance Education offers over 1,000 courses through more than 100 undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.

One NC State associated individual has won the Nobel Prize — Rajendra Kumar Pachauri for Peace.

Other distinguished NC State connected individuals include the following:

• Physicist and director of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program, Munir Ahmad Khan
• Physicist and nanotechnology engineer, David Carroll
• Electrical engineer, John S. Mayo
• Software engineer and entrepreneur, James Goodnight
• Actors, Jill Wagner and Zachary Galifianakis
• Comedians, Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal
• Singer, Scott McCreery
• Pianist and popular composer, John Tesh
• Former Army Chief of Staff, Raymond T. “Ray” Odierno
• Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Hugh Shelton
• Current Chief Operating Officer of Apple, Inc., Jeff Williams
• Diplomat and educator, Albert Carnesale
• Former North Carolina Governor, James B. Hunt, Jr.
• Current US Representative, Patrick McHenry
• Former US Senator, John Edwards
• Former Interim President of Libya, Abdurrahim El-Keib
• Former President of the Dominican Republic, Hipólito Domínguez

NC State is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

North Carolina State University's most influential alumni faculty include professors and professionals in the fields of . North Carolina State University’s most academically influential people include C. Clark Cockerham, Joan Benoit, and Ronald Mace.