From the board

Learn more about the work of the NC State Engineering Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors.

May 20, 2022 Engineering Communications 2-min. read

From left to right, top to bottom, Bhavana Bartholf, Marcus Belvin, Zachary Horton, Andrew Pita, Jennifer Rhatigan and Jim Stewart.

The NC State Engineering Foundation (NCSEF) was established in 1944 to aid and promote, by financial assistance and otherwise, engineering education and research at NC State. A board of directors made up of alumni and friends of the College of Engineering (COE) works with the college development staff and dean of engineering to set the Foundation’s agenda. The board is led by President Deborah B. Young, CE ’77, and Vice-President Scott Stabler, MAE ’82.

New members

The Foundation Board has added five new members, plus a new student representative:

Bhavana Bartholf, IMSEI ‘00
Marcus Belvin, CSC ‘01
Andrew Pita, EE ‘08, ‘10
Jennifer Rhatigan, ME ‘87
Jim Stewart, ME ‘70
Zachary Horton, ISE ‘23 (student representative)

The following members have completed their terms and rotated off of the board after dedicating several years of distinguished service:

Calvin Carter, MSE ’77, ’80, ’83 (8 years)
Suzanne Gordon, CSC ’75, MA ’75, ST ’80 (12 years)
Len Habas, EE ’66 (12 years)
Carl Stutts, Jr., CHE ’68 (8 years)

Directors set the course for the Foundation’s future

Young led efforts in 2021 to develop the Strategic Plan for the next five years with support from Lindsay Smith, senior director of development; past members of the Board of Directors; and college development staff.

The plan is focused on four strategic pillars:

Enhancing academic experience
Intentional advancing of diversity, equity and inclusion
Deepening active alumni engagement by developing relationships with 70,000 COE alumni
Ensuring an effective and resilient Foundation with interaction between and alignment of the engineering departments and University through stewardship

“The pillars will direct and drive a successful plan of action,“ Young said. “The actions will enhance and maintain the recognition of COE as preeminent.”

Stabler chairs the Strategic Planning Committee, which will lead efforts to bring the plan to life. “Our board is ready to translate intent into quantifiable action,” he said.

Initiatives already under way include:

Helping expand the base of fully engaged alumni
Ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion are key factors in Board composition and action
Being ambassadors for the COE in community and business settings
Ensuring the Board coordinates effectively with NC State Engineering advisory boards and University alumni/development resources

The Foundation Board is also helping raise funds for professorships, fellowships and scholarships. This is particularly important given the recently announced plan to expand the College of Engineering’s student enrollment by 40 percent. “We’re excited about the opportunity to work with Dean Louis Martin-Vega, Executive Director Griffin Lamb and University staff on this generational expansion,” Stabler said.