North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has announced that the university’s new engineering complex will be named in honor of Harold L. Martin, Sr., the current chancellor of the university.
The Harold L. Martin, Sr., Engineering Research and Innovation Complex is a $90-million facility that will enhance the research and instructional capacities of a college that leads the nation in the graduation of African American engineers. The complex will be home to state-of-the-art laboratories and technology critical to advancing the college’s scientific work in heavily competitive STEM research, fostering innovation that fuels start-up and spinoff companies, and educating engineers who play key roles in the North Carolina economy. The construction of the complex is expected to be completed in August.
University trustee Timothy King stated that “there is no doubt that Chancellor Martin’s vision and passion for this university have played critical roles in the incredible ascent of A&T. In no place do we see that more than in engineering, which has been the foundation upon which the university’s national reputation has been built since his service as dean 30 years ago. The Martin Center will serve as a lasting testament to the difference his leadership made.”
Dr. Martin became chancellor of North Carolina A&T State University in 2009. He previously led Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina from 2000 to 2006. Dr. Martin was senior vice president for academic affairs for the University of North Carolina System before being named chancellor of North Carolina A&T.
Dr. Martin holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from North Carolina A&T State Unversity. He earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Virginia Tech.
Whoever made this decision to name a building after Harold should be duly ashamed on numerous levels. Yes, Harold has raised the overall profile of NC A&T but at what cost? For example, NC A&T a mere 20 years was a repository for native born Black American academics. Now, NC A&T has become nothing more than an employment pipeline for people from India, China, Korea, the continent of Africa & Caribbean, the Middle East, and even Europe. For those who dissent, I challenge you to visit NC A&T website and review the phenotype of the faculty from any department to prove my point. Harold, maybe should have a building named after him years after his last day as chancellor of NC A&T. At this rate, NC A&T will no longer be a TRUE HBCU in the 10-15 years from now. Sad.
NCA&T has long been a destination for students and faculty of African, Caribbean, Asian, Middle-Eastern, African-American, and European-American citizens before and during my time there as an electrical engineering student. I graduated from the Electrical Engineering department in 1979. This is not a recent phenomenon under Dr. Martin’s leadership, yet the growth as the #1 producer of African-American engineers with a strong worldwide reputation for academic excellence is!
Dr. Martin is a great choice, he is very smart and he loves his job and all the students at A&T, I went there in the 1970,s Great Chioce Board of Directors, Go Aggies Go