15 Facts About Randy Woodson

William Randolph "Randy" Woodson was born on 1957 and is an American plant physiologist and university administrator.

Randy Woodson was the fourteenth chancellor of North Carolina State University.

Randy Woodson is married to Susan Wynne Woodson, and they have three adult children.

Randy Woodson began his teaching career as an assistant professor at Louisiana State University in 1983.

Randy Woodson was on the faculty at Louisiana State until 1985, when he joined the faculty at Purdue University.

At Purdue, Randy Woodson served as both the director of the plant biology program and as the head of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture from 1995 to 1998.

Randy Woodson served in that position until 2004 when he was made the Glenn W Sample Dean of Agriculture.

In 2008, Randy Woodson was named Purdue's provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

In 2010, Woodson succeeded Interim Chancellor James H Woodward to become the fourteenth chancellor of North Carolina State University, the largest university in North Carolina.

On July 18,2024, Randy Woodson announced he would retire as chancellor of NCSU on June 30,2025.

Randy Woodson told reporters the reason for his departure was because it felt like "just a good time" to step down, and that he had considered retirement as an option for some years leading up to the announcement.

Randy Woodson stated his interest in still being involved in higher education after retirement in the form of potentially teaching guest lectures and nonprofit work, but as a volunteer.

Randy Woodson's research focuses on the biochemical and molecular bases of plant aging and the role that ethylene plays in these processes.

Randy Woodson's research has resulted in the development of molecular approaches to improve post-harvest storage and shipping of horticultural products.

Randy Woodson is quoted as saying "we own the building" and would only use data acquired from private consultants.