Jan Wooten ’73 had a groundbreaking career in chemistry. He spent most of it utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study molecular structure and dynamics. Now retired, Wooten is giving back to the place where it all began. He’s making a $100,000 gift to establish the College of Sciences Graduate Support Endowment, the college’s first endowment for the general support of graduate students. 

“I wanted to make a significant gift to the university because it had such a profound impact on my life,” Wooten said. “My undergraduate chemistry degree was the foundation of my career. It opened up a lot of pathways, and I graduated at a very exciting time when things were changing rapidly in science and technology.”

“I wanted to make a significant gift to the university because it had such a profound impact on my life.”

As an undergraduate, Wooten worked part time in the lab of the late chemistry professor Gil Long, who connected him with a colleague at Clemson University who later became his doctoral advisor. He’s grateful for the mentorship and financial support he received as a student. 

“I know how much having financial support meant to me as a graduate student,” he said. “It made the difference between going to school and not.”

‘The Hands of Our Research Enterprise’

The fund will allow the college to address the primary obstacle graduate students face in completing their degree programs: financial hardship. 

“Many of them live on modest stipends while juggling research, teaching, and sometimes family or caregiving responsibilities,” said Kimberly Sellers, head of the Department of Statistics. 

Yet, graduate students are crucial to NC State’s success, helping the university carry out its mission of teaching, research and service. 

“As research assistants, they are literally the hands of our research enterprise. As teaching assistants, they provide exceptional teaching instruction. As members of our Wolfpack family, they perform exceptional service to our community through outreach,” said Reza Ghiladi, interim head of the Department of Chemistry.  

“Our graduate students bring an added excitement and vibrancy to the university that should be nurtured and supported.”

Wooten’s vision for his $100,000 gift is to create momentum for more widespread support of graduate students. The College of Sciences Graduate Support Endowment is designed to accept gifts of any size in order to maximize its impact. The endowment recognizes the importance of ensuring that NC State can continue to recruit and retain talented students, while supporting those same students in their personal and professional development. 

“Our graduate students bring an added excitement and vibrancy to the university that should be nurtured and supported,” Sellers said.

Ultimately, top-tier graduate programs produce skilled professionals, and a strong workforce builds up our state’s economy. 

“The return of investment in graduate students is extremely high,” Ghiladi said. “Gifts such as this one recognize the importance of graduate students to the success of NC State and North Carolina, and I am grateful for [Wooten’s] support of both our talented students and the College of Sciences.”