Faculty member leads by example to establish first physics professorship

There are any number of reasons donors choose to support PAMS. Brand Fortner did it to lead by example.

In addition to his role as a research professor in the Department of Physics, Fortner also serves as the department’s development liaison. In this capacity, he works with his fellow faculty members and the College’s advancement staff to identify and develop fund raising opportunities for the department.

Leaving no doubt that he believes in what he’s selling, Fortner earlier this summer pledged a $333,000 bequest to establish the Brand Fortner Distinguished Professorship. With a match from the state’s Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund, Fortner’s gift will establish a $500,000 endowment that will provide salary and other support in perpetuity for a professor in the Department of Physics.

“I am very proud to be associated with physics at NC State,” Fortner says. “I am also confident in where we are going as a department, and this gift is my way of showing that I want to be a part of its continuing legacy.”

Fortner came to NC State in 2006.He previously was chief scientist of the intelligence exploitation group of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. Fortner has also held positions at NASA and at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.

He is widely regarded as an expert in accessible scientific visualization and in technical data formats. He is the founder of two scientific software companies and has written two books on color vision and technical data. He holds a PhD in physics from the University of Illinois, where he funded a chair in astrophysics and continues to co-sponsor a film festival.

According to Dean Dan Solomon, professorships like this are vital to the long-term success of the department and the College.

“PAMS routinely competes for the best and brightest faculty members in the country,” Solomon says. “These types of endowments are crucial for attracting and retaining outstanding talent.”

Anita Stallings, executive director of development and college relations, says that more and more people are looking into creating planned gifts like Fortner’s.

“As more and more ‘baby boomers’ are nearing the end of their first careers and starting to retire in larger numbers, we have an increasing number of alumni and friends who are more seriously looking at their long-term financial plans,” she says. “Fortunately, some of those folks are including NC State and the College in those plans.”

Stallings adds that, in addition to a simple will bequest, there are a number of other planned giving options that can provide income or reduce tax liability for the donor right away. You can also contact the PAMS Office of College Advancement at pams_dev@ncsu.edu or 919-515-3462 to discuss a variety of philanthropic options or to contribute to the Fortner Professorship.