The College of Sciences has named Chris Osburn of the Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences as the Goodnight Distinguished Chair in Sustainability, effective July 1, 2026. Created in 2024 thanks to a gift from Dr. James and Mrs. Ann Goodnight, the professorship reflects NC State’s priority to recruit and retain outstanding senior faculty.

Osburn’s professorship selection recognizes his creative teaching style and leadership in environmental research and discovery, community engagement, innovation and ocean sustainability. 

“We’re grateful to the Goodnights for helping us recognize and support talented faculty members like Chris Osburn,” said Lewis Owen, dean of the College of Sciences. “Our students benefit from his innovative teaching and our state and society benefit from his research.” 

In his role as director of the Climate and Sustainability Academy’s (CaSA) Blue Economy Innovation Program, Osburn brings together students, entrepreneurs and experts to create maritime technological solutions, including student-led startups that address ocean pollution and marine energy. He also serves as director of Coastal Research and Innovation at CaSA. In this role, he contributes to efforts within the academy’s Coastal Futures Hub.

Osburn’s research focus is on the biogeochemistry of organic matter in rivers, estuaries and coastal waters; the effects of land use and extreme weather events on coastal carbon and nitrogen cycling and water quality; and the photodegradation and microbial degradation of organic matter in natural waters. He also developed the Interdisciplinary Innovation in the Blue Economy course and leads the annual “Creating Solutions for the Global Blue Economy” workshop.

Osburn was named a University Faculty Scholar in 2020. In 2024, he won the NC State Sustainability Award for Innovation and Impact and was named a fellow of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. 

Prior to joining NC State in 2008, Osburn was a research chemist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. He earned bachelor’s degrees in geological sciences and public affairs from Indiana University and a doctorate in environmental science from Lehigh University in 2000. 

The Goodnights are NC State alumni. Dr. Goodnight — the CEO and founder of SAS — earned his B.S. in applied mathematics in 1965, his M.S. and doctorate in statistics in 1968 and 1972, respectively, and the university conferred an honorary degree to him in 2002. Mrs. Goodnight earned her B.A. in political science in 1968 and works as the senior director of community relations at SAS. The Goodnights have received numerous university honors, including the Watauga Medal (Dr. Goodnight in 2002 and Mrs. Goodnight in 2024) and the Menscer Cup (2007). Mrs. Goodnight’s leadership roles include serving on the Board of Trustees and as a founding member of Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy at NC State.

The Goodnights support approximately 400 North Carolina students each year through the Goodnight Scholarships program, which they established in 2008 and expanded in 2017 to include transfer students from the state’s community colleges. The Goodnights also have generously strengthened centers, programs and additional scholarship opportunities across NC State. Their commitment to faculty excellence has resulted in the creation of named faculty positions, including a deanship, as well as a program to invest in early-career faculty and support for additional endowed professorship funds. In 2022, the Goodnights increased their support to include graduate students, creating the Goodnight Doctoral Fellows for Ph.D. candidates in STEM and education.