Goodnight to present
Entrepreneurs' Lecture

One of NC State’s most successful entrepreneurs is returning to campus to share insights that might help others follow in his footsteps.

Dr. James Goodnight, chief executive officer of SAS Institute, will deliver the annual Entrepreneurs’ Lecture Series address, titled “Growing and Sustaining the Long-Term Enterprise,” on Monday, Sept. 25, at 4:30 p.m. in the College of Textiles Convocation Center. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Goodnight received bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from NC State, where he began work on what would become SAS (Statistical Analysis System) software. SAS Institute is now one of the largest privately held software companies in the world, and is lauded as one of the best companies to work for, with employee turnover at around 4 percent in an industry where the average turnover is roughly four or five times higher.

Goodnight served as a faculty member at NC State from 1972 to 1976, and continues to serve as adjunct professor. He is also a fellow of the American Statistical Association and author of several papers on statistical computing.

In 1997, Goodnight co-founded Cary Academy, an independent co-ed college preparatory school for students in grades six through 12. The school integrates technology into all facets of education.

SAS and NC State have enjoyed a strong relationship, working together on a number of initiatives. Recently, the two entities announced a new Analytics Initiative – an intensive one-year professional master’s degree that will give students an understanding of analytical concepts and hands-on experience with the same tools used in industry today.

The Entrepreneurs’ Lecture Series, developed by the Office of Public Affairs, is designed to showcase outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship among NC State alumni and partners. The lecture series is co-sponsored by the Engineering Entrepreneurs Program (EEP), started in 1993 by Dr. Tom Miller, professor of electrical and computer engineering, to help prepare undergraduate engineering students for the world of technology entrepreneurship. EEP students work in teams organized as “virtual start-up” companies, and research, design, build, test and demonstrate to business professionals their new products and business ideas.

Posted September 8, 2006

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