Media Contact:
Keith Nichols, News Services, 919/515-3470

July 25, 2005

First Lady Mary Easley Joins NC State Faculty

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mary Pipines Easley, first lady of North Carolina, will join the faculty of North Carolina State University this fall as part of the Executive-in-Residence program. She begins a three-year appointment as senior lecturer on Aug. 15, and will be housed within the Office of the Provost.

Easley will teach law-related courses in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Management. Easley will also continue to teach Legal Aspects of Police Supervision at NC State’s Administrative Officer’s Management Program, a graduate-level management course for police executives from throughout the United States.

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Easley will also lead a new universitywide seminar series aimed at bringing national and international leaders from a variety of sectors – education, business and industry, government and public service – to campus to discuss the future of their area of expertise and its relationship to the higher education community in a time of rapid globalization.

NC State Chancellor James L. Oblinger said of the appointment, “We are fortunate to bring a person of Mary Easley’s stature and experience to our campus. Her energy, knowledge and experience will add tremendously to the educational experience of our students and other constituencies.”

“I am honored to join the more than century-long tradition of excellence that ranks NC State among the best in the country,” said Easley. “I look forward to working with the exceptional faculty, staff and students that the university has cultivated.”

Easley is a lawyer with extensive experience in the courtroom and the classroom. She received her bachelor’s degree in politics from Wake Forest University in 1972 where she graduated magna cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She was also a member of the Fideles Society. She received her Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest School of Law in 1975, where she was a member of the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity.

After law school, Easley served as assistant district attorney in New Hanover and Pender counties for 10 years where she prosecuted hundreds of cases before North Carolina juries. From 1984 to 1992, she maintained her own practice in the areas of civil and criminal law in Southport, N.C.

Easley recently completed a teaching appointment at North Carolina Central University School of Law in Durham where she taught Appellate Advocacy, Trial Advocacy and Criminal Trial Practice. She also managed the Criminal Law Externship program. She has lectured on numerous topics related to trial advocacy at North Carolina universities, has been a faculty member for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and has taught continuing legal education courses within the state.

As first lady of North Carolina, three of Easley’s main initiatives are teacher recruitment and retention, reducing underage drinking, and infant immunization, especially for the newest North Carolinians with English as their second language.

Easley serves as the spokesperson for the “Immunize for Healthy Lives” campaign and speaks to many groups about the importance of immunizing North Carolina’s children in a timely manner. She serves as the honorary co-chair of the Latino Health Task Force. She is the national co-chair of The Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, speaking out nationally on the dangers of early alcohol use by children.

Easley is a recipient of the UNC-Wilmington Razor Walker Award for contributions to the state, and in 2003 she was awarded a Triangle Business Journal “Women in Business Award.”

NC State is the state’s largest university, established in 1887. Today, the university has nearly 7,000 full-time employees and about 30,000 students. NC State offers bachelor’s degrees in 102 fields of study, master’s degrees in 108 fields and doctoral degrees in 60 fields, as well as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.

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