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Martin received the state’s highest civilian honor for public service
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, is pleased to announce Board Member Dr. Harold L. Martin Sr. has received the North Carolina Award from Governor Roy Cooper for his devotion to public service, the state’s highest civilian honor.
Dr. Martin was acknowledged among seven other distinguished peers at an awards ceremony. The General Assembly created the award in 1961 to recognize significant contributions to the state and nation in the fields of fine arts, literature, public service and science.
“Over the past six decades, the North Carolina Award has been given to many remarkable North Carolinians,” said Reid Wilson, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “This year’s awardees join an illustrious list of people who have benefitted North Carolina through their impressive accomplishments in public service, literature, science and the arts. This year’s event will benefit our neighbors in Western North Carolina who were harmed by the devastating storm.”
All ticket sale proceeds from the awards ceremony will go to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund to help communities recover from Hurricane Helene.
Dr. Martin has dedicated his life to higher education and public service. He joined RTI’s board in 2008 and currently serves on the Audit and Risk, Governance and Nominating, and University Research Collaboration Committees and is the chair of the Margaret Elliott Knox Excellence Award Committee. Serving as the 12th chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University from 2009-2024, Martin became the first alumnus to lead the institution. His extensive experience in education, spanning over 40 years, made him a key figure in N.C. A&T’s growth to become the largest of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and one of the country’s top public research institutions. Before becoming N.C. A&T’s chancellor, Martin served as senior vice president for Academic Affairs for the University of North Carolina System, where he helped shape policies benefiting institutions across North Carolina. In addition, he held leadership roles at Winston-Salem State University, where he served as the 11th chief administrator and seventh chancellor.
The additional 2024 award recipients are:
- Fine arts, The Avett Brothers
- Literature, Frank A. Bruni Jr.
- Fine arts, William Henry Curry
- Science, Thomas W. Earnhardt
- Science, Christina Koch
Since the award’s inception, more than 300 notable individuals have been honored. Past recipients include William Friday, James Taylor, Etta Baker, Charles Kuralt, Maya Angelou, Lee Smith, Eric Church, Selma Burke and Branford Marsalis.
Read the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources press release
