Timothy Humphrey shows his remarkable dedication to NC State in a number of ways, as he gives back through his time, service on the Board of Trustees and philanthropic commitments. The 1996 alum’s latest gift further deepens his legacy of outstanding leadership.
In support of Woodson Hall, slated to open in 2026 as NC State’s newest academic building, he has named the Timothy Humphrey Elevator.
The naming gift supports Chancellor Randy Woodson’s highest priority capital project — while offering an apt metaphor.
“During his tenure as our 14th chancellor, Randy Woodson has elevated our university and our state to a position of leadership both nationally and globally,” Humphrey said. “I’m grateful to have had a front row seat to observe and learn from Chancellor Woodson’s leadership style.”
One of Humphrey’s motivations for supporting Woodson Hall was recognizing the importance of interdisciplinarity — another hallmark of Woodson’s tenure and a key aspect of the new building, where scholars will work together across fields to develop molecular solutions.
That’s something Humphrey, the chief analytics officer at IBM, senior location executive for the Research Triangle and senior state executive for North Carolina, knows all about. His experience as an engineer offers unique insight into the power of science and the benefit scientific advancements can bring to society.
“Early in my career, I quickly observed that the most difficult yet advantageous scientific problems to solve require multidisciplinary knowledge,” he explained. “I think it’s important that disciplines across the scientific community come together to make new discoveries and bring value to our everyday lives, and I’m proud to see that NC State is fully committed to unlocking the power of integrative sciences.”
Community and collaboration don’t just fuel Humphrey’s giving; these concepts are defining traits of his relationship with NC State. A 2018 inductee into the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering’s Alumni Hall of Fame, he regularly volunteers his time with students at the College of Engineering and with the Park Scholarships Selection Committee as a panel speaker and industry leader.
He’s also passionate about helping connect his fellow NC State supporters with opportunities to make a difference in the ways that work best for them and maximize impact, whether that’s through endowment gifts, charitable gift annuities, planned gifts or matching gifts through one’s employer. Humphrey himself has given through all these means.
In addition to the Woodson Hall gift, Humphrey’s latest support includes commitments to the ’83 Hoops Endowment within the Wolfpack Club and to a new fund, the Humphrey University Theatre Student Employee Enhancement Endowment — a nod to his own campus employment as an undergraduate.
Humphrey has credited his time as a house manager at Stewart Theatre as foundational to developing the skills to lead at IBM, while the theater’s programming opened his eyes to aspects of society and culture he’d never seen. He believes that being well-rounded is important to maximizing one’s abilities and skills and that “without a doubt,” the arts at NC State helped him develop personally as well as professionally.
“It’s clear that the Woodsons have that same dedication to and appreciation for the arts. Just one example of their impact can be seen on Centennial Campus, where the Reds and Whites art installation resides,” he said. “Centennial Campus brings so many new technical innovations to the world, but the Woodsons saw that in order to elevate it, we needed to incorporate the arts.”
With these most recent gifts, Humphrey joins a group of NC State’s most dedicated alumni and friends in supporting the Celebrating Transformation fundraising initiative.
Launched after the chancellor announced his 2025 retirement, Celebrating Transformation honors the enduring impact the Woodsons have had on NC State — and the university’s continued success.
“A true testament of a leader is whether they leave a place better than when they found it,” Humphrey said. “Without a doubt, our university and the community we serve is in a better place because of Chancellor Woodson’s leadership.”
A COMMITMENT TO GIVING BACK
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