James L. Oblinger


Dr. James L. Oblinger was the 13th Chancellor of North Carolina State University. He served in this position from 2005, after the resignation of Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, until his resignation on June 8, 2009, amid increased public and media scrutiny surrounding the hiring and compensation of Mary Easley, wife of former Governor Mike Easley and the severance package provided for former provost Larry Nielsen.

Early life

Dr. Oblinger was born in 1945 in Ashland, Ohio. He earned a Bachelor's in bacteriology from DePauw University, and a Master's and Ph.D. from Iowa State University in Food Technology.

Career

During the early years of Dr. Oblinger's career, he served at two other universities:
He has also received multiple awards for excellence as both an administrator and faculty member, including the Institute of Food Technologists' William V. Cruess Award in 1983.

North Carolina State University

The position Dr. Oblinger first held at N.C. State was as the Associate Dean of Academic Programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He later became Dean. He is also a professor in the Department of Food Science. Other positions at NC State include:
In 2005, following the resignation of Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, the NC State Board of Trustees announced Oblinger as the thirteenth chancellor of NC State. Dr. Oblinger resigned from the chancellorship in June 2009.

Personal

Dr. Oblinger is married to Dr. Diana G. Oblinger. They have four sons, who have all attended NC State. Dr. Oblinger is also a member of several societies, including Alpha Zeta, Gamma Sigma Delta, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Epsilon Phi, Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Tau Sigma and Sigma Xi.