Dr. Herbert J. Kirk, a distinguished alumnus, was honored for his contribution to the Institute at a gathering of students and staff. Dr. Kirk was presented with a letter of commendation from NC State University Chancellor, W. Randall Woodson, for his service as a founding member of the Executive Board of the Institute. Dr. Kirk was instrumental in providing intellectual guidance and support in the development of the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA). Commenting on his contribution, the Institute’s Director, Dr. Michael Rappa, stated, “Herbert has gone far beyond what any reasonable person would expect in giving his time, energy and support to the MSA program. We are deeply grateful for his efforts and dedication to creating excellence in education at NC State. Our success would not be possible without such commitment.”
Dr. Kirk earned his B.S. in Forestry in 1966, a Master of Forestry with minor in Statistics in 1968, and Ph.D. in Statistics and Biology in 1976, all from NC State University. From 1976 to 1979, he was Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics and a consultant to the Experimental Station.
Dr. Kirk joined SAS Institute in 1979 as Director of Education and Technical Support. He was promoted to Vice President of Education in 1985 and held position for 25 years until he retired in June 2010. As the head of SAS Education, Dr. Kirk was responsible for leading 100 certified instructors and 28 training facilities located throughout the country. Each year the division instructs more than 34,000 students and delivers more than 2,300 courses.
Dr. Kirk has generously agreed to volunteer a portion of his time as the Institute’s Executive-in-Residence for 2010-11.