Morgan, Chad

Bertram Whittier Wells (1884 – 1978) was a prominent plant ecologist and head of the botany department at North Carolina State College (later North Carolina State University). Wells received a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1917, and in 1919 joined the faculty at North Carolina State, where he stayed until he retired from teaching in 1954. Wells was known for his 1932 book, The Natural Gardens of North Carolina, as well as the hand-tinted lantern slides that illustrated his lectures.

North Carolina State University's Centennial Campus is a research and advanced technology community where university, industry, and government partners interact in multidisciplinary programs.

In 1984 a portion of land in west Raleigh was transferred to the University. The initial allotment of 355 acres was enlarged the following year by an additional 450 acres. During the development stage, a planning committee was established to review proposals. Many ideas focused on the concept of the University building a "technopolis" where a combination of the university, corporations, and government agencies worked together.

The campus developed as a series of clusters with a mix of academic and private research buildings. In the early 1990s, the College of Textiles moved from the main campus to Centennial land and the Engineering Graduate Research Center was established. The early 1990s also saw government tenants moving onto Centennial Campus. As of 2009 the Centennial Campus was home to 61 corporate and government partners as well as 73 NC State research centers, institutes, laboratories and department units.