SAS and Goodnights honored for contributions to education, innovation

Three awards highlight commitment to North Carolina

CARY, NC  (Apr. 21, 2009)  –  SAS, along with CEO Jim Goodnight and his wife, Ann, was honored recently for longstanding commitment to education and innovation in North Carolina. The North Carolina Science, Mathematics and Technology Education Center (NCSMT) recognized SAS with a Business and Industry Award. The Goodnights received a Razor Walker Award from the University of North Carolina - Wilmington Watson School of Education. And Jim Goodnight accepted the inaugural Elon University Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership. 

NCSMT’s Business and Industry Award recognizes a state organization whose support has strengthened science, mathematics and technology (SMT) in pre-K through 12 education programs. Among SAS’ contributions:

• As a founding partner of the North Carolina 1:1 Learning Technology Initiative, SAS helped establish the state’s leadership in creating 1:1 computing school models.
• SAS helped establish the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University to nurture research, development and collaboration with public schools.
• SAS made its award-winning online curriculum product, SAS® Curriculum Pathways®, available to all US educators at no cost.
• The SAS Programming Institute for High School Educators trains teachers to teach valuable SAS programming to students.

The Razor Walker Awards honor individuals whose vision, tenacity, courage and sacrifice have influenced the lives of the state’s young people. The Goodnights, nominated by Dr. Robert E. Tyndall, Professor, Watson School of Education, co-founded Cary Academy in 1996. The independent, college-preparatory day school is a model for integrating technology into education. 

“The Goodnights have been a powerful force for better schools through far-reaching philanthropic initiatives,” said Tyndall. “Few have had their impact on education. They give selflessly of their time, resources and influence to support educational improvements in public and private venues.” 

The Elon University Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership honored Goodnight as an entrepreneur who is a leader in his industry and exemplifies the values of Elon University.

SAS is a true North Carolina success story. SAS software was originally created by Goodnight and NC State University colleagues to analyze agricultural-research data. Founded in 1976, SAS is now the world's leading business analytics software vendor with more than 11,000 employees, 45,000 customer sites and 2008 revenues of $2.26 billion. Under Goodnight’s leadership, SAS has become renowned for its corporate culture, which has made it a fixture on "Best Places to Work" lists (including FORTUNE 's).

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