On his tenure as chancellor: “It’s been a privilege to serve this university because we’re producing the engineers and scientists that this country needs. I’ve always felt this is important work that we’re doing.”

John F. Carney III, (photo by B.A. Rupert)

On life in Rolla: “People could not have been friendlier, both on campus and in Rolla. I’ve made many friendships that I hope not to lose.”

On town-gown relationships: “There’s a real sense that we’re joined at the hip in a way. There’s a sense of pride in the community that Missouri S&T is Rolla’s university. I’ve tried to make clear that the community is always welcome to all our events.”

On the faculty and staff: “I’ve been impressed by the loyalty of the faculty and staff. We’ve had three tough years and people have had opportunities to go elsewhere. But so many are loyal to this university.”

On the state of the university: “With everyone working together, this university has moved to the next level, certainly in terms of recognition and prestige. From a personal point of view I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished and I’m very proud of this institution.”

On the national need for more engineers and scientists: “I think the country is beginning to wake up. We’re still in terrible shape in terms of the percentages of people who choose to study engineering. We need to produce more engineers.”

On growing our own engineers and scientists: “We aren’t waiting until students enter college to start teaching them about science and technology. Through our summer camps we’re developing a greater interest in these areas.”