On Monday, January 25, 2010, Dr. Gerald L. Boarman, chancellor of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM), announced his intention to retire as of July 31, 2010. Chancellor Boarman, who has worked in education for nearly 40 years, has served at NCSSM's helm since 2000.

NCSSM Board of Trustees Chair Shirley T. Frye said Monday, "I wanted to take a moment to publicly convey sincere gratitude to Dr. Boarman for his professionalism, commitment, and selfless service over the last 10 years. Dr. Boarman is one of the finest administrators and individuals I have encountered in my career, and his service at NCSSM has allowed the School to flourish in unimaginable ways. I cannot begin to express my regret for the loss of his leadership."

Though Chancellor Boarman is retiring from NCSSM, he says he "will continue to be actively involved in the education community," and recently accepted the position as President and Head of School of Bullis School, an independent, co-educational college preparatory day school in Potomac, Maryland, that serves grades 3-12.

Of his time at NCSSM, the chancellor said, "NCSSM is truly one of the finest academic institutions in the world, a place of character, tradition and excellence, and I feel so honored to have been a part of it."

During his tenure at the nation's first public boarding school with a specialized curriculum in science and mathematics, Chancellor Boarman has:

• - Increased residential student enrollment from 560 to 670.
• - Transitioned the school to constituency in the University of North Carolina system.
• - Implemented NCSSM Online, which now serves approximately 150 students across N.C.
• - Promoted research-based learning and worked to incorporate research into the curriculum for every NCSSM student.
• - Implemented the trimester system, resulting in NCSSM increasing its course offerings by 80%.
• - Increased the number of AP tests taken by NCSSM students from 405 to 720.
• - Increased the percentage of NCSSM AP Exams that received scores of 4 or 5 from 61.5% to 81.5%.
• - Introduced an entrepreneurship initiative with UNC Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School.
• - Implemented Labs for Learning, an initiative designed to increase involvement of students traditionally underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Notable institutional accomplishments since Chancellor Boarman's arrival include:

• - Three top prize winners at the prestigious Siemens Competition
• - The school's first-ever national Academic WorldQuest title
• - 19 Morehead-Cain Scholars (UNC Chapel Hill) and 30 Park Scholars (N.C. State)
• - The school's highest number of National Merit Semifinalists (2009) since 1996
• - Enrollment growth in residential, online and distance education programs