Ed and Deborah Whitehorne
Ed and Deborah Whitehorne (both Computer Science ’72) and their family are proud of their deep connections with NC State. Deborah and Ed met when they were in one of the university’s earliest graduating classes in computer science. The couple were married a month after their 1972 graduation. Deborah then worked as a computer programmer in Duke University Hospital’s Obstetrics and Neurology departments and at the Research Triangle Institute. She retired in 1986 to run the family’s Trakahner horse farm and to have quality time with their children, Charles (Mechanical Engineering ’04) and Elizabeth (Business Management ’07).
Deborah is an award-winning quilter.
Ed earned his master’s degree in computer science at Duke University in 1973 and returned to NC State to pursue a Ph.D. in operations research. During the 1970s, he was a computer programmer for the biometrics unit of the U.S. Forest Service’s Southeastern Research Station. Between 1979 and the early 1990s, Ed worked for what is now known as FHI 360 where he co- founded Clinical Research International (CRI), ultimately the first full-service multinational contract research organization (CRO). He became the president and CEO of Clinical Trials Support Services (CTSS), a personnel provider to the pharmaceutical industry, and later joined the boards of FHI 360 and the FHI Foundation. He also served as the vice-chairman and chief of mergers and acquisitions at Novella Clinical. He led Novella’s sale in 2013 and retired as chair of FHI 360 in 2018. As part of the angel investing community, Ed has invested in more than 50 early-stage companies over the years and was an advisor and/or board member for many of them. He was involved with many companies with NC State connections.
As of 2022, Ed is a trustee of the FHI Foundation, a strategic advisor to FHI 360 and the chair of FHI Clinical. With Deborah and their children, he co-owns Windtrek Ventures LLC, a real estate redevelopment company, and Windtrek Investments, an interest arbitrage company. Ed and Deborah enjoy family activities with their children and grandchildren, who all live in metropolitan Raleigh, North Carolina.
Impact
Ed has continued his association with NC State’s Department of Computer Science. He was recognized as an NC State Computer Science Alumni Achiever in 2002 for his work with technology start-ups. He was listed as Distinguished Alumnus in 2007 as part of the department’s 40th anniversary celebration. In 2017, Ed was elected to the inaugural class of NC State’s Computer Science Hall of Fame.
The Whitehornes feel that much of their success is the result of their NC State education. As serial entrepreneurs, they now hope to kindle that passion in others. They recognize the importance of scholarships that can help reduce the financial burden of attending college and look forward to making a difference for future computer science students.