RALEIGH (June 6, 2024) – Karrie Dixon oversaw what the UNC System president calls a “remarkable renaissance” at Elizabeth City State University.

Now she’ll try to do the same at NC Central University.

The UNC System Board of Governors unanimously elected Dixon – who has served as Chancellor at Elizabeth City since 2018 – as the new Chancellor at NC Central this morning. She will succeed Johnson Akinleye, who has served eight years as Chancellor at NCCU.

Aided by NC Promise – a state program that offers in-state tuition of $500 a semester at select campuses – Elizabeth City State grew enrollment by nearly 70%, raised $24 million in private donations and saw nearly $300 million in additional state and federal funding under Dixon’s leadership, according to the UNC System

In two years’ time, said System President Peter Hans, employee morale at ECSU improved from the lowest in the 17-campus system to the highest. Board of Governors Chair Randy Ramsey noted how even the grounds seem neater and better-kept.

“Karrie Dixon has been a widely admired leader in our university System for more than two decades,” Hans said.

“She’s known for building great teams and taking on big challenges with honesty and optimism. I’m excited for NC Central and grateful to Chancellor Dixon for her commitment to this state.”

Dixon is a first-generation college graduate herself and an alumna of the Crosby Scholars program in Winston-Salem.

In a statement from the System Office, she said joining NC Central’s community of scholars, innovators and leaders is a dream come true.

“NCCU embodies grit, innovation, leadership, purpose and legacy, and I am committed to building on our rich traditions and ensuring that our students, faculty staff and alumni gave the tools and opportunities necessary to succeed,” she said. “I can’t wait to engage with all the possibilities that Durham has to offer.”

Dixon has served in multiple roles across the UNC System for 23 years – Hans noted that she’s been an administrator at both the System’s largest land-grant institution (NC State) and its smallest HBCU (ECSU).

She was vice president for academic and student affairs at the System Office, assistant vice provost at NC State University, was an adjunct assistant professor at NC State’s College of Education and taught communication at NC State and UNC Greensboro.

Dixon has a bachelor’s degree in communication from NC State, a master’s in speech communication from UNC Greensboro and a doctorate in higher education administration from NC State.

“She is a North Carolina native; a seasoned higher education administrator with a track record of student-centered success in the UNC System; committed to active and purposeful engagement in the full range of university constituencies; and has the leadership presence ad soft skills acumen to attract the support that NCCU needs to thrive,” said James H. Johnson Jr., an NCCU alumnus and chair of the NCCU search advisory committee.

DIXON’S MOVE creates new unknowns for Elizabeth City State, however.

While the UNC System has promoted hiring from within in recent years, the System will now have four chancellor searches occurring simultaneously among its 17 institutions, at UNC Chapel Hill, N.C. A&T State, Appalachian State and now Elizabeth City State.

The Board of Governors named Bonita Brown as the new Chancellor at Winston-Salem State University a week ago.