As the new chancellor at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), Karrie Dixon brings with her a proven track record of success as a leader in higher education. In addition to a remarkable six-year tenure in her previous role as chancellor at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), Dixon spent many of her formative and early professional years as a member of the NC State community.

Dixon was first acquainted with the Wolfpack when she arrived on campus as an undergraduate transfer student in the 1990s. She credits the university for helping her to find a balance between academics and social life — and for instilling in her some of the values that she relies on as a university chancellor today. 

Dixon is a first-generation college graduate, and the opportunity to help other students who are the first in their family to attend college is one of the reasons she loves working in higher education.

“When I think about my experience, I truly understand how important it is for a student to understand their choice of an institution, how they fit into the culture and how they fit into the environment,” she said. “That academic and social integration is really critical for student success.”

A career in higher education wasn’t always the plan for Dixon, however. After receiving her undergraduate degree in 1997, she seemed destined for a long, successful career in broadcast journalism. She had studied communication with a concentration in public relations and interpersonal communication through the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She had also completed an internship at WRAL, and upon graduation she was hired for her first full-time job as an associate producer at WXII in Winston-Salem.

It was a few years later, during Dixon’s master’s degree studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, that her career path took a sharp turn. While serving as a teaching assistant, she found great joy in helping students learn about communication. After a self-described “lightbulb moment,” Dixon decided to return to NC State to earn her doctorate in higher education administration from the College of Education.

“NC State provided me with a great foundation in understanding higher education across North Carolina,” she said. “The higher education administration program provided great practice and exposure to leadership in all aspects of higher education, whether it’s public, private or community college. Being part of the Wolfpack family allowed me to really explore higher education from a macro level and really push forward in the career that I was pursuing.”

While Dixon has moved on to NCCU, another NC State alumna has been chosen to fill her old position. Catherine Edmonds (’04 MSA, ’17 Ed.D.) has been appointed interim chancellor of ECSU. Prior to this role, Edmonds served as chief of staff at NCCU as well as a variety of other roles in the state education system.

“The appointments of two of our alumni — Drs. Karrie Dixon and Catherine Edmonds — as leaders to our state’s public universities reflect the impact our College of Education continues to have in North Carolina through the preparation of effective transformational leaders at all levels:  from teachers, counselors and principals to superintendents, community college presidents and university chancellors and many more,” said Paola Sztajn, dean of NC State’s College of Education. “We are very proud of Drs. Dixon and Edmonds and wish them continued success in their new roles.”

Professional Growth

In the last two decades since earning her doctorate, Dixon has served in a variety of roles throughout the University of North Carolina System, including stints as vice president for academic and student affairs, senior associate vice president for academic and student affairs, and assistant vice president for academic and student affairs in the UNC System Office. 

Dixon even returned to NC State for several years as an employee, teaching classes for the colleges of Education and Humanities and Social Sciences, working as a program assessment consultant in the Department of Chemical Engineering and ultimately serving as assistant vice provost. Outside of the valuable experience she gained and the friendships she made with colleagues, one of her favorite memories is when Howling Cow ice cream was officially named and sold on campus in 2008. For the record, her favorite flavor is chocolate.

“I enjoyed being able to give back to my alma mater and being part of the administration,” Dixon said. “I never thought that I would work in the Provost’s Office and have an office in Holladay Hall where I could look out my window and see the Belltower. It was a really special opportunity.”

In 2018, Dixon was elected chancellor of ECSU, where she would go on to help enrollment grow by nearly 70%, raise $24 million in private gifts and build partnerships that led to nearly $300 million in state and federal funding for facilities, infrastructure and academic programs. 

After her election by the UNC Board of Governors as chancellor of NCCU earlier this summer, Dixon is now poised to lead her second university in the UNC System — and her second historically Black college or university (HBCU) — to new heights.

“I understand how important HBCUs are to North Carolina, to our country and beyond, so when I think about leading two schools with such a legacy and historic meaning behind everything that they do, it makes me really proud,” she said. “I plan to be here for a long time, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the great things we can do and making the most of this opportunity.”

Keeping Up With the Pack

Outside of her growing list of professional accomplishments, Dixon’s proudest personal achievement is raising her two daughters, Kamryn and Korryn.

“They have been my inspiration in everything that I do and why I do it,” Dixon said. “I’m proud that they get to see their mom in a leadership role such as this, and I hope it shows them that they can do anything they put their minds to. I’m really excited about that and having them on this journey with me.”

Among the many valuable life lessons Dixon has shared with her daughters is how to cheer on the Wolfpack. Despite her commitments as a university chancellor, she and her family have attended multiple NC State sporting events over the last several years, including the homecoming football game last fall. Additionally, she had the opportunity to revisit some of her favorite places on campus, like the Free Expression Tunnel, D.H. Hill Jr. Library and Witherspoon Student Center. She also marveled at the “mall” that is now Talley Student Union and how different it is from the old student center where she and her friends used to hang out and play card games. 

“I am very proud as an alumna to see the growth of the campus and all of the things that students get to experience there today,” Dixon said. “I still to this day talk to friends that I made during my undergraduate years and friends that I made during my time as a graduate student.”

When asked about her best piece of advice for students, Dixon encouraged them to do their research to find what they are passionate about. She also noted that, as her own story proves, it’s OK to change your mind.

“One thing I believe in is that when you go to work every day, you want to go to work happy with the career that you chose,” Dixon said. “It’s OK if you don’t get it right the first time. Try another path, and maybe that’s the one you’ll be able to flourish in. For me, I started out thinking that was television, and now I’m loving my career of 23 years in higher education. It was the right choice for me.”

This post was originally published in NC State News.