The board of governors of the University of North Carolina System has appointed Karrie Gibson Dixon as the twelfth chancellor of Elizabeth City State University. Dr. Dixon has been serving as interim chancellor since April 2018. As a result, she took office immediately. She is the second woman to hold the position.
The university, located on the northeastern coast of North Carolina, enrolls more than 1,300 undergraduate students and less than 50 graduate students, according to the latest data supplied to the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 55 percent of the undergraduate student body.
In accepting the appointment, Dr. Dixon stated that “I am deeply honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve as the next chancellor of Elizabeth City State University. I’d like to thank the UNC Board of Governors and President Margaret Spellings for entrusting in me the opportunity to lead this great university. I look forward to working with the ECSU board of trustees, alumni, faculty, staff, students, and the community as we continue to move ECSU in the right direction.”
Before being named interim chancellor, Dr. Dixon was the co-leader of the New Directions Phase 2 Operational Team at the university. Before coming to Elizabeth City State University, Dr. Dixon was a senior administrator for the University of North Carolina System. Most recently before coming to Elizabeth City, she was vice president for academic and student affairs overseeing the 17 campuses of the university system.
A native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Dr. Dixon earned a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate from North Carolina State University. She also holds a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.