RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has selected a new leader for North Carolina State University, the state’s largest public university by enrollment, as the current chancellor prepares to retire.
Kevin Howell has been appointed as the next chancellor of NC State, making history as the first Black individual to hold this position in the university’s 138-year existence. This decision was made during the governing board’s meeting on Tuesday, where he will take over from Randy Woodson, who has been chancellor since 2010 and is among the longest-serving in the university system.
Currently, Howell serves as the chief external affairs officer for the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health. He has held various leadership positions at NC State in the past, including vice chancellor for external affairs, partnerships, and economic development. As an undergraduate at NC State, Howell was the student body president.
“From experience, I understand that effective communication during challenging times demands patience, humility, and a genuine respect for differing viewpoints,” stated UNC System President Peter Hans during the meeting. “Kevin Howell embodies these qualities.”
Howell is set to begin his new role on May 5, with a salary of $ 600,000.
Woodson announced his retirement during a trustees meeting last July as his contract was nearing its end this summer. He expressed that it was “just a good time” to step aside from the chancellorship.
During Woodson’s tenure, the university saw improvements in graduation and retention rates, increased research funding, and a rise in enrollment to over 38,000 students as of Fall 2024.
“I feel satisfied leaving the institution in a stronger position, but I also recognize that the incoming leader has many tasks ahead at NC State,” Woodson remarked after his retirement announcement in July.
Howell will face several challenges when he steps into his new role this summer, particularly as higher education grapples with potential significant funding cuts from the National Institutes of Health. As an R1 research institution—which denotes the highest research activity—NC State received over $ 48 million from the NIH during the last fiscal year.
Additionally, NC State had paused most hiring, including faculty positions, in February due to uncertainties surrounding federal funding, according to a memo from executive vice chancellor Warwick Arden; however, the memo did not indicate when the hiring freeze might be lifted.
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