Dr. Catherine Edmonds, an accomplished higher education leader and proud alumna of North Carolina A&T State University, has returned to her alma mater as interim chief academic officer, effective July 1, 2025.
With over a decade of leadership experience across the University of North Carolina System and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Dr. Edmonds brings a well-rounded and strategic lens to this critical role. Her most recent appointments include serving as interim chancellor at Elizabeth City State University and chief of staff at North Carolina Central University—two of the state’s leading HBCUs.
Chancellor James R. Martin II praised Dr. Edmonds’ “collaborative leadership and steady hand,” noting her depth of experience in both higher education governance and K-12 public instruction. Her appointment comes as the university bids farewell to outgoing provost Dr. Tonya Smith-Jackson, who will soon assume the presidency at Rutgers University–Newark.
During her time as interim chancellor at ECSU, Dr. Edmonds led the university to record-breaking enrollment milestones, including its largest first-year and transfer cohorts in more than a decade. Her previous leadership roles include deputy state superintendent, district superintendent, and statewide director of the UNC Principal Fellows Program—positions that reflect a career committed to educational equity and student success.
A triple alumna of North Carolina institutions, Dr. Edmonds earned her doctorate and master’s degrees in educational leadership from NC State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education from North Carolina A&T.
She continues to serve the field through various board appointments, including the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority.