Academic Affairs Staff

Chief Academic Officer & Staff

Kimberly van Noort, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer | 919-962-4614

The senior vice president for Academic Affairs and chief academic officer advises the UNC System President and the Board of Governors on academic affairs and leads in the development and implementation of the academic mission of the University, which is to discover, create, transmit, and apply knowledge to address the needs of individuals and society. The division focuses on ensuring that teaching and instruction, research and scholarship, and service and engagement are of the highest quality. These activities should catalyze innovation, optimize effectiveness, and harness partnerships in order to promote lifelong student achievement. Academic Affairs enables and inspires excellence in academic initiatives across the UNC System, while also respecting and promoting the distinctive character and mission of each UNC System institution.

Rondall Rice, Ph.D.
Executive Director for Operations and Administration | 919-843-4962

Cory Brouwer, Ph.D.
Executive Director of Research, NC Research Campus | 704-687-8357

Eric Fotheringham, Ph.D.
Program Analysis Director | 919-843-6967

Daniel Hurley
Director of Environmental Health and Safety, NC Research Campus | 704-250-5056

Frances Little
Executive Assistant to the SVP/AA | 919-843-4614

Kelley Gregory
Academic Affairs Event Planner | 919-843-4612

Academic Programs, Faculty, and Research

David J. English, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic Programs, Faculty & Research | 919-962-2620
Dr. English works with the constituent institutions to shape the future direction of academic programs across the System. This position provides leadership for special projects, especially those focused on strategic directions for instruction, that represent innovative collaborations among institutions and with other constituencies. The vice president is responsible for University-wide academic planning, the assessment of program and institutional performance and development, and the implementation of competency-based approaches to curriculum development and assessment of student learning. The position oversees the offices below, responsible for a variety of academic and faculty affairs and research programs.

Rollinda Thomas, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President for Academic Programs | 919-843-4538

Michelle Solér, Ph.D.
Director for Competency Based Education and Assessment | 919-966-3202

Laura C. Bilbro-Berry, Ed.D.
Director of Community College Partnerships | 919-962-4934

Mary Ellen McMillan
Executive Assistant for the VP | 919-962-3542

Academic and Regulatory Affairs

Daniel Harrison, J.D.
Senior Associate Vice President for Academic and Regulatory Affairs | 919-962-2676
The Academic and Regulatory Affairs department encompasses the North Carolina State Approving Agency (NC SAA) and the State Authorization unit. NC SAA provides educational program approval, institutional monitoring of legal and program requirements, and program services for institutions seeking to participate in GI Bill funding. The NC SAA is under the supervision of the Board of Governors and is administered through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The NC SAA plans and administers a statewide program that is structured to select and make available to GI Bill beneficiaries “bona fide” programs of education. The State Authorization unit makes recommendations to the Board of Governors on applications from non-public and out-of-state institutions seeking to offer post-secondary degree programs in North Carolina. It monitors and regulates licensed institutions. The unit also manages the state’s religious and military exemption process for degree-granting postsecondary institutions.

Kaity McNeill
Director of Licensure | 919-962-4550

Andre Richardson, Ph.D.
Licensure & State Authorizations Program Specialist | 919-962-4558

NC State Approving Agency (NC SAA) Personnel

Jay S. Fitzgerald
Executive Director, NC State Approving Agency | 919-237-7937

Maegan Hoss
SAA Program Specialist | 919-237-7933

Meghan-Joy Woodall
SAA Program Specialist | 919-237-7934

Cassandra Mangrich-Smith
Administrative Support Associate | 919-237-7932

Student Affairs

Bethany Meighen, Ed.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs | 919-843-6744
Dr. Bethany Meighen serves as the chief student affairs officer of the University and is the liaison between the University and the 17 constituent institutions on policy matters related to financial aid, athletics, and student health. In addition, she is the UNC System lead representative to the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) partnership. The department of Student Affairs works closely with the leadership, faculty, and staff at our institutions to foster System-wide, data-driven strategies for enhancing student success and improving time-to-degree efficiency. Student Affairs collaborates with System Office and institution administrators to implement policies and regulations regarding student affairs, financial aid, admissions, and campus safety. The department is also responsible for access programs (including the CFNC Pathways Partnership and the statewide Countdown to College program) and works closely with committees and educational agencies on policies related to minimum admissions and course requirements. Student Affairs also works alongside the NCSEAA (North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority) to coordinate the distribution of student financial aid information and state awards.

Toya Corbett
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs | 919-843-8941

Kimberly Mitchell
Director for Student Development and Association of Student Government Advisor | 919-445-0494

A utumn Carpenter
Director of Financial Operations and Technology | 828-964-2285

Tenika McMillan
Assessment and Program Specialist | 919-843-0448

Lydia Mayer
Executive Assistant to the VP | 919-962-4623

CFNC Personnel

Mark Wiles
Director, CFNC Pathways | 336-256-0117

Addison Miller
Assistant Director, CFNC Pathways | 336-334-4915

Cole Justad-Sandberg
Campus Services Manager, CFNC Pathways | 336-340-4448

Vacant
Business Analyst, CFNC Pathways | 336-340-4790

Digital Learning

Jim Ptaszynski, Ph.D.
Vice President for Digital Learning | 919-843-5705
The Vice President for Digital Learning is responsible for developing a digital learning plan that supports the Strategic Plan and is in service of the future needs of the UNC System. The major goals of this plan are two-fold. First, it is intended to address how digital learning can be leveraged to support micro- and nano-credentials, as well as fully online degree programs. Enhancing these offerings will provide access to higher education for hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians who do not have, but could benefit from, a college education. Second, this office is designed to accelerate the use of digital technologies across the 17 institutions in support of increasing student success. Dr. Ptaszynski also oversees UNC Online and UNC Proctoring coordination.

Kevin Nathanson
Senior Director of Product Management and Technology Integration, UNC Online | 919-962-4208

John Falchi
Director of Special Projects | 919-843-6743

Mandy Dough
UNC Online Services Manager | 252-737-4295

Diane Horton
UNC Online Proctor Coordinator | 919-962-4786

Evangelina “Angie” Callesis
Executive Assistant to the VP | 919-962-7049

Data and Analytics

Vacant – Diane Marian is the Interim Vice President
Vice President for Data and Analytics | 919-962-4554
The Data and Analytics department provides decision support to UNC System leadership, the Board of Governors, the legislature, and various other stakeholders, primarily through the maintenance of and extraction of information from a rich central database. The goal is to meet key stakeholders’ needs by building an efficient, responsive, sustainable operation on a technology and human resource platform. The department handles state and federal reporting requirements centrally–most prominently, the federal higher education data system, IPEDS, requires a substantial set of reports at various points during the year. The department manages various UNC system annual reporting to the Board of Governors (e.g., faculty workload, student enrollment), and Data and Analytics is responsible for developing and managing reporting and analytics tools as part of the UNC System’s shared analytics platform.

Diane Marian, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President for Data and Analytics | 919-843-8613

Catherine Kurilla
Programmer/Analyst Manager | 919-962-4547

Giana Malak
Lead Business Intelligence Analyst | 919-962-4544

Xuan-Lise Coulombe-Quach
Business Intelligence Analyst | 919-843-6736

Suzanne Crockett
SAS Programmer/Analyst | 919-843-3227

Evan Ferrier
SAS Programmer/Analyst | 919-962-4543

Dana Sadek
Business Intelligence Analyst |

Jelan Seward
Business Intelligence Analyst | 919-962-4901

Eric Zwieg
SAS Programmer/Analyst | 919-843-6451