New Academic Year, New Appointments At North Carolina Central University

Durham, NC – The start of the spring 2020 semester brought a group of new faculty and staff to North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Among the recent appointments include two new deans for the School of Law and University College, director of the NCCU Art Museum, assistant University legal counsel, as well as interim appointments for vice chancellor for University Advancement and police chief.

Brenda S. Faison, Ph.D., has been appointed director for the NCCU Art Museum.

Prior to her appointment, Faison served as chair and professor for Claflin University’s Department of Art. Faison has also held positions in higher education and also at corporate organizations and design firms. Faison earned a bachelor’s in visual communication design from NCCU and a master’s in product design from North Carolina State University. She also holds a Ph.D. in art education from Ohio State University.

Joseph Michael Green, Ph.D., has been appointed dean of University College. 

Most recently, Green worked at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), where he was the executive director for Retention, Progression, and Completion. He has devoted much of his career to preparing disadvantaged and underrepresented students for post-secondary education and graduate studies and has been awarded more than $12 million in grants and special project funding. Green received his undergraduate degree at Bowie State and his master’s in psychology at the University of South Dakota. He was awarded a Ph.D. in political science and public administration from Howard University in 2002. 

Susan Hester has been named interim vice chancellor for University Advancement.

She joined NCCU two decades ago and has served numerous roles. During Hester’s tenure at North Carolina Central University, she also served as interim vice chancellor, associate vice chancellor and director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for Institutional Advancement and executive director of the NCCU Foundation. Hester has more than 20 years of experience in management, fundraising, and marketing. She has comprehensive experience in all aspects of resource development, including relational fundraising, prospect identification, task and role description, budget management, staff development, strategic and operational planning, and volunteer management. In addition to her fundraising background, Hester has worked in corporate positions with Verizon (formerly GTE Mobile), Westinghouse, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke Medical Center and the United Way. She began her fundraising career in annual giving and has worked in every capacity of the Institutional Advancement structure.   

Hester received a Bachelor of Science in business administration from North Carolina A&T State University and a Master of Public Health in health policy and administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

Browne C. Lewis, Esq., has been named dean of the School of Law at North Carolina Central University. She will begin in her new role on July 1, 2020.

Currently, Lewis serves as the Leon M. and Gloria Plevin Professor of Law and the founding director of the Center for Health Law and Policy at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. An accomplished legal scholar, Lewis is accomplished in the areas of bioethics, environmental, family and inheritance law. Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Grambling State University, a master’s degree in public policy from the Humphrey Institute, a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota School of Law and an L.L.M. in energy and environmental law from the University of Houston Law Center.

Piper Chanelle Mitchell, Esq., has been appointed assistant university Legal Counsel for NCCU. Prior to joining NCCU, she served as associate general counsel for Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia.

Mitchell also has served as associate general counsel for Student and Faculty Affairs at Howard University, where she began her professional legal career. Mitchell obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in public policy from Duke University, her Juris Doctorate from Howard University, and her master’s in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown University.

Kelly White has been named interim chief of police and director of Public Safety. 

White, a native of Hertford, N.C., has over 20 years of experience as a law enforcement officer and public servant in North Carolina. Most recently, White has served as Major of Operations with the North Carolina A&T State University Police Department, a role he has held since 2005. He has served in various roles as a law enforcement officer throughout his professional career and has extensive knowledge in command level supervision, risk management, incident command center implementation, security threat groups training and intelligence documentation. White also has comprehensive knowledge of case laws, search warrants, use of force and traffic enforcement.

White has received his advanced law enforcement certification, which is the highest certification that a law enforcement officer can earn in North Carolina. He served as the University of North Carolina System Coordinator for the State’s Advancement Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT), where he was responsible for training university, county, and municipal officers.

North Carolina Central University prepares students to succeed in the global marketplace. Consistently ranked as a top Historically Black College or University, NCCU offers flagship programs in the sciences, education, law, business, nursing, and the arts. Founded in 1910, NCCU remains committed to diversity in and access to higher education. Our alumni excel in a wide variety of academic and professional fields. NCCU is a constituent institution of the University North Carolina System. Visit www.nccu.edu.