North Carolina State University has a new chancellor.
The UNC Board of Governors on Tuesday morning elected Kevin Howell as the school's next chancellor.
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Howell will replace Randy Woodson, who will retire on June 30 after serving 15 years in the position. Howell will be the university’s 15th chancellor in its 137-year history and the first African-American in the role.
Howell is currently chief external affairs officer for UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health. He has a long history with NC State, where he served as assistant to the chancellor for external affairs from 2006 to 2016.
Howell gave the commencement address for NC State's Wilson College of Textiles in May 2023 when his daughter, Meredith Howell, graduated.
As an NC State student, Howell was the student body president and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He received his J.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill and launched a career that reached the Governor’s office and state legislature before entering the UNC system. Howell is a native of Shelby, North Carolina.
Woodson announced last summer that he would retire. He received a 2-year contract extension in 2021. Since then, the university faced criticism for its handling of Poe Hall, the now-closed building and subject of numerous WRAL Investigates stories. More than 200 people who worked in Poe Hall have reported a diagnosis of cancer to 5 On Your Side.
NC State enrolls the largest student body of all of the UNC system schools, about 39,000. As of June 2024, State’s endowment carried a combined market value of $2.22 billion, according to its website.
State is on the brink of another high-profile hire as the news comes just days after head basketball coach Kevin Keatts was dismissed. The Wolfpack were not able to build on 2024’s Final Four run and finished 12-19, missing the ACC Tournament. Football coach Dave Doeren has been in place since 2013.