Campbell Named College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Dean

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Oct. 15, 2025) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has named nationally recognized scholar and higher education leader Shannon B. Campbell, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS), effective today.

Campbell, who most recently served as provost and executive vice president at Columbus State University, is returning to the University of North Carolina System after serving as dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts at Appalachian State University.

Campbell’s career also spans roles as founding associate vice president of graduate studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver and department chair at High Point University. With more than two decades of experience in academic leadership and service as a faculty member, she brings a dynamic blend of scholarly excellence, administrative acumen and a deep commitment to education.

“Dr. Campbell’s visionary leadership and dedication to student success, faculty development and community outreach make her an ideal choice to lead CAHSS, as the college and the university continue to mature academically and significantly grow,” said Catherine Edmonds, Ed.D., interim provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Throughout her career, Campbell has championed interdisciplinary collaboration, strategic planning and student success. At Appalachian State, she oversaw a $49 million personnel budget, led the development of a five-year strategic plan for new campus programming and maintained a 95% faculty retention rate.

Campbell’s scholarly work includes numerous refereed journal articles, book chapters and conference presentations on topics ranging from media representation and social justice to strategic communication and public relations ethics. She has served on editorial boards and review committees for leading academic journals and has been recognized with multiple teaching and research awards, including the Best Annenberg Professor honor and the PRSA’s “Best of Public Relations Journal” award.

As dean of CAHSS, Campbell will oversee a diverse portfolio of nine departments spanning the humanities, social sciences and fine arts and will play a key role in advancing the university’s mission of excellence in teaching, research and community engagement.

Campbell earned her Ph.D. in public relations and media studies from the University of Texas at Austin, her M.A. in organizational communication from Southern Illinois University and her B.S. in communication management from Missouri State University. She is a 2020 Fulbright U.S. International Education Administrators awardee and a graduate of the HERS Leadership Institute for Women in Higher Education.