C-Suite Conversation, with special guest Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D

See our President and CEO, Geoff Durham as he engages in light-hearted conversations with executives from across the Triangle and beyond, on matters that affect us all. Those planning to attend can submit questions in advance for Geoff and his guests to answer during this live virtual event.

Join us on May 20 to meet Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., the Chancellor of North Carolina Central University (NCCU).
 
Under Dr. Akinleye’s leadership, NCCU has launched several capital projects, expanded its course and degree offerings, experienced rising levels of academic achievement, and reached record levels of sponsored research activity. 

NCCU enrolls more than 8,000 students in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in on-campus and online programs.

During his four-year tenure as the university’s leader, Dr. Akinleye has overseen five major capital projects, including construction now underway on a new Student Center and new School of Business. He also forged a public-private partnership for the construction of three new residence halls, two of which opened in 2020 and a third to be completed in 2021.

Dr. Akinleye played an instrumental role in NCCU’s October 2018 designation by the University of North Carolina (UNC) System as a Millennial Campus, making the institution the first historically black college or university in the UNC System to be designated as a stand-alone institution.

Dr. Akinleye presided over development and implementation of five-year strategic plan for the university, Charting a New Landscape for Student-Centered Success, addressing 2019-2024, as well as a new 10-year comprehensive master plan. He also executed a comprehensive $3 million campus security initiative to improve the safety and security of NCCU students, faculty, staff and visitors. He has prominently led the university’s comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic since early 2020. 
 
Under Dr. Akinleye’s administration, the university has met or exceeded performance metrics and other expectations set by UNC System’s Higher Expectations Strategic Plan. Increasing the institution’s sponsored-research activity and grant totals is among his top achievements. Dr. Akinleye has overseen significant new sponsored research and grant investments in NCCU’s research institutes, which generated $34.7 million in during the 2019-2020 academic year. 
 
Dr. Akinleye notes that students are his “No. 1 priority.” He articulates this through The Eagle Promise pledge, which assures that all students are provided with the following: a thorough preparation for the job market or graduate education; a clear academic pathway to graduate in four years; opportunities to engage nationally and internationally; and activities that allow leadership development in a variety of settings. 

Dr. Akinleye began serving as NCCU’s interim chancellor in January 2017, after being named acting chancellor in August 2016. He came to the university in 2014 and was appointed as provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs.

While serving as provost at NCCU, Dr. Akinleye established the Office of Faculty Professional Development, the Office of e-Learning and the Fabrication Lab, a campus and community maker space. His tenure also oversaw increases in full-time student enrollment, as well as expanded academic degree offerings.
 
Before arriving at NCCU in 2014, Dr. Akinleye was a senior administrator at several public, private and church-affiliated institutions, including serving as associate vice chancellor for academic programs at University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he expanded distance education, online programs, and developed an innovative public-private partnership with Academic Partnerships Inc., a first for the UNC System. 
 
He has served as a member of On-Site Reaffirmation Committees for SACS and was a participant in White House Initiatives on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, where he chaired a committee to create academic early-warning systems and mentoring programs for college students.
 
Dr. Akinleye holds a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications and a master’s degree in media technology from Alabama A&M University, as well as a doctorate in human communications studies from Howard University. 

His leadership training includes the Fellow in the Millennium Leadership Initiative (MLI) Institute sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities; Harvard Graduate School of Education for Leadership, Management, and Administration of Higher Education; and the Rust Administrative Academy for Faculty Administration and Management of Higher Education.
 
Outside of his academic career, Dr. Akinleye engages in motivational speaking, consulting, writing, editing and producing documentaries for independent and government agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He serves on the boards of Made in Durham and the RTP Foundation, and is a member of The 50 Group and the Watauga Club.
 
He is married to Juanita Akinleye, a registered nurse, and they have two adult children, Nikki and Peter.