N.C. A&T Names Hodge-Penn AVC for Research and Economic Development

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (March 9, 2023) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University announced Melissa Hodge-Penn, Ph.D., has been named associate vice chancellor for research and economic development.

Hodge-Penn has nearly 20 years of experience managing programs funded by multiple and diverse sources, as well as providing administrative oversight and management for research portfolio administration, complex and multidisciplinary project administration, research development, and policy implementation. She is a demonstrated leader with experience across academia, government and not-for-profit organizations who has successfully fostered private sector and community-based relationships.

Before joining N.C. A&T, Hodge-Penn served as assistant vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs at the University of Mississippi, where she also served as the Authorized Organizational Representative. In that role, she facilitated university-wide strategic research growth activities, strategic planning and implementation, directed multiple and diverse constituencies in support of the research enterprise, and managed more than $118 million in external research funding. Additionally, she worked closely with faculty to catalyze, encourage and support research and scholarly activities, support the creation of new knowledge, promote the use of knowledge and ensure its integrity. She has a keen focus on building and supporting multidisciplinary teams and growing the research enterprise.

Hodge-Penn began her higher education career as director of the senior corps program in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University in 2002. She later worked in the Technical College System of Georgia Office of Adult Education, leading first the Workplace Education/Health Literacy program and later becoming director of the Workforce Education – Transition Services program. There, she provided oversight to subgrantees at 25 technical colleges and managed the statewide professional development process for senior administrators and instructional staff with more than 90,000 students.

In 2014 and 2015, Hodge-Penn was grants manager in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, where she managed a $45 million sponsored research grants and contracts portfolio.

She returned to Georgia State in 2015 as associate director of the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs at the university’s Perimeter College before being promoted to her former role. She led the restructuring of the College of Education and Human Development’s Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, making it more efficient in proposal development and award management to align with university policies and practices, and building capacity for projected funding growth.

A native of Atlanta, Hodge-Penn received her bachelor’s degree from Grambling State University, master’s degree from Liberty University and her doctorate from the University of Mississippi. She is also a 2017 graduate of Georgia State’s Executive Leadership Academy for Women.

Hodge-Penn is a member of the American Society for Public Administration, National Council of University Research Administrators and Society of Research Administrators International, along with other professional, social and civic organizations.

She also has experience in community service, leadership and engagement roles. She served on the executive board for the Georgia Parent Teacher Association and the DeKalb (Georgia) Community Service Board, and was a member of the superintendent search committee for Atlanta Public Schools in 2013 and 2014.