Embedding Innovation with Purpose at Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City State University is entering a new chapter—one defined by intentional innovation and expanded opportunity for students and the region it serves. Under the leadership of Chancellor S. Keith Hargrove Sr., ECSU is deliberately embedding innovation into its academic programs, partnerships, and campus culture.
A former faculty member with experience launching and growing initiatives, Chancellor Hargrove brings an engineering-informed, execution-oriented mindset to the role—focused on outcomes, not just aspiration. “At ECSU, innovation isn’t a buzzword—it’s a responsibility,” Chancellor Hargrove said. “It’s about preparing our students for real careers, creating pathways for ideas to move beyond the classroom, and ensuring our university plays an active role in regional and statewide economic growth. That means being intentional about how innovation shows up across our campus and in our partnerships.”
That mindset is reflected in ECSU’s 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, which emphasizes innovative academic programs, entrepreneurial thinking, and workforce-aligned growth. Rather than treating innovation as a standalone activity, ECSU is integrating it across disciplines—connecting classroom learning to real-world application in areas such as aviation, unmanned systems, defense-related technologies, and entrepreneurship.
This shift is already producing results. ECSU has moved from having a single innovation effort to eight active projects in the NCInnovation pipeline—an important signal of both institutional momentum and the potential that exists at smaller universities when the right structures and support are in place.
As North Carolina’s statewide public-private partnership, NCInnovation is focused on accelerating the commercialization of university research. It is designed to support institutions like ECSU—helping promising ideas move from concept to application while reinforcing campus leadership and local context. “ECSU’s progress underscores why NCInnovation exists,” said Derrick Welch, Senior Regional Innovation Network Director for the East. “Our role is to support institutions of all sizes—especially those with strong momentum but limited capacity—by helping connect their most promising ideas to funding, expertise, and statewide commercialization pathways. When innovation is inclusive, the entire state benefits.”
