Kwesi Aggrey first met Charlie Nelms five years ago at a training session for minority university administrators. Aggrey was an assistant vice president at Ramapo College in New Jersey, and Nelms was in administration at Indiana University.

Their paths crossed again soon after when Aggrey took an administrative post at Indiana University-Northwest, a branch campus within the University of Indiana system, where Nelms was a vice president.

Now, their paths cross again. Nelms, NCCU’s chancellor since summer of 2007, has hired Aggrey away from the Indiana system, making him the Durham institution’s new provost. As NCCU’s chief acacdemic officer, Aggrey, 51, will work closely will Nelms and with deans and department heads. He starts Jan. 2.

A chemist, Aggrey said he was impressed with NCCU in part due to its new research and technology initiatives like the Biomanuracturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise facility. He detailed his thoughts recently in an interview with the News & Observer.

Click "read more" to read the interview.

N.C. Central University has hired another Indiana University administrator.

Coincidence? Perhaps not.

NCCU Chancellor Charlie Nelms arrived in Durham last summer from Bloomington, Ind., where he was working as an administrator within the Indiana University system. He soon set about crafting a new leadership cabinet. Earlier this year, he moved Provost Beverly Washington Jones out of that position.

This week, he named her successor. He is Kwesi Aggrey, who comes from Indiana University's Northwest campus.

A native of Ghana, Aggrey was the vice chancellor for academic affairs at that campus.