As NC State’s new associate vice chancellor for real estate and development, Alicia Knight will oversee the university’s real estate operations across the state, including acquisition and disposition of real property and lease management.
Knight also will serve as a key university leader responsible for advancing NC State’s 32-acre Innovation District. The large-scale, mixed-use development planned for Centennial Campus aims to become a premier destination for innovative collaboration between business, research and education, as well as an economic driver for the region
Knight will help drive NC State’s Innovation District, a 32-acre mixed-use development planned for Centennial Campus.
“Alicia’s expertise in urban planning and development within the context of higher education, combined with her experience in developing university-specific real estate strategies, will be invaluable as we progress the Innovation District on Centennial Campus,” says Charles Maimone, vice chancellor for finance and administration.
Prior to joining NC State on June 15, Knight served as the senior associate vice president for operations at George Washington University where she oversaw diverse operational units including real estate, campus development, facilities, and business and auxiliary services. Knight worked for George Washington University for more than 15 years, previously serving as associate vice president for real estate.
At George Washington University, Knight’s accomplishments included managing strategic real estate projects that boosted the value of the university’s endowment real estate portfolio; developing and implementing a campus plan for the university that created opportunities for public-private partnerships; delivering a state-of-the-art Science and Engineering Hall and numerous LEED-certified projects; and streamlining operations to improve service while reducing operating costs in areas such as facilities, parking and student dining. Under her leadership, George Washington University also implemented a renewable power purchase and electricity-sourcing strategy to reduce its environmental footprint and operating costs.
“Alicia’s collaborative-minded leadership style and reputation for aligning diverse stakeholders to progress multimillion-dollar projects will make her a great visionary for our office and our university partners,” Maimone says.
Knight holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from George Washington University and an MBA from the George Washington University School of Business, where she served as a Presidential Fellow.
While Knight is new to NC State, she is no stranger to the Wolfpack. Her husband, Lee, graduated from NC State and played football for the Wolfpack during his time at the university. Knight says she and her family are excited to join the NC State community.