Francine Edwards

About Francine Edwards

Prior to being elevated to the role of Associate Vice President for Leadership, Development and Customer Service Edwards served as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, the founding Dean of the College of Humanities Education and Social Sciences, managing a multimillion-dollar operating budget, five academic departments, a lab school and innovation center. The leadership capacity and commitment to student success that Dr. Edwards possess was instrumental in Delaware State University’s transition to remote learning during the pandemic. As a member of the Middle State Accreditation Team and part of the University’s acquisition of Wesley College, Edwards understanding of data, student retention, and her ability to lead in a dynamic environment makes her one of Delaware State University’s rising stars. In addition to her academic and executive leadership accolades, Edwards and her team won the University’s first ever Telly Awards© for the production of the 2020 Virtual Commencement Exercises and the 2020 Virtual Black History Month Celebration. With over 20 years of experience in organizational development, Edwards performs needs assessment in order to assist with the development of training policies and programs, helps organizations to pivot, engage in ideation, and leverage performance and efficiency. Dr. Edwards has worked with Baltimore City Community College, Delaware State University, Ethiopian Airlines, CPCU, The City of Alexandria Fire Department, Howard University Hospital, Connection Community Church, UTC, Soroptimist International and District of Columbia Police Department. In Edwards began working for the D.C. Department of Health. She launched several celebrity-driven healthcare campaigns, including an Asthma partnership with the Washington Mystics, HIVAIDS awareness, and community-based prostate cancer awareness. In 2002 she transitioned to NASA where she was instrumental in assisting with crisis communications during the 2003 Challenger Shuttle crash. Dr. Edwards has been certified by the Harvard Women in Leadership Certificate Program (2019), was part of the third cohort of the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions MSI Aspiring Leaders (2021) and is certified by Mental Health First Aid USA (2023).Edwards received a BA in Communications from James Madison University, a master’s in strategic communications from Bowie State University and a PhD in Organizational Communications from Howard University. Edwards has given two TEDx talks on race and ethical digital content creation.

Experience

1. Associate Vice President, Training and Development & Customer Service

   Delaware State University

   Sep 2025 — Present

   As Associate Vice President, Training and Development & Customer Service, I provide strategic and operational support to the Executive Vice President of the University. My responsibilities include oversight of key reporting units such as Human Resources, the Customer Service Center of Excellence, and the newly launched Professional Development and Leadership Academy (PDLA). I assist in managing daily administrative operations across the university and collaborate closely with departments including Human Resources, Marketing, Health Services, and University Events and Ceremonies to ensure alignment with institutional goals.In addition to my administrative duties, I serve as Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council and Editor of the eJournal Dynamic Self Matters. In these roles, I help establish and promote practices that foster a culture of inclusion and respect among students and employees. I support the development of strategic procedures that address sensitive diversity-related issues and advocate for policies and best practices that advance equity and inclusion in higher education.Contribute to the development and refinement of university policies, offering guidance on human resources matters to ensure consistency with university regulations and strategic objectives. I respond to inquiries from the Executive Vice President, particularly those related to student success, and prepare timely and accurate reports for senior leadership. Additionally, I assist in planning and executing university-wide events and ceremonies, specifically commencement, and undertake special projects as assigned by the University President and Executive Vice President.

Education

• Bowie State University

  Master's degree, Organizational Communication, General

  1999 — 2001

• Howard University

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Organizational Communication, General

  2001 — 2007

• James Madison University

  Bachelor's Degree (BS), Communication and Media Studies

  1987 — 1991

Skills

• Academic Administration
• Statistics
• Molecular Biology
• Qualitative Research
• Student Affairs
• Curriculum Design
• Editing
• Teaching
• Lecturing
• University Teaching
• Public Relations
• Research
• College Teaching
• Public Speaking
• Grant Writing
• Science
• Student Development
• Curriculum Development
• Spss
• Academic Advising