North Carolina State University has appointed Nicol Lewis as the university’s next chief information security officer (CISO), with a start date of June 1.
Lewis joins NC State after serving as CISO at Columbus State University since 2021.
The university said she brings to the new job two decades of experience leading enterprise cybersecurity and risk and compliance programs in higher education and the public sector.
In her new role, Lewis will oversee efforts to advance the university’s cybersecurity posture, protect sensitive data, and maintain regulatory readiness. NC State said the position also supports broader security operations, governance, and compliance initiatives across the university.
“Nicol’s expertise and strategic leadership will be invaluable to the university,” said Marc Hoit, vice chancellor for information technology and chief information officer at NC State.
“Our commitment to advancing NC State’s security posture, as well as protecting sensitive data and ensuring regulatory readiness, will continue to grow with Nicol at the helm,” Hoit said.
At Columbus State University, Lewis oversaw an enterprise-wide cybersecurity program that included security operations, awareness, research security, and vendor oversight.
Prior to that role, she served as CISO for the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, where she led cybersecurity and IT governance strategy for the statewide criminal justice agency.
Her previous experience also includes information security and IT governance roles with the Georgia Technology Authority and the Georgia Public Library Service, where she contributed to statewide risk management and compliance initiatives.
