UNC Charlotte hosts ACE Fellow Debbie Thorne

Debbie Thorne, who most recently served as senior vice provost at Texas State University, is spending this academic year working with and learning from UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber and University leadership as a 2024-25 American Council on Education Fellow. 

Thorne is among 26 emerging college and university leaders selected for the 2024-25 class of the ACE Fellows. 

“The ACE Fellowship program presents a rare immersive opportunity to learn from the best universities and university leaders,” Thorne said. “UNC Charlotte and Chancellor Gaber quickly rose to the top of my list based on the powerful combination of academic excellence; strategic foresight; and measurable results in student success, scholarly impact, community engagement, and national recognition. So far, I have been most impressed with the people — both within the University and within the broader community — who are deeply committed to UNC Charlotte as a key driver of economic, social and cultural prosperity in this region and beyond.”

ACE Fellows is the longest-running leadership development program in the United States.

“Welcoming someone as knowledgeable and passionate as Dr. Thorne offers University leadership a valuable opportunity to broaden our perspectives and stimulate new ideas,” Gaber said.

As senior vice provost at Texas State, Thorne was primary advisor to the provost and provided leadership on effective resource allocation; faculty recruitment and retention; professional development; and faculty success, tenure, promotion and performance management; and the shared governance climate for 2,000 faculty members and academic administrators. Texas State is a Hispanic-serving institution with more than 40,000 enrolled students located in San Marcos, Texas, one of the fastest-growing areas in the country.

Thorne joined Texas State in 2001 as the chair of the Department of Marketing and later served as presidential fellow and associate vice president for academic affairs, with oversight for all university curriculum, distance learning and international affairs. Before joining Texas State, she taught at Mississippi State University and the University of Tampa, where she lead the Center for Ethics toward a $1 million endowment, significant impact on ethical programs in a variety of industries, and publication of her first book, “Integrity Management: A Guide to Managing Legal and Ethical Issues in the Workplace.”

Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program is designed to strengthen institutional and leadership capacity in American higher education by identifying and preparing faculty and staff for senior positions in college and university administration.

Nearly 2,000 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program over the past five decades with more than 80% of Fellows having served as senior leaders of colleges and universities.