Danielle Colbert-Lewis, Ed.D.
Danielle Colbert-Lewis, Ed.D. is an accomplished academic librarian and higher education administrator currently serving as Assistant Director of Library Services at the James E. Shepard Memorial Library at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education, she has built a career centered on expanding access to academic resources and supporting student success. She began her professional journey in student affairs, where she spent nearly a decade working with residence halls, student organizations, and leadership development, managing budgets and creating impactful programs. Inspired by her own experiences as a student, she developed a strong commitment to helping others navigate higher education and access the support they need to thrive.
A pivotal moment during her graduate studies led Dr. Colbert-Lewis to transition into librarianship, where she recognized that her skills in student engagement and program development were highly transferable. Since joining NCCU, she has held several progressively responsible roles, including Research and Instructional Services Librarian and Head of Research and Instructional Services. In her current position, she co-manages daily library operations while overseeing program development, staff development, outreach initiatives, research and instruction, and specialized areas such as the music library, education library, government documents, digital scholarship, and the university’s institutional repository. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member, teaching First Year Experience courses and fostering academic growth among students.
Dr. Colbert-Lewis earned her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from East Carolina University and holds a Master of Library and Information Science from University of Pittsburgh. Her doctoral research focused on libraries and sustainability at historically Black colleges and universities, contributing to an underexplored area of scholarship. Passionate about innovation and community impact, she actively engages in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence in higher education and professional development initiatives. Looking ahead, she aspires to become a library director within the next five years while continuing her commitment to community service, mentoring future librarians, and supporting the broader academic and local community.
• AI Emerging Leaders Programs: Academic Year 2025-26
• Dell GenAI Foundations
• University of Virginia - B.A., Anthropology
• Virginia Tech - M.A. Ed., Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
• University of Pittsburgh - M.L.I.S, Academic Librarianship
• East Carolina University - EdD
• Community Service
• Community Engagement
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Never underestimate yourself. I've learned that many times when you look at a job description, you feel like you have to have everything in that job description, but what I've learned is that maybe most things you need to have, but don't sell yourself short by not applying to a job when you have like 90% of the things that are listed. I used to look at the job description and think, oh, I don't know how to do those two things, so I shouldn't apply, but I don't do that anymore.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Find mentors and understand that you don't have to have just one mentor. You can have many mentors in different areas. When I was coming up, I thought a mentor had to be like one person, but as I got older, I realized you can have mentors for different things. If there's a mentor that's a leader in a leadership role, you can ask them about leadership. If there's a person that has really great communication skills and you want to update your communication skills, you can have a mentor in that area. Also understand that mentors may not look like you. Sometimes you think that person has a similar background to me, maybe we would fit as mentor or mentee, but many times I've learned that the person that's the opposite, that I get along with better. Look for mentors who are encouraging and who are willing to work with you, people who will publish with you and present with you.