Eric Burns joins WSSU with more than 20 years of higher education leadership experience spanning academics, athletics, student affairs, and fiscal management. He was named the Deputy AD/ Chief Financial Officer in March of 2025. In October of 2025 he was named Interim Athletic Dircetor at WSSU.
Prior to WSSU he was serving as Associate Vice Provost for Budget and Fiscal Planning at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Burns played a critical role in institutional strategy, student success initiatives, and financial planning.
Previously, he spent nearly 15 years at UNC Greensboro, including service as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Business Operations, where he oversaw all athletics fiscal operations and developed long-range models for sustainable growth. His leadership also included stewardship of multimillion-dollar budgets, NCAA financial reporting, and capital project oversight. Earlier in his career, Burns served at Fayetteville State University in progressively senior fiscal management roles.
Burns earned a B.S. in Business Management (Finance) from North Carolina State University and a Master of Public Administration from Strayer University. He is a member of the College Athletic Business Management Association, Minority Opportunities Athletic Association, and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
