Denise Balfour Simpson joined UNC Charlotte in July 2024 as associate vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students at UNC Charlotte. 

In this role, Simpson provides visionary, strategic and operational leadership within the Division of Student Affairs and the University to ensure students have access to the necessary resources and support to succeed academically and personally. She supervises two departments: Student Assistance and Support Services and Student Accountability and Conflict Resolution, and coordinates the division's response to major crises and other events impacting students within the University community.

Simpson began her professional career as hall director at Luther College before serving in several inaugural roles at Old Dominion University, the University of Kentucky, and Duke Kunshan University in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China. She served as dean of students at the Charlotte campus of Johnson & Wales University from 2016-2018, while holding an adjunct teaching position in the Honors College at UNC Charlotte. She most recently held the role of associate dean of students in the Division of Student Life at Davidson College.

Simpson obtained her Doctor of Philosophy degree in higher education from Old Dominion, holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a bachelor’s in psychology and communication from DePaul. She is an active leader in the Association of Student Conduct Administration (ASCA) and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA), where she serves on various committees – including as a faculty member for the ASCA Donald D. Gehring Academy — and regularly presents at annual national and international conferences.