Gabby McCutchen named new Assistant Vice President for Academics and Guided Career Pathways

Durham Technical Community College announced Tuesday that Gabby McCutchen will join newly named Chief Academic Officer Dr. Kara Battle as part of an instructional leadership team at the College.

McCutchen, the Dean of Student Engagement, Transitions, and Academic Success, will become the new Assistant Vice President for Academics and Guided Career Pathways.

McCutchen has more than 20 years of higher education experience, including as a Dean and Assistant Dean, the Director of the Teaching-Learning Center at Durham Tech, Chair of the First Year Experience, and as an instructor in College Success and Developmental English courses. Prior to starting at Durham Tech, McCutchen worked as an instructor at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, Portland Community College, and the Calbert Institute in Chile.

McCutchen has been a standout leader for the College in recent years, notably stemming from her direction in spearheading the collegewide implementation of Reinforced Instruction for Student Excellence (RISE), which transformed how students are placed into college-level coursework. In addition, McCutchen also previously led the College’s growth of the ACA 122 College Transfer Success course, which created a new model within the College and the North Carolina Community College System for introducing community college students to college culture, goal discernment, and learning strategies. McCutchen worked with the System to revise outcomes for the ACA 122 course and co-authored, “Success by Design,” a textbook for the course that is used by an estimated half of North Carolina community colleges.

“Gabby McCutchen’s imprint is on some of Durham Tech’s most important academic innovations. Her leadership has helped transform how we think about faculty professional learning, developmental education, and early student supports. I am excited for her to bring that experience to this role,” said Durham Tech President J.B. Buxton.

"Gabby McCutchen brings decades of experience, leadership, and passionate commitment to serving our Durham Tech students. We are fortunate to have Gabby at Durham Tech and for her service in this leadership role for Academics and Guided Career Pathways,” said Dr. Kara Battle, the College’s Chief Academic Officer.

McCutchen holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Samford University in Alabama, a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Portland State University in Oregon, and is completing a Doctorate degree in Adult and Community College Education from North Carolina State University.