Associate Dean of Students | Belonging and Communities | Student Affairs
Vanderbilt University
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Dr. Norris “EJ” Edney III is Associate Dean of Students for Belonging and Communities at Vanderbilt University, where he provides strategic leadership for five centers dedicated to fostering student connection, inclusion, and holistic success. A higher education leader with more than 16 years of experience, Dr. Edney has built a career centered on mentorship, institutional strategy, and the creation of environments where every student can thrive.

A proud graduate of the University of Mississippi, Dr. Edney began his professional journey on campus as a member of the Multicultural Center Working Group, helping to establish the Center for Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Engagement. He later served as Director of that Center and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion, co-authoring the Pathways to Equity five-year plan and leading major grant-funded initiatives supporting access and belonging.

Before joining Vanderbilt, Dr. Edney served as Vice President and Deputy Chief of Staff at Talladega College. His scholarship, The Collegiate Equity Mentoring Matrix, provides a framework for meaningful mentoring of Black males. Beyond his institutional leadership, he advises organizations on strategy and culture through The Canvas Firm.

He and his wife, Adrienne, reside in Nashville with their children, Rocky and Nora.