Charletta Sims Evans
Associate Dean for Student Affairs for the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is proud to announce Charletta Sims Evans as the recipient of the 2022 Rebecca Clark Staff Award for Moral Courage. Charletta Sims Evans has been on the leading edge of advocacy for staff and students, especially during the pandemic when mental health issues escalated. She pioneered a system for reporting microaggressions, something critical to enhance equity in the school. Recently, Ms. Sims Evans facilitated a conversation between students and staff following an incident of racial bias and harm. She addresses challenging situations head-on to advocate for and promote a safe environment for all, especially for those with marginalized identities.
Ms. Sims Evans serves as the associate dean for student affairs within the Gillings School of Global Public Health. She draws on her more than 20 years of experience in higher education, counseling, and mental health to build strong and collaborative relationships. Ms. Sims Evans leads 22 professionals in the Office of Student Affairs in providing engagement and recruitment, advising and counseling on academic and career choices, preventing and managing student disputes and grievances and advising student organizations.
Ms. Sims Evans goes out of her way to cultivate relationships with students, giving them her cell phone number and checking in with them proactively and frequently to see how they’re doing. That personal touch often leads to long-term friendships, reflected in the countless invitations Sims Evans receives to former students’ dissertation defenses, weddings and baby showers.
Ms. Sims Evans received the Gillings Staff Excellence Award in 2021 and the Dean’s Award for Quality and Innovation in 2016.
