Double Aggie Alumna Youngest to Earn Doctorate in Leadership Studies at A&T

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Dec. 12, 2024) - When ShuDon Brown, 25, walks into her future as a newly minted Ph.D. on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Greensboro’s First Horizon Coliseum, she will become the youngest person to earn a doctorate in leadership studies at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. N.C. A&T will confer more than 300 graduate degrees at the ceremony, each representing a tremendous and deeply meaningful accomplishment for each graduate.

But for Brown, her alma mater and all those who know, love and support her, it means even more. Not only did she earn her doctorate sooner than most of her peers, she did so while also working full-time at IBM.

Brown said she didn’t plan it that way and confessed she wasn’t even aware of the distinction until her Ph.D. advisor, Geleana D. Alston, Ph.D., professor and interim chair of leadership studies and adult education, shared the news with her upon successfully defending her dissertation — Early College High School Principals’ Leadership — Sept. 20.

“Earning a Ph.D. is no small feat and takes several years to accomplish, even longer when you’re also working full-time,” Alston said. “But ShuDon was so smart and strategic throughout her academic journey and made the most of every opportunity. She is so deserving and we are extremely proud of her. She is destined to do great things.”

How did Brown reach this milestone?

“I actually woke up in the middle of the night and decided I wanted to get my Ph.D.,” she said. “It may have seemed spontaneous, but I knew it was something I wanted to do. It was just figuring out when.”

She said it began growing up in Brooklyn, New York, the oldest of four children to hard-working and supportive parents, LaDon and Shurod, who modeled determination and a strong work ethic and encouraged active curiosity and learning. She graduated from Pathways in Technology Early College High School while also attending New York City College of Technology where she earned an AAS in computer science technology, completing both in 2016.

With that amazing head start, Brown and her family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, so she could attend William Peace University, where she earned a B.S. in business analytics in 2018. She went on to enroll in A&T’s Distance Learning Graduate Program, earning an M.S. in information technology in 2019 and, now, her doctorate in leadership studies.

“I have always been curious about the world around me and would ask a million questions,” Brown said. “My parents would answer some, but I would also have to find things out for myself. That really inspired my love of learning and my passion for sharing that with kids, especially those who are underrepresented. I hope to inspire students to discover the joy of trying new things. Even if they find they don’t like it, they’ve still learned something new.”

If you think Brown’s path to her Ph.D. was fast, consider she first joined IBM in high school as a research team intern (2015), then served as a procurement professional intern (2018). After graduating from William Peace, she became distribution software new product manager in 2018, then supply chain professional: robotic process automation shared services in 2020. In 2021, she assumed her current post as SW PICS shared services robotic process automation leader, and began a six-month assignment as a training mergers and acquisitions program manager this past June.

She’s also amassed quite a collection of awards and recognitions, including Most Innovative Woman of the Year-Automation or Robotics, Female Employee of the Year – Business, Product Development-Management Professional of the Year and Triangle Business Journals’ 40 Under 40 Leadership Award, all in 2022. She was also a USA South Academic All-Conference track star in college.

Along with her day job and graduate work, Brown somehow found time to volunteer. She serves on the Triangle Women in STEM steering committee, leading its K -12 initiative. She also served on the Path to the Future WNET National Youth Advisory Board to help shape the initiative and prepare students for high-demand careers. She often volunteers at local elementary schools hoping to inspire them to discover the joy of trying new things. She hopes to one day create a safe space for underrepresented youth to discover a connection between technology and their interests.

If that weren’t enough, Brown has another title she’s extremely proud of: Bride-to-be.

She and fiancé, Dante Hamilton, a fellow Aggie who earned his B.S. in 2020 in information technology, knew each other growing up in Brooklyn and became engaged earlier this year. He served as a client engineering technology engineer at IBM before recently moving to Lenovo where he is a premier technical support specialist. Now residing in Raleigh, they’re planning a 2026 ceremony.