newsobserver.com - Ammons energizes NCCU: "In the two years and nine months he has led NCCU, Ammons has been systematic about changing things at the historically black school. The previous chancellor, Julius Chambers, brought more money and prestige to NCCU and set it on a new course, to train young African-Americans in biotechnology. But NCCU struggled for years with dwindling enrollments, low SAT scores for incoming freshmen and buildings that were falling apart.
With FAMU as his model, Ammons has been building ties to businesses and gunning for students with high SAT scores. He's trying to give each group what it wants: scholarships and internships for students, and well-educated minority hires for the companies.
Under Ammons, enrollment numbers and SAT averages moved up. A building expansion got under way, including a $15 million grant to build a new biotechnology training program. NCCU had its first clean audit in 23 years."