Welch Inducted into UMO Alumni Hall of Fame
November 22, 2025
Contact: Rhonda Jessup, Director of Public Relations
MOUNT OLIVE—The University of Mount Olive (UMO) honored Alexis B. “Lexie” Welch, RN, Ed.D., as the 2025 Alumni Hall of Fame Award recipient during its Annual Alumni Awards Ceremony, a highlight of the University’s Homecoming Weekend. The event celebrated alumni who have made significant contributions to their professions, communities, and alma mater.
Welch, a lifelong nurse and educator, has dedicated more than five decades to advancing nursing and health sciences in North Carolina. Currently serving as Dean of Health Sciences and Nursing at Lenoir Community College, she has been instrumental in shaping nursing education and workforce development since joining the college in 1989. Her leadership has influenced countless students and healthcare professionals across the region.
In addition to her role in higher education, Welch has served as a nurse consultant for several pharmacy services and previously held teaching and nursing roles at James Sprunt Community College and Lenoir Memorial Hospital. Her expertise and passion for patient care and education have been recognized nationally and statewide.
Welch’s professional service is extensive. She has chaired the North Carolina Board of Nursing, served on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, and held leadership roles on numerous committees and task forces devoted to healthcare policy, nursing education, and community health initiatives. Most recently, she was named Board Chair of the Kinston Community Health Center and continues her work with Duke University as a consultant for dementia care initiatives.
Her career is also marked by a host of honors, including the Sigma Theta Tau Leadership in Excellence Award, the Kinston-Lenoir Chamber of Commerce Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award, and multiple teaching excellence awards.
A native of Deep Run, North Carolina, Welch credits her parents and grandparents with instilling in her a strong work ethic and commitment to service. She earned her Associate of Science degree from Mount Olive College in 1973, which she fondly recalls as “the best two years of my college days.” She went on to complete a BSN at Atlantic Christian College, a Master’s in adult education at East Carolina University, and a Doctorate in higher education administration at North Carolina State University.
Faith, family, and service have guided Welch’s life. Married to her late husband, Larry, until his passing in 2003, she is the proud mother of four children and grandmother of eight. She remains deeply involved in her church and community, living out her lifelong calling to care for others.
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. It was founded by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.
