Before joining the School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in February 2009, Maurice Ferrell served as the 1st chief information officer for the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, VA. His efforts were recognized by the Governor of Virginia at the Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS) in 2004 for Technology Innovation in Higher Education. He also served as principal investigator for a three-year National Science Foundation grant that totaled $1 million, which focused on providing technology experiences for high school students. Previously, Ferrell was the IT director for the Danville Public School System. Ferrell earned a PhD in Leadership Studies from North Carolina A&T State University, an MBA from Liberty University, a bachelor's degree in business administration from Averett University, and an associate degree in information technology from Danville Community College. In April of 2019, Ferrell became the School's Assistant Dean of Information Technology & CIO. Previously, he served as the Assistant Director for the Center of Public Technology.