Boney joined NC State as the director of the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) in 2017 to identify key issues of importance to the state and develop consensus for action to address these issues. Since 2018, Boney has established deep relationships with more than 30 community-based initiatives across North Carolina, working with them on projects ranging from closing rural-urban gaps to boosting broadband adoption to increasing educational attainment. Additionally, he convened the first regional Emerging Issues Forums in 2018 and 2019, bringing the long-standing Emerging Issues Forum to communities across the state.