Joan Rose, currently the program director at Michigan Radio, the public service radio station for the University of Michigan, will assume the post on Feb. 5.
WUNC is publicly licensed to the University and provides programming to the Triangle, Greensboro and the Outer Banks area.
"WUNC-FM is important to its audience for its local news, programming, classical music and National Public Radio," said Nancy Davis, the chairwoman of the search committee and the associate vice chancellor for University relations. "We believe Mrs. Rose will make us even stronger."
The search began in February when former general manager Bill Davis stepped down. Jonathan Howes, director of community relations, has filled the position on an interim basis.
"The search was conducted nationwide and included forty candidates," Howes said. "Five finalists were selected and interviewed, with Mrs. Rose being our top choice."
The search committee included members of the Board of Trustees, professors in the Kenan-Flagler Business School and the School of Journalism and Mass Communications and University administrators. No students were asked to participate.
Rose's career is highly decorated. Her resume includes numerous awards, including two National Clarion Awards for women in broadcasting, a National Headliners award, a Michigan Association of Broadcasters award for the best reporter in the state, Michigan Public Broadcasters award for top public radio station and a citation for four years of excellence from the Michigan Associated Press.
Her nomadic career boasts roots at WPTF/WQDR in Raleigh and stops in Charlotte, Detroit and Ann Arbor, where she also gained experience in community relations at the University of Michigan Medical Center.
Rose indicated to University officials that she is delighted to join the staff of WUNC-FM and looks forward to expanding its base of listeners.
