Saunders-White, who was formally installed earlier this month, is the first female chancellor at the university and is among the five current or future female chancellors in the UNC System — three of whom were appointed or named in the last two years.
UNC-Greensboro and UNC-CH have female chancellors, and UNC-Asheville’s current female chancellor announced her resignation this year. Appalachian State University named Sheri Noren Everts its first female chancellor in March.
UNC-system spokeswoman Joni Worthington said roughly half of the system’s 17 campuses have had a female chancellor at some point.
“This is not a new phenomenon by any stretch of the imagination, but it is certainly clear that in recent searches there have certainly been very strong female candidates in the pool,” she said.
She said the recent appointments are evidence of women on campuses nationwide rising up through the ranks and holding senior leadership positions.
Chancellor search committees are fully committed to finding the best-qualified candidate for the job, regardless of gender, Worthington said.
Saunders-White said becoming chancellor has been 20 years in the making, starting with a long career at IBM — where she said she was one of few women managing a large company.
She said she’s had colleagues who saw her potential and pushed her to seek greater opportunities, but it was ultimately UNC-system President Tom Ross who recognized her ability to lead.
