LVN wrote:

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Martha Saunders

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LVN, can you give us some info? Where'd you hear this?

Thanks!

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070327/NEWS01/70327021

A liberal arts background!

FireShelby wrote:

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And, dare I say it? She is the first woman president of USM! I'm really happy about this.

Have any of theMississippi Big 3 ever had a woman chancellor/president?

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This is a first for any of the Big 3!
Carl

LVN, that was cruel. For a few seconds you had me thinking they wererecommending Martha Stewart. I know beans about Dr. Saunders but at firstblush she appears to be an excellent choice. Congrat's to the selection committee, and to the long suffering faculty and staff at USM for keeping the faith during the darkest hours.

By the way, when's the big coming out party?

AE

WoooWeee! Dat be a good lookin president, yea. She can step on "my cheeks" any ole time.

I know nothing about Dr. Saunders, but ANYBODY would have to be better than Shelby!

Just wanted to wish you all best regards and a great future. It is good to know that this dark chapter in USM's history is almost over. I admire you all very much.

I, too, know nothing about Dr. Saunders, but I am overjoyed for you at USM that this ordeal is almost over and fervently hope that the future holds nothing but the best academic environment anyone can imagine.

Congratulations. I am almost giddy for you. Gary is out of communication range right now, but I know he will be very happy. Here's hoping the interviews go well. The process seems to have worked. Hooray. Mary Ann Stringer

This makes one consider returning to USM. It may become a University again.

"What does this means for Athletics?"

Athletics can take care of themselves!

The main purpose of the university is to educate students - not play some type of ball.

We need to get our priorities straight!!

Heard the word yesterday, and I'm glad to know that the rumor is the truth. One of her local ties is Joel Dunagin - he's her cousin I'm pretty sure.

Several hundred Google web and news hits on Martha Dunagin Saunders / Martha Saunders present a very positive picture. A few other stories also caught my attention:

In 2005, she was an unsuccessful finalist for the presidency of U Tenn, Chattanooga. In 2005, she accepted the chancellor position at U Wisc, Whitewater.

At UWW, she demoted two deans, one "after an audit showed he misspent campus funds " (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/07/ap/national/mainD8EB6M100.shtml, http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=548402) and another "after an audit questioned his use of university money on language lessons, a personal cell phone and an Internet dating site" (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-145044618.html, http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-152694286.html). Both deans were black. In at least the first case, a discrimination suit has been filed.

An observation: Given that she was VPAA at Columbus State U in Georgia from 2002 to 2005, she and Tom Meredith very likely crossed paths often when Meredith was the Georgia system chancellor. There is one web hit tying the two, when Meredith appointed Saunders and more than a dozen other administrators to a Graduation Task Force in 2004 (http://www.alanpowell.net/?go=viewnews&newsid=299).

http://www.ihl.state.ms.us/newsstory.asp?ID=475

IHL PRESS RELEASE
BOARD NAMES DR. MARTHA SAUNDERS PREFERRED CANDIDATE FOR UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI PRESIDENT

Media Contact: Annie Mitchell
Phone Number: (601) 432-6493

3/27/2007 ( )

Jackson, MS The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) announced in a press conference today that Dr. Martha Saunders, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, is the preferred candidate for the position of President of the University of Southern Mississippi. The announcement was made following a meeting of the Board of Trustees, Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Thomas C. Meredith, representatives of the Southern Miss Search Advisory Committee, and search consultant, Dr. Jan Greenwood.

Dr. Saunders is a visionary, with the experience needed to lead the University of Southern Mississippi now and into the future, said Trustee Robin Robinson, chair of the Southern Miss Board Search Committee. The Board and Search Advisory Committee were blessed with a tremendous applicant pool, and we are confidant that the search process has led us to the best candidate for president of Southern Miss.

Dr. Saunders is the first-ever woman to hold her current position of chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, just one of many accomplishments in her nearly 30-year career in higher education. Prior to her current position, she was vice president for academic affairs at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia, and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, where she also worked as Director of the University Honors Program. Dr. Saunders has extensive training and experience in the field of communication, and her scholarship in the area has led to numerous publications and national awards. A native of Mississippi, Dr. Saunders earned her B.A. in French from the University of Southern Mississippi; her M.A. in journalism from the University of Georgia in Athens; and her Ph.D. in communication theory and research from Florida State University in Tallahassee. Dr. Saunders full biography and photo are available on the Mississippi.edu website.


On Thursday, April 5, Dr. Saunders will participate in open, day-long interviews at the University of Southern Mississippis Hattiesburg Campus with various university and community constituency groups (schedule forthcoming). Individuals attending the open interviews will be given the opportunity to provide feedback to the Board of Trustees regarding their impressions of Dr. Saunders. At the end of the day, the Board will announce either that Dr. Saunders will be the ninth president of the University of Southern Mississippi or that the search will continue.