"Saunders brings much to the table as she succeeds Dr. Shelby Thames as USM's president. Thames, whose brilliance leading USM's polymer science research brought him and the school national renown, saw his presidency damaged by a heavy-handed management style that alienated the USM faculty and student body.
Saunders will face some initial challenges in repairing that damage. The secrecy of the presidential search process that brought her to USM won't help that damage control task, as it didn't at Mississippi State University or Alcorn State University."