Post by Bornthrilla on Jun 13, 2008 7:51:49 GMT -5
Article published Jun 13, 2008
New chancellor is ready to lead UNCG
By J. Brian Ewing
Staff Writer
CHAPEL HILL — The UNC Board of Governors named Linda Brady, provost at the University of Oregon, as UNCG's next chancellor on Thursday.
Is she a good choice for UNCG? Join the discussion at the Debatables blog.
Brady, 60, said it is an honor to be awarded the position, which she described as "one of the very best jobs in higher education."
Brady's career history is split between academia and national security. She spent seven years in Washington working for the Carter and Reagan administrations in foreign diplomacy and disarmament, including a stint in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Her latest position will be a homecoming of sorts. Brady served as the dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at N.C. State from 2001 to 2006.
UNC system President Erskine Bowles lauded Brady's experience and said it would be the driving force as UNCG moves forward.
"She's a leader. She gets things done," Bowles said.
Among the things Brady will need to get done at UNCG: guiding research to the next level and finding funding for that research. Both are areas where Bowles and UNCG board of trustees Chairman Stephen Hassenfelt believe Brady's background made her the best candidate.
"She has a tremendous background. Her career has pointed her to this position," Hassenfelt said.
UNCG has partnered with N.C. A&T on two of the largest academic projects either school has ever undertaken. The Gateway University Research Park and Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering are considered two of the biggest research endeavors in the state in recent years and are expected to be major drivers in economic development for the Triad.
"UNCG is poised to move into the future and define the role of a student-centered research institution," Brady told reporters earlier in the day.
Brady has a successful history of fundraising at the University of Oregon, where state funding for schools is not as strong as it has been historically in North Carolina. According to her resume, she oversaw the awarding of more than $85 million in gifts to the school. University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer said his school is sad to see Brady leave but grateful for her time and dedication.
"She proved herself very adaptable," he said. "In our opinion, she was a very high caliber leader."
Brady helped create an endowment to pay to keep faculty who were tempted to leave on staff. She would like to see a similar fund created at UNCG, she told a group of faculty and staffers who gathered to meet her at the school's new Gatewood Student Arts Building.
Brady told the crowd she was drawn to UNCG because of its roots as a women's college and its long history as a place for many first-generation college students. The daughter of a Scottish immigrant, Brady herself was the first in her family to attend college.
"I would not be standing before you today were it not for our society's commitment to public education," she said.
More funding is needed to ensure UNCG continues its commitment to first-generation students like herself, Brady said: "It is very clear that the university needs to increase the number of need-based scholarships."
Beginning in August, Brady will take over the position from retiring Chancellor Patricia Sullivan. Sullivan was on vacation Thursday and could not be reached for comment.
Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com
New chancellor is ready to lead UNCG
By J. Brian Ewing
Staff Writer
CHAPEL HILL — The UNC Board of Governors named Linda Brady, provost at the University of Oregon, as UNCG's next chancellor on Thursday.
Is she a good choice for UNCG? Join the discussion at the Debatables blog.
Brady, 60, said it is an honor to be awarded the position, which she described as "one of the very best jobs in higher education."
Brady's career history is split between academia and national security. She spent seven years in Washington working for the Carter and Reagan administrations in foreign diplomacy and disarmament, including a stint in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Her latest position will be a homecoming of sorts. Brady served as the dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at N.C. State from 2001 to 2006.
UNC system President Erskine Bowles lauded Brady's experience and said it would be the driving force as UNCG moves forward.
"She's a leader. She gets things done," Bowles said.
Among the things Brady will need to get done at UNCG: guiding research to the next level and finding funding for that research. Both are areas where Bowles and UNCG board of trustees Chairman Stephen Hassenfelt believe Brady's background made her the best candidate.
"She has a tremendous background. Her career has pointed her to this position," Hassenfelt said.
UNCG has partnered with N.C. A&T on two of the largest academic projects either school has ever undertaken. The Gateway University Research Park and Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering are considered two of the biggest research endeavors in the state in recent years and are expected to be major drivers in economic development for the Triad.
"UNCG is poised to move into the future and define the role of a student-centered research institution," Brady told reporters earlier in the day.
Brady has a successful history of fundraising at the University of Oregon, where state funding for schools is not as strong as it has been historically in North Carolina. According to her resume, she oversaw the awarding of more than $85 million in gifts to the school. University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer said his school is sad to see Brady leave but grateful for her time and dedication.
"She proved herself very adaptable," he said. "In our opinion, she was a very high caliber leader."
Brady helped create an endowment to pay to keep faculty who were tempted to leave on staff. She would like to see a similar fund created at UNCG, she told a group of faculty and staffers who gathered to meet her at the school's new Gatewood Student Arts Building.
Brady told the crowd she was drawn to UNCG because of its roots as a women's college and its long history as a place for many first-generation college students. The daughter of a Scottish immigrant, Brady herself was the first in her family to attend college.
"I would not be standing before you today were it not for our society's commitment to public education," she said.
More funding is needed to ensure UNCG continues its commitment to first-generation students like herself, Brady said: "It is very clear that the university needs to increase the number of need-based scholarships."
Beginning in August, Brady will take over the position from retiring Chancellor Patricia Sullivan. Sullivan was on vacation Thursday and could not be reached for comment.
Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com
