Martha Dunagin Saunders is an American professor and academic official. A native of

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, she earned her

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in French from the

University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...

; her

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in journalism from the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

; and her

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

in communication theory and research from

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

. Saunders has served as the chancellor of the

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

and the ninth president of

the University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...

(USM) where she replaced embattled president Shelby F. Thames. She is currently serving as president of the

University of West Florida The University of West Florida (West Florida or UWF) is a public university in Pensacola, Florida. Established in 1963 as part of the State University System of Florida, the university sits on the third largest campus in the State University Sy ...

Pensacola Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ci ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Biography

During her tenure at USM, a research university with six teaching/research campuses, the university enjoyed record enrollment, all-time high fundraising and increased national recognition. She oversaw $255 million in building projects in five years. Saunders distinguished herself as a fierce advocate for academic quality and ethical business processes. She stepped down in 2012 to develop the university's Evelyn Gandy Women's Center for Leadership. In 2013, she agreed to serve as Provost at the University of West Florida, where she had begun her academic career. In September 2016, the Board of Trustees voted for her to be the new president at the University of West Florida upon the retirement of Judith A. Bense. Her training and experience in the field of communication led to numerous publications on crisis communication and public relations; widely anthologized published speeches; and two Silver Anvil awards, the

Public Relations Society of America The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is a nonprofit trade association for public relations professionals. It was founded in 1947 by combining the American Council on Public Relations and the National Association of Public Relations Coun ...

’s highest national honor. She is a 2011 national winner of the Stevie Award for Women in Business. She has served for many years on the Board of Trustees of the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priva ...

(SACSCOC). Saunders is married to Joseph Bailey, who retired from the telecommunications industry in 2005.

References

External links

USM names Dr. Martha Dunagin Saunders as ninth president 4/5/2007
Heads of universities and colleges in the United States Florida State University alumni University of Georgia alumni University of Southern Mississippi alumni Year of birth missing (living people) People from Hattiesburg, Mississippi Living people {{US-academic-administrator-stub