Martha Saunders, the sixth president of the University of West Florida, has announced she is stepping down from her role.
Since Dr. Saunders assumed her presidency in 2017, the University of West Florida has gone through significant growth in several areas, including a 14 percent increase in enrollment over the past five years and a 50 percent increase in the university’s investment pool. Among other accomplishments, Dr. Saunders has overseen the establishment of 20 new degree programs and a new Center for Cybersecurity. Earlier in her career, she served as the university’s provost and executive vice president.
Prior to joining the University of West Florida administration, Dr. Saunders had stints as the ninth president of the University of Southern Mississippi and as the first woman chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Her scholarly expertise centers on crisis communication and public relations.
“Over the past several years, we’ve accomplished extraordinary things together: record enrollments, historic fundraising, national recognition, and a campus culture that puts students first,” said Dr. Saunders. “We’ve met challenges head-on and kept our values intact. I could not be more proud of what we’ve built.”
Dr. Saunders received her bachelor’s degree in French from the University of Southern Mississippi, a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia, and Ph.D. in communication theory and research from Florida State University.