Two Women Among the Four Finalists for Chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks

The flagship campus of the University of Alaska in Fairbanks has announced a field of four finalists for the position of chancellor from a field of 41 applicants. Each of the four finalists will visit Fairbanks for a series of interviews and public forums with faculty, staff, students, and other members of the university community. The campus visits will conclude on April 1. Two of the four finalists are women.

Sandra Woodley recently served as president of the University of Louisiana System. Previously, she was vice chancellor for strategic initiatives for the University of Texas System. Earlier, she was chief financial officer for the University of Arizona System. Dr. Woodley holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Auburn University in Alabama. She earned a doctorate in business administration through Nova Southeastern University.

Laura Woodworth-Ney is the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Idaho State University in Pocatello. She previously served as chair of the history department and director of the women’s studies program at the university. Dr. Woodworth-Ney is a graduate of the University of Idaho, where she majored in English. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in American history and public history from Washington State University. She is the author of Mapping Identity: The Creation of the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation, 1805-1902 (University Press of Colorado, 2004) and Women in American West (ABC-CLIO, 2008).