Debra Saunders-White
Debra Saunders-White | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 January 1957 Hampton, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | 26 November 2016 (aged 59) |
| Occupation(s) | University administrator, educator |
| Known for | Eleventh chancellor of North Carolina Central University; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education |
Debra Saunders-White (January 8, 1957 – November 26, 2016) served as the eleventh chancellor of North Carolina Central University, beginning her tenure on June 1, 2013. She made history as the first woman to be appointed permanently to this role at NCCU. Prior to this position, she held the role of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs within the U.S. Department of Education.
Early life and education
Saunders-White was born in Hampton, Virginia. She completed her undergraduate studies in history at the University of Virginia in 1979. She later earned an MBA from the College of William and Mary in 1993 and achieved a doctorate in higher education administration from George Washington University in 2004.
Career
Her professional journey began at IBM, where she worked from 1979 to 1994 as a systems engineer and in marketing roles. Following this, she taught preparatory mathematics before joining Hampton University in 1999 as assistant provost of technology. There, she founded the university’s inaugural IT department, which helped Hampton gain recognition from Forbes and the Princeton Review among the “most wired universities.” In 2005, she was promoted to vice president for technology and chief information officer, overseeing significant enhancements to Hampton’s technological systems.
In 2006, Saunders-White took on the role of vice chancellor for Information Technology at University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she also served temporarily as associate provost and chief diversity officer. By May 2011, she transitioned to the U.S. Department of Education as deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs.
Her appointment as NCCU’s eleventh chancellor came in 2013, leading this public historically black institution located in Durham, NC until her passing in 2016. Her official installation ceremony took place on April 4, 2014. Saunders-White was affiliated with the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
She died at age 59 on November 26, 2016, due to complications related to kidney cancer.