Dorothy Leland

2008 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI RECIPIENT

BA 1971, American & English Literature
MA 1973, American Studies
PhD 1978, Philosophy

Dorothy Leland was appointed by the University of California Board of Regents to serve as the third chancellor of University of California Merced, May 2011.

Prior to that, Leland was the President of Georgia College & State University. During her more than seven years at Georgia College, Leland led what had been a regional college into one of rising national prominence. She oversaw significant improvements in academic competitiveness, student success and federal funding of research and sponsored projects, and she greatly expanded the physical facilities on the central Georgia campus, which enrolls about 6,700 undergraduate and graduate students. Moreover, her economic development and educational initiatives - including the establishment of the Center for Graduate and Professional Learning in Macon - significantly bolstered nearby communities.

A recent past president of the Southern University Conference, she serves on the boards of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Among the awards and honors she has received is the Governor's Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation in recognition of her approach to the adaptive re-use and rehabilitation of historic buildings on campus. Georgia Trend magazine named her one of the "100 Most Influential Georgians," and one of four Georgia "Power Women."

Leland has taught philosophy as a visiting professor at California State University Northridge, California State University Chico and UC Santa Cruz. She returned to Purdue in 1983 to co-direct its doctoral program in philosophy and literature, later becoming an associate professor of philosophy. Her next stop was Florida Atlantic University, where she served as chief planning officer and associate provost before becoming vice president and chief administrative officer of the university's Boca Raton campus. As she did at Florida Atlantic, Leland held the rank of professor of philosophy at Georgia College.