Chancellor named chair of Association of Public and Land-grant Universities Board of Directors

LAWRENCE — University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little has been elected as chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU).

The association is a research, policy and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Its membership includes 238 public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems and affiliated organizations.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Chancellor Gray-Little to share her leadership and vision for higher education with our peer institutions across North America,” said Tim Caboni, vice chancellor for public affairs. “The APLU is an important national organization and will offer opportunities to demonstrate KU’s successes in improving a variety of important issues facing higher education today.”

The APLU announced her nomination to the position Monday during its annual meeting in Indianapolis.

“Bernadette Gray-Little has built a reputation as one of the hardest-working and most innovative leaders in higher education today,” said APLU President Peter McPherson. “We are delighted that she has been selected as the next chair of the board of directors for APLU, which will provide her an avenue to drive progress in public higher education not just at the University of Kansas but throughout the country.”

Gray-Little has served in several similar executive roles during her tenure as chancellor at KU. She was named to the executive committee of the APLU in 2013 and also has served on the executive committee at the Association of American Universities (AAU). She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served a five-year term on the board of trustees for the Online Computer Library Center, an international organization dedicated to expanding public access to information and research.