Carol Folt, interim president of Dartmouth College and professor of biological sciences, was elected chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill by the Board of Governors of the 17-campus University of North Carolina. UNC President Tom Ross placed Folt’s name in nomination Friday, April 12, during a special meeting of the board. Folt, 61, will assume her new duties July 1, succeeding Holden Thorp, who announced last fall that he would step down on June 30 after five years in the post. Thorp will become provost of Washington University in St. Louis.
Folt will become the first women to lead UNC-Chapel Hill, which opened its doors to students in 1795 as the nation’s first public university.
In recommending Folt to the UNC Board of Governors, Ross said: “Over the past three decades, Carol Folt has accumulated a wealth of academic and leadership experience at one of the top-ten universities in America. At each step along the way, she has proven herself to be an engaged and effective leader who promotes openness and collaboration, strategic thinking and creative problem-solving, and an unwavering commitment to academic excellence and student success. She has also earned a reputation for great integrity, sound judgment, and the ability to face tough and complex challenges head-on. I am convinced that Carol Folt has the right mix of experience, expertise, skills, and passion needed to be a truly great chancellor for UNC-Chapel Hill, and I am thrilled that she has agreed to join our leadership team.”