History was made on Friday at my alma mater, the University of North Carolina. Carol Folt, the provost and interim president of Dartmouth College, was elected as Carolina's first female chancellor.
An environmental scientist with a 30-year career at the private Dartmouth College, including nearly a year as interim president, Folt showed both confidence and humility. She bubbled with enthusiasm and assured the Carolina faithful that good days are ahead.
She talked about perspective, optimism and opportunity. “That’s what will carry us through the tough times,” she said.
As a proud 2000 graduate of Carolina, I have to say having a woman as chancellor is long, long overdue. And it comes at a very important time. As many of you know, Carolina is under fire for its handling of sexual assault cases. The most disgraceful of those cases is that of Lauren Gambill, who was slapped with Honor Court charges by the guy suspected of raping her--a textbook SLAPP if their ever was one. The case is currently suspended pending review of Gambill's charges that the case amounts to retaliation. I would suspect that Folt, as not only a woman but a mother (she has two grown children), would be able to lend a fresh image and a fresh set of eyes on this case.
Even without this to consider, it's still a historic moment. One of the nation's great universities has its first female leader.