Join NAIOP NWFL for the monthly What's Up Chat Series!

Lunch will be provided for registered attendees.

Meet the Presenter: Dr. Martha Dunagin Saunders

Martha Dunagin Saunders has held leadership roles in higher education for more than 30 years. She began her career in higher education at The University of West Florida as a faculty member in the department of communication arts.  She rose through the faculty ranks to the rank of professor and moved into administration – leading to three university presidencies.  She was the first woman chancellor at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater and the first woman president of The University of Southern Mississippi, her alma mater.  She assumed the role of 6^th president of The University of West Florida in January, 2017.

Her training and experience in the field of communication have led to numerous publications on crisis communication and public relations; widely anthologized published speeches; and two Silver Anvil awards, the Public Relations Society of America’s highest national honor. She is a 2011 national winner of the Stevie Award for Women in Business.

A native of Mississippi, Dr. Saunders earned her B.A. in French from The University of Southern Mississippi; her M.A. in journalism from the University of Georgia; and her Ph.D. in communication theory and research from Florida State University.  She is a Fulbright Scholar.