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Alum Miller named Chancellor at UNC-Wilmington

Gary L. Miller ’76, M.S. ’79, provost and vice president for academic affairs and research at Wichita State University, has been elected chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington by the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina.

Miller's name was placed in nomination on May 3 during a special meeting of the board. Miller, 57, will assume his new duties no later than July 1, succeeding Rosemary DePaolo.

In recommending Miller to the Board of Governors, UNC President Tom Ross said: "Over the past 25 years, Gary Miller has taught and held key leadership positions at several highly respected universities, both public and private. At each step along the way, he has proven himself to be an innovative leader who promotes collaboration and inclusiveness and who understands the integral relationship between excellent undergraduate instruction and high-quality research.

“He also has earned a reputation for great integrity, creative problem-solving, and a deep-rooted commitment to partnering with the local and business communities. I believe Gary Miller has the right blend of skills and experience to be a strong, effective leader for UNCW, and I am delighted that he has agreed to join our leadership team."

A native of Dayton, Va., Miller graduated from the College of William & Mary in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in biology and a minor in anthropology. After completing a master's degree in biology three years later, he earned his doctorate in biological sciences from Mississippi State University in 1982. He also has attended programs in educational leadership at Harvard University and Yale University.

A former president of the American Arachnological Society and former associate editor of the Journal of Arachnology, Miller has published in the areas of population, community, and behavioral ecology, with much of his work focused on reproductive biology and mating systems of wolf spiders. He currently serves on the National Advisory Panel of the Educational Testing Service, as well as an advisory committee on Science, Technology and the Future established by U.S. Senator Pat Roberts. He also has served on boards or held other leadership positions with the United Way, the YWCA, the American Red Cross, and the Nature Conservancy of Mississippi.

Miller is married to Georgia Nix Miller. They have three adult children and one grandchild.