Bernadette Gray-Little

Since arriving at the University of Kansas in 2009, Bernadette Gray-Little has advanced KU’s mission of lifting students and society by educating leaders, building healthy communities, and making discoveries that change the world.

Through the Bold Aspirations strategic plan, KU is changing the way it prepares students for success. It’s fostering research and scholarship across all disciplines, and sharing the benefits of a flagship university with the state and world.

Gray-Little led the effort to create new admission standards for the University of Kansas. These new standards took effect in 2016 and give students and families a more accurate picture of what it takes to be successful at a research university.

Under Gray-Little’s leadership, the university has also revamped financial aid, creating four-year renewable scholarships and expanding the Jayhawk Generations Scholarship. Chancellor’s Doctoral Fellowships were created to support outstanding doctoral students. And KU has launched its first university-wide curriculum, the KU Core, which incorporates both classes and experiences, making KU a leader among its national peers.

As chancellor, Gray-Little is the chief executive officer of the university, overseeing campuses in Lawrence, Kansas City, Overland Park, Salina, and Wichita, as well as research and educational centers in Hays, Parsons, Pittsburg, Topeka, and Yoder.