Raleigh, North Carolina
As alumni of William Woods go, there is a pretty good chance that Dr. Aimee Sapp is one graduate that you already know.
That’s because at some point during her 30 years at The Woods, from student to faculty member to administrator, you almost certainly came in contact with her. Her influence at WWU over those three decades was extensive.
“William Woods was an important part of my formative development as a young woman and while I was there I was supported by some amazing people,” said Dr. Sapp. “At the beginning, that support came from faculty and administrators who had a profound influence on my life. Later on, when I came back to the university to teach, my life was enriched by my colleagues and hundreds of students who in one way or another, left their mark on my life both personally and professionally.”
Dr. Sapp’s deep well of experience as a leader in higher education, including serving as Chief Academic Officer and Provost at The Woods since 2013, was the catalyst in her being named as President of Meredith College, an all-women’s institution of nearly 2,000 students in Raleigh, North Carolina, on March 27, 2024. As the ninth president in the history of one of the largest women’s colleges in the nation, Sapp is believed to be the first William Woods graduate to become a college or university president.
Pretty heady stuff for someone who was one of tens of thousands of graduates of a 154-year old institution.
“We often talk to students about how we are equipping them with portable skills that they can take with them wherever they go, so I probably feel like any proud graduate of The Woods who discovers that their college experience has prepared them for their moment, whatever that moment happens to be,” said Dr. Sapp. “I am certainly appreciative of my time at William Woods and how it led me to the next chapter in my life. I am also grateful to have worked closely with Dr. Jahnae Barnett and Dr. Jeremy Moreland and learn from their experience as university presidents.”
Dr. Sapp’s journey at The Woods began as a student, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology in 1992, continued on when she returned to teach as a popular assistant professor and professor of Communications, and culminated in her ascendance to leadership as WWU’s Chief Academic Officer and Provost. With her impressive higher education leadership experience while helping lead a university that was making national headlines for its unprecedented growth in enrollment, Sapp was chosen in a national search to take over the reins at Meredith.
After 25 years in higher education, all of them working at The Woods, she has reached what for now is her professional pinnacle.
“It wasn’t always my goal to serve as a college president, but it became something I started to consider after encouragement by others who saw me in this role,” she said. “My career path, and a host of valuable mentors, prepared me for the opportunity when it did present itself.”
But it would have to be, as she said, “the right time, the right place and the right fit” for Dr. Sapp to consider any opportunity that could tempt her away from her longtime home at William Woods. That opportunity came at 133-year old Meredith College, which like William Woods in its previous life, has as its mission to serve as a distinguished college for women.
“The more I considered this remarkable opportunity, the more it made sense,” said Dr. Sapp. “Meredith offered me an opportunity to build on what I have learned in higher ed and lead a prestigious women’s college in a rapidly growing city and state. Meredith has a celebrated history, cherished traditions and a strong sense of community here in Raleigh, which is also home to the famed Research Triangle.”
Since moving across the country to North Carolina and taking over at Meredith on July 1, Sapp’s days have been packed with the endless responsibilities that come with the role of college president. Meeting with wide range of individuals, from faculty and staff to alumni and supporters, about their Meredith experience and dreams for the future of the school. Strategic planning retreats with her executive leadership team and the institution’s board of trustees. And of course, the arrival of the college’s students for Fall semester, that jolt of energy that makes any role in higher education so attractive.
And who knows? Perhaps one day scores of those Meredith students will follow in Dr. Sapp’s footsteps, and be leaders themselves.
“I encourage young women to explore how to best use their talents, skills, and training to make a difference in all the way they can,” she said. “Whatever the organization, we need women at the table. We need their voices in the room and I am convinced that higher education benefits from having a range of perspectives in leadership. So I would always say, pursue your dreams and find wise mentors to support you along the way.”
Aimee Sapp is another remarkable example of what is possible for those who choose The Woods. And though she is missed on campus after three decades here, her legacy will always be secure.
“Leaving William Woods was of course bittersweet, as I gained so much from the university during my time there,” she said. “Hopefully I gave back as much as I received. Certainly, it was ‘home’ for much of my life and I cherish my time there and the people I met along the way.”
