William Carey International University Hires a New Provost to Join Their Leadership Team
official Press release jan 30, 2026
The Board of Directors and Executive Leadership team of William Carey International University are pleased to announce that Linda P. Saunders, Ph.D. has been selected as the new Provost and Chief Academic Officer for the University. Dr. Saunders joined the Executive Leadership Team last Friday January 23rd and is quickly settling into her new role. She comes to this position with a rich history in missions and academia and has been a part of the WCIU family as a member of our Board of Directors since 2023. Upon accepting the role as Provost and CAO she resigned from the Board.
In this role, Dr. Saunders will be responsible for overseeing all the academic programs of the University. She will also work closely with the President in developing various institutional and programmatic partnerships around the globe as WCIU anticipates much growth in the next 3-5 years. "I am tremendously grateful to God for bringing Linda to WCIU", says President Cornelius. He continues, "Her missions experience working with street children, her business acumen and her educational expertise, especially in the area of curriculum and course development will strengthen WCIU's formal and non-formal program development." We are thankful for her service and hold great anticipation for the strength, wisdom and leadership she will bring to the University as Provost and CAO. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Linda Saunders to the WCIU family!
Linda P. Saunders, Ph.D. is the Provost and Chief Academic Officer at William Carey International University. She and her husband served as missionaries to the people of Venezuela for 19 years. Linda earned her Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies from Columbia International University, a Master of Divinity (MDiv), a Master of Arts in Global Studies (MAGS) from Liberty University, and a B.A. from Purdue University. Dr. Saunders is a thought leader in missiology and the Black Church experience. Linda serves as the Vice President of Membership for the Evangelical Missiological Society (EMS) and serves on the advisory council for the National African American Mission Council (NAAMC). Her recent publication is Reading Hebrews Missiologically: The Missionary Motives, Message, and Methods of Hebrews. Linda and her husband enjoy traveling and spending time with their children and grandchildren.
