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Connie Ledoux Book began service as Elon’s president on March 1, 2018, bringing more than 20 years of higher education leadership to the university. She was named Elon’s ninth president after serving as provost of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, and previously serving 16 years as an Elon faculty member and senior administrator. The granddaughter of Louisiana sharecroppers, Book has a deep belief in the transformative opportunities of higher education and a primary commitment to student growth and development.

In March 2015, she was named the first female provost and dean in The Citadel’s 175-year history. She led creation of new programs in nursing, engineering, cybersecurity, intelligence security and advanced STEM education that were supported by more than $15 million in gifts, grants and state appropriations. She also forged new partnerships with business and government partners, including Boeing, Google and the U.S. Department of Defense. Book embraced her groundbreaking position as The Citadel’s highest-ranking female leader, and with her support, the college reached record enrollment for African-American, female and Latino first-year students.

Book has been a leader in Elon’s development as a prominent national university. As faculty fellow for strategic planning, she coordinated creation of the university’s Elon Commitment strategic plan with input from hundreds of university stakeholders. As associate provost, she spearheaded the establishment of the Student Professional Development Center, creation of the residential campus plan, development of the Study USA program and growth of civic engagement initiatives.

Book joined Elon’s faculty as assistant professor of communications in 1999 and served as department chair and associate dean of the School of Communications. She is the author of “Digital Television: DTV and the Consumer,” the first book dedicated to understanding how the transition from analog to digital television impacted consumers. She has appeared on panels at the Federal Communications Commission and the National Association of Broadcasters, and testified before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. An advocate for transparency in government and open public records and meetings, Book conceived, established and served four years as executive director of North Carolina’s Sunshine Center, housed at Elon, and served as a board member for the center’s sponsoring group, the North Carolina Open Government Coalition.

Book has a doctorate from the Grady College of Journalism at the University of Georgia, a master’s degree in education administration and supervision from Northwestern State University (Louisiana), and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Louisiana State University.