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Chancellor Henry Celebrated as 2023 YWCA Tribute to Women Award Winner

Senta Scarborough
Chancellor Henry is awarded a Tribute to Women honor.
YWCA NETN and SWVA Board of Directors member and Chair of the Tribute to Women committee Anne Godfrey, at left, presents UVA Wise Chancellor Donna P. Henry with the YWCA NETN and SWVA Tribute to Women Award Thursday night.
Haley Hensley

Donna Price Henry, Chancellor of the University of Virginia’s College at Wise (UVA Wise), was recognized Thursday evening as a trailblazing leader committed to improving the quality of life for women and children in the Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia region.

Henry was one of five women chosen by the YWCA Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia (YWCA NETN and SWVA) as a Tribute to Women Award winner.

This year, YWCA NETN and SWVA expanded its categories to reflect the many avenues where women create change in the region, including Business and Industry, Finance, Healthcare, Mission Impact and STEAM/Education. Leaders were nominated from numerous regional organizations from which five were selected by a panel of judges.

Henry was selected in the STEAM-H category, along with co-honorees Mary Johnson for Business and Industry, Jennifer Owen for Finance, Dr. Michelle Durham in Healthcare and Vanessa Bennett in Mission Impact. All were celebrated at a gala Thursday night in Bristol.

“We are thrilled to recognize our 2023 Tribute to Women honorees,” said Kathy Waugh, CEO of YWCA NETN and SWVA. “These five women are not only leaders who are impacting our communities across multiple sectors, but they represent the many others whose encouraging stories we read about each year during our nomination process. It is truly inspiring to see their accomplishments and dedication, and we are privileged to honor them.”  

Henry made history as the first female chancellor at UVA Wise, and is celebrating her 10th anniversary at the helm this year.

“She demonstrates a steadfast commitment to serving her community and region while staying in continuous pursuit of academic excellence. She's championed recruitment within the Appalachian Regional Commission geography and bolstered the College’s support of economic revitalization within Southwest Virginia," said Marcia Gilliam, UVA Wise College Board Chair, who nominated Henry for the prestigious award.

Gilliam added Henry promotes leadership development and continuous improvement within UVA Wise, which is reflected in the number of female faculty members leading research projects, grants, committees and community projects.

A biologist who is also known as a staunch advocate for STEM-H education, Henry has spearheaded several of the College’s efforts to promote STEM-H career exploration among Southwest Virginia’s sixth-graders. “Girls Day in STEM,” a day-long program engaging over 600 middle school students throughout the region launched in 2017, and has now expanded to include sixth-grade girls and boys in surrounding counties as "STEM-H Day."

YWCA NETN and SWVA Tribute to Women judges described Henry's leadership and contributions this way:

“Her expertise has made her a sought-after voice on various boards, councils and panels at conferences across the Commonwealth. Donna has dedicated herself to diversity and inclusion, creating the College's first office specifically devoted to that mission. She has also worked to increase diversity among her cabinet and senior administrators. Donna’s efforts have brought forth new concepts and understanding that benefit the world and all those who live in it. She is truly a role model to emerging female leaders in various sectors.”

Under Henry’s leadership, UVA Wise implemented innovate2eleVAte, a fall 2019 initiative that placed an iPad, Apple pencil and keyboard in the hands of every student, staff professional and faculty member at the College just before the Covid pandemic struck. Since that time, the College has gone on to be recognized as an Apple Distinguished School.

She also worked to secure the largest gift in the College’s history, from the Hunter Smith Family Foundation, which contributed $10 million, which was matched by an additional $10 million from the University of Virginia’s Strategic Investment Fund.

Under her tenure, UVA Wise ushered in a new ambitious strategic plan, Your College for A Lifetime, and shepherded several new undergraduate programs as well as the College’s first graduate program, a master of education (M.Ed.) degree debuting this fall.

Henry’s vision to expand childcare access is now underway with an innovative childcare center being created on the College’s campus in partnership with YWCA NETN and SWVA. The Little Cavaliers Early Learning Center will offer early childhood education by practitioners licensed by the Virginia Department of Education and is expected to open this year.