Bernadette Gray-Little became the University of Kansas's 17th chancellor in 2009. In fall 2013, Gray-Little was named to the executive committees of the Association of American Universities and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.

Gray-Little earned her doctorate and masters degrees from St. Louis University and a bachelor’s degree at Marywood College in Pennsylvania. She served as a psychology professor at the University of North Carolina (UNC) before directing the graduate program in clinical psychology, chairing the psychology department, and working as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. She served as UNC’s provost and executive vice chancellor from 2006-2009 before coming to KU. She retired in 2017.