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GREENSBORO - UNCG's Patricia Sullivan will retire next July, after 13 years as chancellor.

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Sullivan, 67, the senior chancellor in the UNC system, announced her impending retirement to UNCG trustees and some stunned university staffers Thursday afternoon.

"We're poised now on a level of greatness and the time is right for someone else to come in and push us to a new level," Sullivan said.

Her tenure as chancellor has been marked by explosive growth in the university's size and stature.

But Sullivan, who has spent the past month recovering from emergency surgery, said Thursday she couldn't commit to retirement until she accomplished two goals: having UNCG achieve a Carnegie designation as a "high research activity" university, and raising $100 million in the Students First Campaign.

She has already met one of those goals, putting UNCG among the top-tier of research institutions.

And the university is now "in striking distance" of that fund-raising milestone. She pledged to raise the final amount, more than $10 million, before her retirement at the end of next semester.

"It's been a beautiful journey," Sullivan said. "I am still chancellor. I still have work to do."

Sullivan came to the UNC system from Texas Woman's University, where she was interim president.

She became the first female chancellor of UNCG, which was once a women's college.

During her tenure, UNCG's enrollment has grown by 36 percent to 17,157 students. Nearly 33,000 students have earned degrees in that time, according to university statistics.

"She's transformed this university with heart and compassion," said Cindy Farris, assistant provost for enrollment services and a longtime friend of Sullivan.

"Nobody works harder, cares so deeply."

Sullivan has overseen an estimated $500 million in renovations and new construction on campus in the past 13 years. She said she is perhaps most proud of the new campus science building.

"I really worked day and night to get that done," she said.

Sullivan also pushed faculty members to seek more grants and do more research.

"Morale at the university is very good. We have made a lot of advancement, a lot of strides under her watch," said Kathy Crowe, chairwoman of the faculty senate.

Crowe said Sullivan is accessible and down-to-earth, and has listened to the faculty.

Trustees credited Sullivan's business sense and ties to the community with helping the university improve its financial status through both legislative action and private fund raising.

The university's endowment has grown to $183 million.

"The first question she asked was, 'What can I do?' " trustee Richard Moore said. "From where we were fragile, she made us strong."

Sullivan hopes to take about a year off and then return to the university to teach or work on special projects, she said Thursday.

"She seems to do all things well and the university is bigger and better for her effort," said former Chancellor William Moran. "I suppose the search for a replacement must now begin, but finding her match won't be easy."

UNCG trustees will choose a pool of candidates from which Sullivan's successor will be selected.

UNC system President Erskine Bowles will then nominate the new chancellor, who must be elected by the UNC Board of Governors.

Sullivan said she hopes the next chancellor will continue to work on the proposed School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering and the Gateway University Research Park, both joint programs with N.C. A&T.

Contact Amanda Lehmert at 373-7075 or at alehmert@news-record.com