According to a news release from Kennesaw State University, former President Betty L. Siegel passed away late Tuesday afternoon.

She was 89 years old.

The news release states:

Born in the hills of Cumberland, Ky., in 1931, Siegel was Kennesaw State’s second president. When she arrived on campus in September of 1981, the university was a small state college with an enrollment of 3,500 students, only a handful of buildings and no master’s programs.

During Siegel’s 25-year tenure, the university’s enrollment increased, faculty and staff ranks grew, as did the number of degree programs and academic buildings. Upon her retirement in 2006, a 15-degree college had become a university with 55 undergraduate and graduate degrees and 18,000 students. KSU today stands as the third-largest university in the state with nearly 38,000 students.

“The Kennesaw State University community is mourning the loss of one of its most beloved leaders,” said President Pamela Whitten in the news release. “Betty Siegel has been described affectionately by many as a force of nature, and her energy, enthusiasm and passion for Kennesaw State University, will be long remembered. Without her leadership, vision and commitment to excellence, Kennesaw State would not be what it is today.”