ATLANTA – Dr. Michael Crouch, FASHP, has been appointed dean of the College of Pharmacy at Mercer University, effective Jan. 6, 2026, Mercer Executive Vice President and Interim Provost Dr. Penny L. Elkins announced.
The appointment follows a nationwide search to succeed Dr. Brian Crabtree, who retired last year as Mercer’s pharmacy dean. Dr. Pamela Moye, chair of the College’s Department of Pharmacy Practice, has been serving as interim dean since Aug. 1, 2024.
Dr. Crouch currently serves as the Fred E. McWhorter Dean and Professor at Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy. Prior to being named dean at Samford in 2014, Dr. Crouch held several faculty and leadership positions at Virginia Commonwealth University, South University and East Tennessee State University, including department chair, executive associate dean and director of interprofessional education.
“Dr. Crouch is a transformative leader with a vision to advance the College of Pharmacy’s mission and expand the impact of the College,” Dr. Elkins said. “He will guide the College through its next phase of growth and success while honoring the College’s tradition of excellence and legacy of caring.”
A third-generation pharmacist, Dr. Crouch has earned numerous teaching awards and obtained board certification in pharmacotherapy in 1996, with added qualifications in cardiology in 2000. In 2009, he was named a Fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and completed his first-year pharmacy residency at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Dr. Crouch earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree, participated in a cardiovascular summer research fellowship and completed a second-year cardiology-focused residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. He also participated in the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education and earned a Master of Business Administration from Samford’s Brock School of Business.
“It is a tremendous honor to join Mercer University’s College of Pharmacy as dean and professor,” said Dr. Crouch. “Mercer’s rich tradition of academic excellence and legacy of caring uniquely prepare graduates to lead and transform the profession of pharmacy. I look forward to working with the exceptional faculty, staff, students and alumni to advance the College’s mission and make a positive impact in the communities we serve.”
Dr. Crouch has been inducted into Phi Lambda Sigma (pharmacy leadership), Rho Chi (pharmacy academic), Beta Gamma Sigma (business academic), Phi Kappa Phi (national academic), and Omicron Delta Kappa (national leadership).
He and his wife, Candace, have three adult children.
“I want to thank the search committee for its excellent work in recruiting a well-qualified candidate,” Dr. Elkins said.
The committee was chaired by Dr. Christine M. Klein, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice, and supported by Senior Vice Provost Dr. Lisa M. Lundquist. Other members of the committee included pharmacy alumnus Dr. Dan Buffington; pharmacy alumna and Mercer trustee Dr. Liza Chapman; Dean of Theology Dr. Greg DeLoach; Dr. Renee Hayslett, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences; Dr. Nicole Metzger; clinical professor of pharmacy practice; Dr. Nader Moniri, associate dean for research and professor of pharmaceutical sciences; and Dr. Philip Mensah, director for student affairs and clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice.
