ATLANTA – Dr. Lisa Murphey Lundquist, who as interim dean has led Mercer University's College of Health Professions since its founding, has been appointed dean, effective Jan. 1, Mercer Provost Dr. D. Scott Davis announced today.
“Dr. Lundquist has been a tremendous interim dean for the College of Health Professions since its inception in 2013,” said Dr. Davis. “I am pleased that she has agreed to take the 'interim' off of her title, and I expect great things from the College under her continued leadership.”
Dr. Lundquist was named interim dean, effective May 1, 2013, two months prior to the College of Health Professions opening as the University's 12th academic unit.
The launch of the College consolidated programs in physical therapy, physician assistant studies and public health that were previously housed in Mercer's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences – now known as the College of Pharmacy – as well as the School of Medicine.
“Dr. Lundquist is a proven leader, manager and scholar who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and organizational skills as interim dean,” said Dr. Hewitt W. “Ted” Matthews, Mercer's senior vice president for health sciences and dean of the College of Pharmacy. “I am confident that, under her continued leadership, the College will achieve excellence in reaching all of its goals.”
“I am honored to be appointed dean of the College of Health Professions,” said Dr. Lundquist. “I am excited to continue to work with the outstanding College faculty and staff as we prepare our students to improve the health of the nation through excellence in education, service and innovation.”
Dr. Lundquist joined Mercer's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2006 as clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. In 2009, she was promoted to assistant dean for administration and clinical associate professor. As assistant dean, her responsibilities ranged from leading the accreditation self-study process of the College of Pharmacy to organizing interprofessional education activities for health sciences to strategic planning.
In 2011, Dr. Lundquist was named interim chair and program director of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies, a position she held for a year in addition to her responsibilities as assistant dean. In 2012, she was promoted to associate dean for administration, a position that expanded her responsibilities to include chairing the Mercer Health Sciences Center's Ad-hoc Interprofessional Education Committee as well as the planning committee for the College of Health Professions. In 2015, she achieved the rank of clinical professor.
Dr. Lundquist has received several awards, including Professor of the Year in 2011 from the Rho Chi chapter in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and the College's Distinguished Educator Award in 2008. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa Society, Order of Omega, Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society and Pi Alpha Physician Assistant Honor Society.
She has authored or co-authored more than 90 scholarly articles and abstracts, and has made numerous presentations at academic conferences. She also completed the Academic Leadership Fellows Program with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.
Dr. Lundquist earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Samford University's McWhorter School of Pharmacy. She completed a postgraduate residency in primary care and is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. Prior to arriving at Mercer, she served on the faculty at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy.
About the College of Health Professions
Mercer University's College of Health Professions is composed of three departments: physical therapy, physician assistant studies and public health. The College offers a doctoral-level physical therapy program, master's-level physician assistant program and bachelor's- and master's-level public health programs. The Department of Physical Therapy offers residencies in orthopaedic, neurologic and cardiovascular/pulmonary physical therapy; a fellowship in orthopaedic manual physical therapy; and an onsite clinic. The Department of Physician Assistant Studies offers an advanced cardiology residency program. Each program is housed in a department that provides students with comprehensive didactic courses taught by an extraordinary faculty and extensive clinical experience enhanced by outstanding service-learning opportunities. For more information, visit chp.mercer.edu.
