A profession she once didn’t know existed became a lifelong passion for Mercer University Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Samantha Murfree.
“Student affairs is an umbrella term that serves as a catch-all for all the ways in which we impact the lives of students from a co-curricular standpoint,” Dr. Murfree said. “One of the greatest joys I have in this field is mentoring students who have encountered challenges in our community and seeing them transformed. I am passionate about seeing them develop and mature in their journey.”
Dr. Murfree admits that student affairs is not a field most people are introduced to in high school or college. But while she was studying career counseling and development in graduate school at the University of Missouri-Columbia, she said she gained meaningful experience working with college students and quickly realized how much she enjoyed it.
“That experience opened my eyes to a profession I had never known,” she said.
Her career path was not a straight line. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Tougaloo College in Mississippi and her Master of Arts in educational and counseling psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. After earning her master’s degree, instead of moving directly into a Ph.D. program as she originally planned, Dr. Murfree was forced to pause and pivot when she was not accepted into the graduate programs she initially applied to.
“That unexpected pause led me into full-time professional work, which ultimately became formative for my career,” she said.
Dr. Murfree spent two years working as a career and personal counselor at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, followed by several years in counseling roles at Albany State University, where she was eventually asked to serve as the interim assistant director of counseling, testing and disability services and then promoted to the director of student life. She went on to become the associate vice president for student life at Southern Wesleyan University before earning her Ph.D. in counseling and student personnel services, with an emphasis in student affairs administration and higher education, from the University of Georgia.
“While my path unfolded differently than I initially envisioned, I am grateful that each step prepared me for the leadership work I do today,” she said.
Six months after completing her Ph.D., Dr. Murfree joined Mercer as associate dean of students. She was promoted to assistant vice president for student affairs in 2016 and was named associate vice president for student affairs in 2023.
“I am built for this work. I understand that I hold a trusted position of authority that requires making life-changing decisions for students each day,” she said. “I do not take this responsibility lightly and am fully aware of the weight and significance of those decisions.”
Dr. Murfree’s contributions at Mercer have been recognized locally and nationally, including an award for Outstanding Contribution to the Upward Bound Program, the Excellence in Service to Students Award from the National Society of Leadership and Success, and the 2023 First Gen award from TRIO programs. She has led several committees that impact the strategic direction of the Division of Student Affairs, namely, the Student Affairs Assessment Committee, where she implemented the biannual Student Life Survey, which has been used for more than 10 years.
Dr. Murfree realizes that the choices she makes directly influence students’ success, engagement, growth, development and overall perception of the Mercer experience.
“It is essential to strike a thoughtful balance between challenging students and providing the support they need to thrive,” she said.
She said she hopes to have an impact, and she wants students to recognize their full potential.
“I hope my role has impacted them in a way that encourages them to be the best version of themselves. That they strive to walk, and to work, and to live in excellence, in character, in integrity and in passion for the work that they are striving to do.”
In addition to serving as an example and a role model for students, Dr. Murfree also works to inspire other women and members of the community.
In 2018, she founded Prevailing Woman Ministries, a nonprofit organization that helps women overcome, conquer and prevail in their spiritual, personal and professional lives through outreach. She’s also authored four self-published books, including last year’s Pray. Slay. Prevail, described as a powerful reflection journal. In it, she shares this message:
“As a woman in leadership, always remember that you are an ASSET — an acronym that means you are Anointed to Serve, Succeed, Excel and Triumph. Know that you are valuable. And when you enter any space, you add value. So, step into every space with confidence.”
While her career path may not have been a straight line, Dr. Murfree certainly stepped with confidence into a space she didn’t even know existed and discovered a lifelong passion.
