Penny L. Elkins, Ph.D., was installed as Mercer University’s 19th president — and the first woman to lead the University in its 193-year history — during a historic investiture ceremony Oct. 29 on the Macon campus.
The ceremony, held in Toney Auditorium in Willingham Hall, celebrated Mercer’s storied history while ushering in a new era of promise for the University. Hundreds of faculty members, staff, students and dignitaries attended the formal event, with many more joining at campus watch parties or by viewing the livestream.
“Let us dream boldly. Let us never confuse accomplishment with arrival,” Elkins said during her inaugural address. “The future does not belong to institutions that stand still. It belongs to institutions like Mercer that are willing to lead and stretch beyond what seems possible.”
Elkins officially began her tenure as president on Jan. 1. A member of Mercer’s faculty and senior administration for more than 25 years, she is the first Mercer graduate to serve as president since 1979 and the first Double Bear to serve since 1959.
“Her journey from a Mercer freshman to our University’s 19th president is an inspiration to every single one of us,” Student Government Association President Ceazia Wright, CHP ’27, said during the ceremony. “She knows the firsthand (impact) of a profound Mercer education because she has lived it. … We know your vision will push us to advocate, educate and reach new heights.”
Attending Mercer was one of the “greatest joys” and “best decisions” of her entire life, Elkins said.
“Mercer challenged me, influenced me and helped me discover not simply what I wanted to do but who I was called to become,” she said. “Mercer prepared me for far more than a career. It prepared me for a life of purpose and meaning.”
That meaning took hold as she stood on stage, accepted Mercer’s charge and was presented with the University charter, seal and academic mace. In an emotional moment, Elkins bowed her head as Chancellor William D. Underwood, J.D., the University’s 18th president, gently draped the chain holding the presidential medallion around her neck.
“Dr. Elkins, you have accepted the awesome responsibility of stewardship of this nearly 200-year-old institution,” Underwood said. “My prayer, my charge for you, on this day of celebration and inauguration is that your mind and soul lead you to a vision that honors our heritage as an institution.”
When Board of Trustees Chair Cathy Callaway Adams, TIFT ’81, presented Elkins as president, the audience quickly rose to a standing ovation. Among those in attendance were delegates from 25 colleges and universities; former Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, CLAS ’64, LAW ’66, a member of the Board of Trustees; Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller, CLAS ’91, LAW ’94; and Mercer Chancellor Emeritus R. Kirby Godsey, Th.D., Ph.D., the University’s 17th president.
At the podium, Elkins recognized Mercer trailblazers who were “audaciously bold in aspiration.”
“Those who came before us built something far greater than themselves, and they are inviting us now to write the chapters yet to come,” she said. “It is our turn. Because each generation of Mercerians is called not only to cherish this institution but to leave it better and stronger than we found it.”
Elkins outlined three pillars that will guide Mercer’s next strategic plan.
First, the University will increase impact for students.
“Students are not one of our priorities. Students are the reason for our priorities,” she said. “Every decision we make should begin with a simple question: How will this improve the student educational experience?”
She outlined a vision in which students feel like they belong at Mercer and leave the University not only prepared for careers but to enjoy lives of purpose, fulfillment and meaning.
Second, Mercer will enhance the academic enterprise. The University will continue to lead with academic courage, build stronger connections across disciplines and embrace the institution’s research mission.
“Rather than working within traditional boundaries, we will look for new ways to bring those academic strengths together in service to our students, our community and a world increasingly that is demanding collaboration and creativity.”
Third, the University will amplify its own story.
“We will amplify Mercer’s story, not in a superficial or disingenuous way, but with an awesome authenticity that inspires all of us,” Elkins said.
Mercer students and faculty are fitting amputees with prosthetics in Vietnam, doctors are saving lives in rural Georgia, and musicians are performing at prominent venues at home and abroad, she said.
To accomplish these goals, Elkins challenged the University to double its endowment from $610 million to $1.2 billion. As part of this effort, Mercer will seek to extend funding to its schools and colleges that are not yet supported by a named endowment.
“The giants who came before us built something extraordinary, and today we are stewards of that legacy,” Elkins said. “We will keep the light of Jesse Mercer and our founders shining while fulfilling our promise to future generations. That is why we are here. That is why we stand with you now — and why our future has never been brighter than this day.”
