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William D. Underwood (2006-present)
- Increased e
nrollment to more than 8,750 students, with the University enrolling the largest and best-credentialed freshman class in the institution’s history in 2018.
- Launched second and third medical school campuses (Savannah and Columbus), initiated a master’s-level physician assistant program and a doctoral-level physical therapy program, and added Ph.D. programs in Clinical Psychology, Nursing, Counseling, Educational Leadership, and Curriculum and Instruction.
- Raised nearly $300M in gifts
- Doubled the endowment to more than $350M
- Oversaw facilities projects totaling more than $200M:
- Spearman C. Godsey Science Center
- Hoskins Medical Education and Research Center
- Center for Clinical Research
- Tattnall Square Center for the Arts
- McDuffie Center for Strings
- Myers Welcome and Admissions Center
- Drake Fieldhouse and Five Star Stadium (football)
- OrthoGeorgia Park (baseball)
- Center for Collaborative Journalism
- Legacy Residential Hall
- Engineering and Science Center
- A downtown Macon facility for Mercer Medicine
- The McEachern Art Center downtown (gallery and visual art studios)
- Loft housing to accommodate more than 900 undergraduate students.
- Restarted Mercer's intercollegiate football program in 2013 after a 72-year hiatus. During the inaugural season, Mercer established a new NCAA Division I record for wins by a start-up program by going 10-2.
- Before becoming Mercer's President:
- served at Baylor University as Interim President
- held the Leon Jaworski Chair at the Baylor School of Law
- served as Baylor's General Counsel, 1997-1998
- designated a Master Teacher at Baylor
- named an Outstanding University Professor in 2005
- Elected a member of the American Law Institute and the American Bar Foundation
- Clerked for the Honorable Sam D. Johnson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Quick bio: Juris.D. (summa cum laude and salutatorian from the University of Illinois College of Law); spouse: Lesli; Labrador retriever: Cricket
nrollment to more than 8,750 students, with the University enrolling the largest and best-credentialed freshman class in the institution’s history in 2018.