Meharry Medical College in Nashville has announced that it has begun a search for a new president. A. Cherrie Epps was appointed interim president and then permanent president of the school last summer at the age of 83. President Epps will remain at the helm until her successor is in place.
President Epps has been at Meharry since 1994 serving in roles such as professor of internal medicine, vice president for academic affairs, and dean of the School of Medicine. She is the only African American woman with a Ph.D. to become dean of a U.S. medical school. She holds a Ph.D. in zoology from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Epps is the co-author of An Act of Grace: The Right Side of History, which is a history of Meharry Medical College
The board of trustees has appointed an 11-member search committee to find the new president. Frank S. Royal Sr., chair of the board of trustees thanked President Epps for her “selfless devotion to Meharry.” He went on to say that “Meharry is a proud institution with a rich history of caring for those who are often forgotten in our society. Our new president will have the important task of carrying on and continuing to grow that legacy.”