Mercer University’s new president Penny Elkins returns to Columbus and outlines priorities across campuses

A Columbus native steps into Mercer’s top job

Mercer University President Penny L. Elkins began her term on Jan. 1, 2026, after being unanimously elected by the university’s Board of Trustees on Nov. 14, 2025. Elkins is Mercer’s 19th president and the first woman to lead the institution in its nearly 200-year history. She also becomes the first Mercer graduate to serve as president since Rufus Harris, who held the role from 1960 to 1979.

In a recent visit to Columbus, Elkins met with members of the Mercer University School of Medicine campus community along the Chattahoochee River, underscoring the importance of maintaining ties across Mercer’s multiple locations. She has described connecting with students, faculty and staff across campuses as central to her approach to leadership.

From classroom educator to university leadership

Elkins’ career spans more than 30 years across P-12 and higher education. She began as a third-grade teacher and later worked as an elementary school administrator before moving into university roles. At Mercer, she has served in faculty and senior administrative positions for more than 25 years.

Her recent leadership portfolio included appointment as executive vice president in October 2023 and responsibility for the Provost’s Office as interim provost beginning in February 2025. Earlier in her Mercer tenure, she served for 12 years as senior vice president for enrollment management, a period during which the university reported record enrollment growth and rising academic selectivity among entering classes.

Academic background and areas of focus

Elkins holds two Mercer degrees: a bachelor’s degree (with majors in Christianity and education) and a master’s degree in education. She also earned an education specialist degree in administration and supervision from Georgia College & State University and a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Georgia State University. She is a tenured professor in Mercer’s Tift College of Education and holds the Fred L. Miles Endowed Chair of Educational Leadership.

Her published academic and professional interests have included leadership theory, early learning development, women in leadership, and community partnership development—topics that align with her long-standing work in leadership development and team-building across the university.

Columbus ties and statewide service

Elkins has emphasized that her upbringing in Columbus shaped her trajectory as an educator and administrator, and she has pointed to the value of staying connected to Mercer’s Columbus-based medical school campus while also leading the institution’s flagship academic community in Macon.

• Elected Mercer’s 19th president on Nov. 14, 2025; assumed office Jan. 1, 2026.
• First female president in university history; longtime Mercer faculty member and administrator.
• Previously appointed to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission in 2009 and later served as chair during the final four years of a six-year term.

Mercer’s transition places a veteran internal leader at the helm, with stated attention to strengthening relationships across the university’s campuses and academic units.