Dr. Maureen K. Murphy Named Dean of Newly Named School at Huntingdon College

Montgomery, Ala.—Huntingdon College President J. Cameron West announced today that the College’s W. James Samford Jr. School of Business and Professional Studies has been renamed the W. James Samford Jr. School of Graduate and Professional Studies and that Dr. Maureen Kendrick Murphy, Huntingdon Class of 1978, has been named to serve as dean.

The change in name was prompted by an accreditation level-change, authorizing the College to offer graduate programs. “Huntingdon has been approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to begin offering the master’s degree for the first time in its 167-year history, beginning with the Master of Athletic Training in May 2021,” said President West.  “The introduction of master’s-level programs is an outgrowth of the College’s Strategic Plan 2018–2023, ‘Building Great Lives.’ SACSCOC grants approval to an institution to introduce graduate programs only after a rigorous multi-year evaluation that demonstrates institutional financial strength sufficient to support graduate-level study, in terms not only of enhanced facilities but also of resources to hire faculty trained to teach at the graduate level.” All graduate programs to be offered at the College will be housed in the W. James Samford School of Graduate and Professional Studies, beginning with the Master of Athletic Training.

“The former W. James Samford Jr. School of Business and Professional Studies was formed in 2012 after Huntingdon received a generous grant from the W. James Samford Jr. Foundation,” said President West. “Huntingdon has enjoyed a long relationship with the foundation, whose gifts have also funded the renovation and naming of the W. James Samford Jr. Stadium and the W. James Samford Jr. Soccer and Softball Complex. We are pleased to honor the continued importance and impact of the Samford Foundation’s powerful interest in academics and athletics in this region, and I can think of no one better prepared to lead the work of Huntingdon’s Samford School than Dr. Maureen Kendrick Murphy. Dr. Murphy strives for the highest quality in teaching and program excellence as well as in student care, and she is creative, highly learned, and deeply dedicated in her work.”

Dr. Maureen Kendrick Murphy has been a member of the Huntingdon faculty since 1997. After earning her Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Huntingdon in 1978 she earned her doctorate in chemistry at the University of South Carolina, where she completed a post-doctoral teaching fellowship, and subsequently completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Chicago. She returned to her alma mater to teach and serve as an administrator after serving in teaching and administrative roles at other institutions, including the University of Alabama.

“It is a great honor to serve in this new role at Huntingdon,” said Dr. Murphy. “Since serving as graduate recruitment chair in the chemistry and biochemistry graduate programs at the University of Alabama and helping Huntingdon students successfully gain admission to diverse graduate programs, I am excited about shepherding Huntingdon’s first graduate program into a vibrant accredited program.  I look forward to working with faculty, administration, and students to ensure success for all in our new graduate program and in the graduate programs to come.”

The naming of the W. James Samford Jr. School of Graduate and Professional Studies and Dr. Murphy’s new title are effective immediately.

Huntingdon College continues a legacy of faith, wisdom, and service through a liberal arts academic tradition grounded in the Judeo-Christian heritage of the United Methodist Church.

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