When veteran academician Dr. Anna Cherrie Epps took on the challenging role of president and CEO, she shattered the proverbial “glass ceiling” on several fronts. As the new president and chief executive officer of Meharry Medical College, Epps not only became the first woman to lead one of the nation’s major independent medical colleges, but she is also believed to be the first person of her age to take on such a position at the age of 83.
With 61 years being the average age of college presidents nationally, as determined in 2011 by the American Council on Education, Epps is part of a small cadre of veteran academicians who are zipping past traditional retirement time. They are stepping forward amid the rapid turnover of presidents in the last five years and the trend toward much younger leaders with business and social media savvy.
Epps has a Ph.D. in zoology from Howard University and earned her masters degree from Loyola University. She has published articles in The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet and the Journal of the National Medical Association.
Dr. Epps has worked at Meharry since 1994.
Congratulations, Dr. Epps, for being a “BlackDoctor.org Top Blacks in Healthcare” 2014 honoree!