March 3, 2006

Maupin to step down as president of Meharry

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John Maupin Jr., D.D.S.

Maupin to step down as president of Meharry

John E. Maupin Jr., president and chief executive officer of Meharry Medical College, is ending his 12-year tenure to return to Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

He will continue at Meharry until June 30.

“I leave Meharry with mixed emotions. I dearly love my alma matter and feel very close to the faculty, staff and students, and I am pleased with the manner in which we have come together to advance the institution over the last 12 years. I leave confident in Meharry's future,” Maupin said.

Maupin came to Meharry in 1994 from Morehouse, where he served as executive vice president of the School of Medicine.

A 1972 graduate of Meharry's School of Dentistry, he was the first alumnus to take the helm of the school.

As president of the largest black medical school in the country, Maupin has led Meharry through many challenges. Upon his arrival, he shepherded the school through the reversal of financial woes, academic challenges and the renovation of its teaching hospital, Nashville General, and most recently the updating of the library into a high-tech, state-of-the-art facility.

In the past decade, Maupin has worked to highlight the school's mission when moving forward in development, research, training and academic initiatives. In an effort to enhance the educational, scientific and clinical programs at both Meharry and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a collaboration between both institutions was created in 1999. Since that partnership, several other collaborative efforts have surfaced.

“I am very excited about the development of our research centers of excellence, particularly our signature programs in racial disparities in access to health care, the cancer collaboration with Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, the center for HIV/AIDS research and the center for women's health research,” Maupin said.

Maupin, who will become president of Morehouse, said he sees similarities between the two institutions.

“Both Morehouse and Meharry are on a parallel track to make a difference in the health of this nation, especially the health of people of color, minorities and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds,” he said.

Maupin, a native of Los Angeles, received his undergraduate degree from San Jose State College, earned his dental degree from Meharry and his M.B.A. from Loyola College in 1979.