James May-June 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 69
that you can’t build a great university in a decaying community,” said Underwood. “The health of Macon has been
very important to us, and we’ve invested a lot in helping
see that Macon be all that it can be.”
Outside of the Mercer president, perhaps only Rogers
can lay claim to as much of the renewal of Macon as anyone. Though both would undoubtedly point to the people
of Macon, its business leaders and residents, as part of
the broader team that has made it all happen. But Rogers’
impact is going to be felt decades down the road.
PROVOST SALUTED
Rogers’ death was not the only one that would hit Macon and Underwood hard. In February, Mercer’s Provost
and Professor of Chemistry Scott Davis died of a heart
attack as well. Davis was the university’s longest-serving
provost and another close partner for Underwood.
“Scott had been a force here at Mercer for over 30
years in one capacity or another. It’s a tremendous loss
for us and it’s going to take us a good bit of time to fully
recover from that loss. Scott Davis was the finest provost
with whom I have had the privilege to serve,” continued
Underwood. “In addition to a brilliant mind, Scott was
determined to make Mercer the best it could be. He loved
Mercer. When there were tough things that needed to be
done, I could always count on Scott. His legacy will endure
far into the future of this University.”
THE MAGIC FORMULA
Mercer is increasingly noted for its academic prowess, but its beauty is also getting recognition. This year’s
edition of U.S. News and World Report named it one of the
country’s 25 most beautiful college campuses.
“There’s a magic formula in the intersection of a
historic tree-canopied oasis and the modern amenities
necessary for a campus of Mercer’s stature,” Underwood
told U.S. News & World Report. “It’s a formula that can’t be
manufactured.”
The magazine noted the beautiful flora of the campus,
the “blooming azaleas, magnolia and pink Yoshino cherry
trees, vibrant fall foliage and Victorian Gothic-style architecture” as part of the landscape that makes the Macon
campus stand out. It also highlighted the iconic spires of
the administration building and the School of Law’s architecture, modeled after Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
“I think it’s an accurate assessment of the campus,”
Underwood emphasized to this writer. “We put a lot of
effort into creating spaces that are conducive for building
community on campus. And I think you come down and
see we’ve had a lot of success in that.”
By the way, this is the last year of Underwood's presidency. Next year, however, he'll return to full-time teaching
at Mercer's School of Law.
Baker Owens is a staff writer for James and James Magazine Online.
CYBERSECURITY PROGRAM GROWS
Among the many expanding programs at Mercer is its
cybersecurity program. It’s Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity program was recently awarded the prestigious
designation as a “National Center of Academic Excellence
in Cyber Defense” by the National Centers of Academic
Excellence in Cybersecurity program which is administered by the National Security Agency. The designation is
validation to the excellence of the program and expands
the opportunities for students and faculty— notably for
research and for students’ career prospects.
“It’s a great program here and, and we’re really
pleased to get that kind of certification,” said Underwood.
“It’s a testament to hard work by our faculty members
working in the field of cyber security and obviously a very
important topic for all of us today. Also, it’s an area of great
opportunity for young people.”
Georgia is already home to the U.S. Army Cyber
Command at Fort Gordon in Augusta and the FBI has a
significant cyber presence in Georgia, including the FBI’s
Atlanta Field Office, which just so happens to be located
on the Mercer Atlanta campus.
“They’ve got an amazing cyber security team there, as
you would expect law enforcement officials to have,” said
Underwood. “And then we’ve got an engineering research
center just down the road in Warner Robins that employs a
whole team of cyber defense people.”
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