Mary Hendrix, the sixteenth president of Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, is slated to retire at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year.
Dr. Hendrix, a 1974 graduate of Shepherd University, began her presidency in 2016, making her the first university graduate to lead the educational institution. Over the past 10 years, Shepherd has constructed several new facilities, established new academic programs, and significantly grown its extramural grant portfolio.
“It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve the institution and work with remarkably talented faculty and staff to provide a quality educational experience for our students — the next generation of leaders and model citizens,” said Dr. Hendrix. “Shepherd is fortunate to have a dedicated board of governors, a remarkable community of donors and volunteers, together with supportive state and congressional leaders, and it has been a privilege to work collaboratively with them to advance the school’s mission.”
Before taking the helm of her alma mater, Dr. Hendrix was president and chief scientific officer of the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Earlier, she served in a variety of faculty and administrative roles at the University of Arizona, the University of California, San Francisco, Saint Louis University, and the University of Iowa.
As a scholar, Dr. Hendrix has authored nearly 300 publications on biomedical research and holds patents in cancer diagnostics and therapy. Following her upcoming retirement, she will lead the Scientific Advisory Board of TaiRX US, Inc., the pharmaceutical company that holds her patents.
Dr. Hendrix earned a Ph.D. at George Washington University and did postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School.