Mary I. Townsley, Ph.D., senior associate dean for the college and professor of physiology and cell biology and internal medicine, will end a tenure that has lasted more than three decades.
“It has been exhilarating to watch the College of Medicine grow through the years, both with respect to research and to our educational programs,” Townsley said. “The community of colleagues, administrators, staff and trainees I've interacted with here have made my time at South extremely rewarding."
Townsley joined the faculty at the USA College of Medicine in 1988, also completing postdoctoral training at USA from 1983 to 1986. A physiologist by training, Townsley served in a number of administrative roles, in addition to being a researcher, instructor and mentor.
“I cannot underestimate the impact Mary has had on the development and growth of our College of Medicine,” said. John V. Marymont, M.D., MBA, dean of the USA College of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs. “There are very few areas, if any at all, that Mary has not been involved with during her time here. Her most recent project that she saw to completion was the development of a new medical student center.”
After completing her postdoctoral fellowship, Townsley joined the faculty at the Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine before returning to USA as an assistant professor of physiology. While moving up the ranks as a faculty member, becoming a full professor in physiology in 1995, she also was building her administrative portfolio. She served as the director of graduate studies, director of the interdisciplinary graduate program in basic medical sciences, director of the training program in the Center for Lung Biology, assistant and then associate dean for faculty affairs, and interim chair of physiology and cell biology before taking on her current role, first as interim in 2016 and permanent senior associate dean in 2017.
Townsley is an accomplished researcher, having secured federal funding for much of her scientific career. Her research emphasis has been on understanding the mechanisms associated with acute lung injury.
Please join us Friday, Dec. 18 at 2 p.m. for a virtual retirement celebration. The Zoom link for the celebration is https://southalabama.zoom.us/j/97877576205.
Anyone who wishes to send thoughts and messages to Townsley may do so at mtownsley@southalabama.edu. Those who want to deliver cards or handwritten messages may drop them in the mailbox outside the dean’s office or send them to: 5795 USA Drive N, CSAB 170, Mobile, AL 36688.
