MACON, Ga. — Mercer University has announced the next president of the university , electing their first female president who's also a familiar face to the Mercer community.

The university’s Executive Vice President Penny Elkins was named the school’s 19th president, the Mercer University Board of Trustees voted Friday. She'll take the reins when long-time President Williams Underwood returns to teaching at the start of next year.

“To be called and entrusted to lead the institution that so profoundly shaped the trajectory of my life is deeply humbling,” Elkins said in a news release.

Elkins is the first woman to serve as president of Mercer University since its founding in 1833. She’s a “Double Bear,” holding a bachelors and masters degree from the university. She's also the first

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