Clack named MSU-Meridian School of Health Professions dean
Contact: Carl Smith
STARKVILLE, Miss.—A noted leader in administrative healthcare education will guide Mississippi State University-Meridian’s School of Health Professions as it prepares students to meet the critical needs of the Magnolia State today and into the future.
Lesley Clack, professor and chair of Florida Gulf Coast University’s Department of Health Sciences, is the school’s new dean and will oversee its programs, guide accreditation and work with other campus leaders as MSU-Meridian expands its healthcare programs.
The appointment is pending formal approval by the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.
“With the growth of our efforts at MSU-Meridian to meet identifiable health-related needs across Mississippi with trained health professionals, I’m excited about the combination of academic prowess and real-world experience that Dr. Lesley Clack brings to our programs in Meridian,” said MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw. “As Baby Boomers flood existing healthcare resources, Lesley’s extensive experience in serving older adults and adults with disabilities will help prepare our graduates for evolving, patient-centered healthcare careers.”
Clack’s work at FGCU, where she led her department since 2021, focused on developing healthcare administration programs to meet ever-changing needs while teaching and mentoring students for future management and leadership positions. A college instructor since 2005, Clack previously served in assistant professor roles at the University of Georgia and Armstrong State University in Savannah, Georgia, where she taught health policy, management, administration and infomatics for a combined eight years.
“As the new dean of the School of Health Professions at MSU-Meridian, I am excited to help the university become Mississippi’s leader in healthcare education. With the increasing shortage of healthcare providers in Mississippi and nationwide, training healthcare professionals is vital to meet the demand,” she said. “Our vision is to continue to add programs that will fill the gaps in healthcare professions. I have significant experience in development, leadership and accreditation of programs, which is important to ensure our programs are designed to meet the quality standards of the industry to prepare students for successful careers.”
Clack received a Doctor of Science in Health Systems Management from Tulane University, a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from the University of West Alabama and a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science from the University of Georgia. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia and a National Board Certified Counselor, and is certified in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. She is also Certified in Public Health by the National Board of Public Health Examiners, among other noteworthy skills, accolades and qualifications.
Clack is a fellow of the Commission on Accreditation of Health Management Education, board chair of the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida and board member of the Florida Consortium on International Education. She serves on the leadership team of the Academy of Management’s Health Care Management Division and is actively involved with the Association of University Programs in Health Administration.
Established in 2024, the MSU-Meridian School of Health Professions is home to the Master of Physician Assistant Studies and undergraduate Healthcare Administration programs. MSU’s Queen City campus also is home to the School of Nursing, which accepted its first cohort of students in the Accelerated Master of Science in Nursing program in 2024 and offers a Doctor of Psychology in Combined Health Service Psychology.
For more information about MSU-Meridian’s School of Health Professions and School of Nursing, visit www.meridian.msstate.edu/academics/school-health-professions and www.nursing.msstate.edu.
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