Dr. Marjorie Jenkins: A brief biography

Dr. Marjorie Jenkins, professor of internal medicine and former dean of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville (USCSOMG), became UND's vice president for Health Affairs and dean of North Dakota's only School of Medicine & Health Sciences on Dec. 1, 2024.

At UND, in the dual role of vice president and dean, Jenkins serves both as chief fiduciary officer for the University’s Division of Health Affairs and chief academic officer for the School of Medicine & Health Sciences. As such, she leads biennial budget recommendations and fundraising plans while also providing operational leadership for the School’s academic and research programs.

“I am deeply committed to rural health and improving health care access, especially for underserved communities,” Jenkins said. “Growing up in Appalachia, my family and I had very limited access to medical care. My grandfather, a pastor and coal miner, became the go-to health expert for my widowed mother and her eight children.

“This personal experience, coupled with two decades in academic medicine at universities in Texas and South Carolina — states that both face significant rural health challenges — has fueled my passion for making a difference. In my conversations on campus, it’s clear that the UND community shares a strong sense of pride, passion and dedication to serving North Dakotans. I am truly honored to have been selected as your VP and dean, and I am excited to embark on this journey with you.”

Jenkins has held executive leadership positions across academia and the federal government. In addition to her service as dean, Jenkins served as associate provost for the University of South Carolina and chief academic officer for Prisma Health-Upstate, a 1,600-bed, nonprofit health care system.

During her time as dean, USCSOMG received its first eight-year Liaison Committee on Medical Education accreditation and the first of several grants from the National Institutes of Health. Jenkins also helped launch the school’s first three-year Primary Care Accelerated Track program to provide family medicine providers to rural South Carolina.

Prior to her roles in South Carolina, Jenkins spent her academic career at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, where she was the founding executive director and chief scientific officer for the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health Research. She also held the titles of the J. Avery Rush Endowed Chair for Excellence in Women’s Health Research, associate dean for Women Faculty and tenured professor of Internal Medicine. A distinguished academic administrator, Jenkins also is an award-winning expert in women’s health and sex- and gender-based medicine.

At Texas Tech, Jenkins steered the Laura W. Bush Institute to global recognition and statewide growth across five campuses and schools of health professions.

From 2015 to 2019, while at Texas Tech, Jenkins also served as director of Medical Initiatives and Research Programs for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Women’s Health.

Throughout her career, Jenkins has worked with academic philanthropy teams to raise $30 million to support research endowments, student scholarships and medical education. She has delivered more than 150 presentations to worldwide audiences, co-authored numerous scientific works and served as an expert advisor to several National Institutes of Health, Health Resources and Services Administration and NASA efforts.

Jenkins earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering at Tennessee Technological University, her M.D. at East Tennessee State University and her master’s degree in Education for Health Professionals at Johns Hopkins University.

“A quote from George Bernard Shaw has always guided my life and career: ‘I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can,’” Jenkins said. “The future is bright, and I am grateful to being a part of it. Steve and I look forward to getting to know the UND community and citizens of North Dakota. Thank you for welcoming us into your community.”