Published on June 30, 2014 by Katie Stripling  

Dr. Melissa Galvin Lumpkin brings 30 years of experience to her role as professor and chair of the Department of Public Health. She possesses extensive experience in key areas, including administrative, public health and community organization. She has served as principal investigator in numerous projects that focus on identification, development and implementation of research projects in areas of community demonstration and health promotion/ disease prevention.

She served previously as associate dean for academic and strategic programs and professor of health behavior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She was associate director for the Center for Community Health Resource Development for more than 10 years, associate director of the Geriatric Education Center for seven years and associate director for MidSouth Program for Public Health Practice for three years. She served as state unit on aging director, responsible for all services provided to seniors throughout the state, including 330 senior centers, transportation and Meals on Wheels. Galvin has received numerous service awards for her work in the community.
 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.