Baptist Health Sciences University names Hampton Hopkins as new president

Hampton Hopkins, Ed.D., has recently been named the new president at Baptist Health Sciences University. His first day will be on July 10 of this year after the retirement of Betty Sue McGarvey. McGarvey had served as the school’s president since 2005.

Previous to his new appointment at Baptist Health Sciences University, Hopkins most recently served as the president of Carolinas College of Health Sciences in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he most notably planned a relocation for the school, as well as a renovation costing $4.5 million. He also transitioned the college from a purely associate level to a baccalaureate level school, and secured the largest donor gift commitments the school had ever received.

In an article posted on Baptist Health Sciences University’s website, the school’s executive vice president and chief strategy officer Zach Chandler was quoted on the appointment of Hopkins, saying, “After conducting a national search and considering numerous qualified candidates, I am pleased to share Hampton Hopkins will be the next president of Baptist Health Sciences University. Hampton is an accomplished leader and has an extensive background in higher education, which made him the best candidate to lead Baptist Health Sciences University and the BHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine into the future.”

Hopkins worked as the president at Carolinas College from 2016 until this year while simultaneously working as the assistant vice president of medical education for Atrium Health where he was tasked with overseeing graduate nursing education. Also while serving as the president at Carolinas College, Hopkins created The Learning Symposium, a signature college event that worked to explore new and innovative ways that can be used to improve healthcare, including the patient experience.

“We must challenge the boundaries of traditional learning by promoting innovative and entrepreneurial thinking to ensure that our students are always prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. We are not training for the present, we are educating for the future,” Hopkins said.

Before taking the presidency at Carolinas College, Hopkins worked as the dean of student affairs and enrollment management there. While in that role, he was instrumental in the increase of enrollment at the school by 31% between 2001 and 2015. He also developed a comprehensive emergency response plan as well as a facility master plan. Hopkins started his career in higher education at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, North Carolina in 1990 as the assistant director of student activities.

Hopkins earned his Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership in 2007 from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He earned his Master of Science degree in 1995 from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in leadership studies. His Bachelor of Science in Business Administration he earned from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina in 1989.

More information about Baptist Health Sciences University can be found on the school’s website.