Lisa McGarry, PhD is the Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Professional Studies and an Associate Professor of English at Gwynedd Mercy University.
During her 32-year career at GMercyU, she has served in many roles, from adjunct lecturer to Director of the Academic Resource Center, and from full-time faculty, Program Coordinator, and Division Chair to Interim Dean to most recently as the Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences since 2011.
In that role, she oversaw the launch and growth of numerous programs, including the Public Health program (BSPH and MPH), Bachelor of Social Work program, and an enhanced Honors Program. She has created numerous partnerships with organizations such as Neumann University, LaSalle University, US Air Force, Bryn Mawr College, Bucks-Mont Collaborative, and the Montgomery County Police Academy (Act 120). Dr. McGarry has been an Associate in Mercy since 2003, as well as a member and scholar of the Mission Leadership Academy, and a member of Sigma Phi Sigma, the National Mercy Honor Society.
Dr. McGarry earned her bachelor of arts in English at Temple University, a master’s degree in English at Villanova University, and her PhD in English with concentrations in 20th British and American Literature at Lehigh University.
In 2007, she authored the book, Orts, Scraps and Fragments: The Elusive Search for Meaning in Virginia Woolf’s Fiction. In 2008, she was honored with the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching and was selected by the graduating seniors as the first “Last Lecture” speaker.
Prior to her work in academia, Dr. McGarry was the Vice President of Marketing for an insurance agency based in Fort Washington, Pa.
