Mercer University and its President W.D. Underwood

William D. Underwood 2006-present

• Educator, lawyer, author; Juris.D.; Married to Lesli
• An accomplished educator and scholar, Underwood was designated a Master Teacher at Baylor in recognition of extraordinary classroom teaching and was named an Outstanding University Professor in 2005
• Served at Baylor University as Interim President and held the Leon Jaworski Chair at the Baylor School of Law. He took a leave of absence from his faculty duties from 1997-98 to serve as Baylor's General Counsel.
• Published extensively on a range of topics and has presented a number of papers on how faith relates to higher education
• Elected a member of the American Law Institute and the American Bar Foundation
• Summa cum laude graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law, which awarded him the Juris Doctor degree. He graduated as class salutatorian and was an editor of the University of Illinois Law Review. Clerked for the Honorable Sam D. Johnson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit