Dr. Mark L. Hammond

Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation
Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine
Professor
Biochemistry and Genetics
Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine
Office Location:
Leon Levine Hall of Medicine Science
Room 185
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 4280
Buies Creek, NC 27506

Biography

Dr. Mark L. Hammond joined the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine as a Professor of Biochemistry and Genetics in June 2023. Additionally, he serves as Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation, where he supports CUSOM and the Dean in the development of initiatives both internal and external to the University. Hammond served previously as the Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost from 2013 until 2023 and the dean of Campbell’s College of Arts & Sciences from 2001-2013.

The son of Steve and Mary Lee Hammond, Mark Hammond is a native of Ashland, Ohio. He received his bachelor’s degree with a double major in biology and general science from Hiram College in 1985, and graduated cum laude with honors. He earned his doctorate in biology from the University of South Carolina in 1990, specializing in molecular genetics and biochemistry. His doctoral work led to publications in two prestigious journals, The Journal of Biological Chemistry and Genes and Development.

Hammond went on to serve as a postdoctoral fellow at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. There, he worked in the life sciences division and with the Center for Human Genome Studies when the Human Genome Project started in 1990. While at Los Alamos, he developed a patent for rapid base sequencing in DNA and RNA that received the Distinguished Patent Award in 1995, and he produced a second patent dealing with DNA fragment sizing and sorting that was first licensed by Molecular Technologies, Inc.

Hammond joined Campbell in 1992 as an assistant professor of biology. He became an associate professor and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences in 1996 and was promoted to full professor in 2004.

He is married to the former Jill Darling ’05, of Mansfield, Ohio. They are the parents of four children — Erica Joy ’13/’17, Nicholas Jared ’17, Veronica Lee ’18/’18 and Monica Darling ’18. They are members of Hood Memorial Christian Church in Dunn, N.C and hold various leadership roles. They are life members of the Friends of the Library, Friends of the School of Education, and the Friends of the Fine Arts. Hammond is also an active amateur radio operator with the call sign N8MH, where he specializes in satellite communications and is a life member of the Johnston Amateur Radio Society.