Jeff Denny, who served for nearly 15 years as an associate dean for faculty matters of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, died over the weekend after a fight with brain cancer. He was 53.
"Dr. Denny was more than an administrator. He was a beloved professor, mentor and advocate for students," Mercer's psychology department wrote in a social media post on Sunday. "As we mourn his loss, we also celebrate his legacy – the lives he touched, the minds he shaped and the spirit he instilled in countless colleagues and students."
In April 2025, Denny was recognized by the university for the 25 years he spent at Mercer, a span during which he worked as a professor of mathematics.
When Denny stepped down from his job as associate dean in June of this year, Tom Scott, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said that, "Jeff brought great humor, collegiality and a care for the needs of the College to the office. Everyone who worked with him in his role as associate dean found him to be generous, pleasant and caring, and he will be sorely missed in this office."
Gabriel Kopp '26 is double majoring in Journalism and Law and Public Policy at Mercer University. He has written for The Cluster since he started at Mercer, and currently works as Editor-in-Chief. When he isn't working on a Washington Post crossword, he enjoys going for runs around Macon and reading The New York Times or the AJC while sipping coffee.
