McMurry University taps new leaders for two of its top schools

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – McMurry University has announced new leadership at the Walter F. and Virginia Johnson School of Business and the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing.

Dr. Martha Cruz Zuniga has been named dean of the Johnson School of Business, where she will focus on innovation, partnerships, and continuing the school’s momentum. Dr. Marcia Straughn, who has served for years at the Shelton School of Nursing, has been promoted to dean.

Cruz Zuniga earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from Western Michigan University and a B.S. in economics from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. A dual citizen of the United States and Ecuador, she is fluent in English and Spanish. She previously spent 16 years as a professor of economics at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., including 10 years as chair of the economics department and a year as interim chair of sociology. Her research has focused on open macroeconomics, international development, agriculture, sustainability, and education, with fieldwork in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. She has collaborated with organizations including the MacArthur Foundation, Organization of American States, Inter-American Development Bank, World Vision, and Catholic Relief Services.

Straughn, who has been a professor and programs director at PHSSN, also served as dean of the Abilene Christian University School of Nursing. She earned her Ph.D., MSN, and BSN from Texas Woman’s University and is a 2018 fellow of Leadership for Academic Nursing Programs. She is active in several professional organizations, including the Texas Organization of Deans and Directors of Professional Nursing Programs, the Texas Nurses Association, the National League for Nursing, and the American Nurses Association.

As programs director, Straughn oversaw PHSSN’s transition earlier this year when McMurry University assumed sole ownership of the nursing school. The university credited her with providing stability and leadership during that process.