Mary Lueben Jackson, MMS, PA-C, CAQ-EM, C’05, is the 2025 School of Science, Mathematics & Technology (SSMT) inductee into the Academic Circle of Excellence Alumni Hall of Fame. Jackson has dedicated countless hours to her career, her community, and Mount St. Mary’s University, most notably in her role as inaugural program director of the Mount’s graduate physician assistant (PA) program.
“I am humbled by this incredible honor. I love the Mount, [and] to be recognized by an institution that means so much to me and to contribute to its legacy is profoundly meaningful, said Jackson. “It inspires me to foster the next generation of healthcare leaders and to make a lasting impact on our community.”
Jackson graduated from the Mount in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. She went on to earn a Master of Medical Science – Physician Assistant degree at Arcadia University, working as an emergency department PA in the Baltimore area for 12 years before returning to her alma mater in 2021 to develop and direct the Mount’s new PA program. She continues to maintain her clinical licenses and certification and care for patients in Maryland.
A distinguished PA, she held multiple leadership roles including Lead PA for Emergency Medicine. Dedicated to a holistic, equitable healthcare environment, Jackson was a member of the clinical Wellness and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committees among others. She has carried this dedication forward, incorporating education on social justice in medical care and burnout prevention into the Mount’s PA curriculum.
During the global COVID-19 pandemic Jackson served as a frontline healthcare worker in the Emergency Department and was selected to develop and co-lead an emergency telehealth platform across dozens of Emergency Departments and Urgent Care locations to manage critical volumes and care across the system. This led to a publication on the use of telemedicine in pandemic management in the Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Earlier in her career, Jackson created and led the Emergency Medicine Post-Discharge Results Management Program, for which she and her teammates were ranked in the top 20 candidates for the 2018 Maryland Patient Safety Minogue Award. She also founded and wrote an internal publication for her medical system that promoted evidence-based patient care in the ordering and management of studies in Emergency Medicine. In addition, she served as a senior preceptor for PA students in the Emergency Department and was an adjunct instructor at the Mount in the School of Science, Mathematics & Technology for a decade before her 2021 return.
“Mary Jackson is one of the best of her kind—as a PA, an instructor, and a member of the Mount community. We’re grateful to be able to recognize her innovative career and tireless service, and uphold her as an inspiration to Mount students, especially women in STEM,” said SSMT Dean Christine McCauslin, Ph.D.
As an undergraduate, Jackson was a member of the dance team, and a member of both the George Henry Miles Honor Society and the Women in STEM Club. She also served as a Mount Ambassador to visiting prospective students, a member of the Student Council, and a supplemental instructor for Organic Chemistry and Molecular Biology.
Currently, she is on track to complete her doctorate in medical science in January 2026.
In addition to her work as program director for the Mount’s PA program, Jackson volunteers with the Eastern Family Resource Center in Baltimore and the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland.