The Morrison Family College of Health at the University of St. Thomas has selected Paul Force-Emery Mackie, PhD, LISW, as the new chair of the School of Social Work. Mackie joined the Morrison Family College of Health team on June 1, 2026.
Mackie previously served more than 20 years at Minnesota State University, Mankato, in professor roles and as the university assessment coordinator, associate director of the Center for Rural Behavioral Health, and program director of its Bachelor of Science Social Work program.
Mackie’s comprehensive vision for student recruitment and retention, his servant leadership approach, and his strong commitment to addressing behavioral health disparities in rural and veteran communities made him the perfect candidate, according to the search committee.
“Dr. Mackie brings a distinctive combination of academic leadership, rural behavioral health expertise and deep commitment to students and communities,” said MayKao Y. Hang, vice president and founding dean of the Morrison Family College of Health. “His authentic alignment and passion for our university’s mission, experience with collaboration alongside the community, and strengths-based leadership style position him well to lead our School of Social Work with distinction and purpose into the future.”
Paul Mackie, new chair of Social Work, stands in front of the St. Thomas mission statement on the St. Paul campus. (Brandon Woller ’17 / University of St. Thomas)
“The School of Social Work at the University of St. Thomas has a stellar academic reputation, and I am honored to be in a position to steward the school and lift it up to what’s next for our community,” Mackie said. “I was especially drawn in by how genuinely people on campus live out the values of Catholic social teaching. Our faculty and students embrace these beautiful principles, and I am honored to join them.”
Mackie’s pathway to academia is unique. He served in the U.S. Army for seven years, after which he worked in law enforcement. These experiences led to a passion for supporting children and families, social justice, and working with rural communities in the field of social work. He built practice experience in child protection, hospital social work, and family-based social services on the Pine Ridge Reservation before completing a PhD.
“Moving into higher education allowed me to pass on to others what I learned in the army and in law enforcement and contribute to a field that helps put more people into the community to help those in need,” Mackie said.
He has served as associate director of research at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Center for Rural Behavioral Health and has consulted on rural behavioral health issues with organizations and agencies including the White House Rural Council, the National Association of Counties, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, SAMHSA, the Minnesota Department of Health and The Carter Center.
He earned his PhD in social work from the University of Denver, his MSW from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, and his bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University.