At the delayed in-person one hundred and sixty-first commencement held on May 8, 2021, Chowan University awarded an honorary doctorate to Francis “Frank” M. Taylor. 

Dr. Taylor’s commitment to Chowan University runs deep. He has devoted countless hours to advancing the institution, first as the Team Physician and later as Director of Medical Services and Assistant Professor of Biology. Dr. Taylor is hailed by President Kirk Peterson and the university administrative and athletic leaders as a generous partner who has brought tremendous insight, strategic guidance, and boundless dedication to his roles at Chowan. His tenure began in 2005, and he will complete his sixteenth year this summer.

A 1985 graduate of North Carolina State University, Dr. Taylor earned a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology. In 1998, he earned his medical degree from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. There, he served as a North Carolina Rural Scholar and graduated with honors. After completing an internship at East Carolina Rural Family Practice Residency Program, he joined Conway Family Physicians. From there, he began a career in family medicine while serving his rural community in northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia in various public health positions. They include, but are not limited to, Medical Director of Hertford-Gates Health Department, Courtland Health Care Center, Martin-Tyrrell-Washington Health Department, Northside Psychiatric Hospital, Regency Health Care, and Waverly Healthcare and Rehabilitation; Hospitalist at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital and Southampton Memorial Hospital; Chair of the Primary Care Department at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital; Emergency Room Physician at Our Community Hospital; and Physician at Perdue Farms and Narricot Industries.

Today, Dr. Taylor is the Physician and Chief Executive Officer of Northampton FamilyPractice and Boykins Family Practice. He is also the Physician for Northampton County Jail and Medical Director of Promedica-Heartland Hospice, Northampton Health and Rehabilitation, and Northampton County Health Department, where he has spent more than a year on the frontline battling the coronavirus pandemic, establishing COVID-19 safety guidelines, and administering vaccines.

A board-certified member of the American Academy of Family Practice, he has received numerous awards and accolades for his work with rural patients, especially the elderly and hospice-care patients, including the Garland Award for Excellence in Geriatrics and the Pfizer Award for Family Practice. 

Please join Chowan University in thanking Dr. Taylor for his remarkable contributions to Chowan University and the greater community.