One of Marshall University’s own died this past week.
Margie McInerney, professor of management, died on Friday, Feb. 14. She had been teaching at Marshall since the 1980s.
Deahanna Raynes, one of McInerney’s former students, said she always went above and beyond for her students, even if they weren’t physically in her classroom.
“I had another professor,” Raynes said. “We all had to do mock trials, and she even showed up to watch those. It wasn’t her class, but it was her students.”
Although McInerney touched the lives of many, she primarily taught graduate level courses in the school of business. The courses were difficult, Raynes said, but McInerney’s desk-side manner eased the stress.
“All of them were grad school students; 90% of them were working full time,” she said. “Most of them had a family, and she was just understanding. She would bend over backwards.”
McInerney’s life proved kindness went a long way.
“Be an empathetic, compassionate person and love your life because that’s what she was,” Raynes said.
Spencer Lupashunski, who works in Human Resources at Marshall, also had McInerney as a professor in his graduate classes. He described her as an “exceptional educator and mentor.”
“I would not be who I am today,” he said.
Both Raynes and Lupashunski mentioned the love McInerney had for her daughter, Sarah.
“She loved Marshall with all of her being, and that’s why she was still there and not in Hawaii full time with her daughter, who she loved just as much,” Raynes said.
“I felt like if you didn’t know Sarah, you knew her because Dr. McInerney talked about her so frequently,” Lupashunski said. “She was a very proud mother and very proud of Sarah.”
Lupashunski also said McInerney, or “Margie” as her students called her, had a down-to-earth teaching approach with her students.
“She would bring that wall down to where you thought you were sitting there with someone who wanted to learn with you,” Lupashunski said. “Even though she knew the answers, she was learning with you.”
“She had a positive impact, not only on my life, but a lot of people’s lives,” he said.
Avinandan “Avi” Mukherjee, the provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, said McInerney’s dedication to education was inspiring.
“She was a passionate educator, a respected scholar and a mentor to countless students and colleagues,” he said in a statement. “Her research and expertise in labor relations, management education and ethics helped shape the field, and her unwavering commitment to academic excellence made a lasting impact on our university. Her passing is a tremendous loss to Marshall. Please keep her family, friends and loved ones in your thoughts.”
There is no current information on arrangements, but a GoFundMe has been created to assist McInerney’s family.
Sarah Davis can be contacted at [email protected].
