Female prof ranks high in Nat’l Guard

Lisa McPeak,
assistant professor
of rehabilitation
medicine, recently
was named colonel,
making her
the first woman
to achieve that
rank in the
Kansas Army
National Guard.
Contributed art

By Andrea Albright

A KU Medical School professor has shattered the Kansas Army National Guard’s glass ceiling after being named the first female to achieve the rank of colonel.

Lisa McPeak, an assistant professor and director of rehabilitation medicine, was promoted at a ceremony earlier this year before being deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

After serving 19 years in the Guard, McPeak said, she was honored by the promotion.

“It’s very nice to be awarded a rank I never thought I’d achieve,” she said. “In the Kansas Army National Guard, this is the highest that I can go.”

Although McPeak is proud of her new title, she hasn’t had time to rest on her laurels. She has been occupied ensuring that an appropriate medical plan is in place for the soldiers who are being deployed.

As division surgeon for the 35th Infantry Division, McPeak is responsible for the medical care of about 15,000 troops.