A. Fall 16

[ FALL 2016 • VOL. 1 • NO. 2 ]

BUILDING OUR FUTURE Students move into new residence halls

Drawing the Line

After the Storm

Meet the Honorees

Welcome Home

CHANNELING INNOVATION

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ith its Cyber Institute, STEM programs and groundbreaking translational research, Augusta University has established itself as the area’s undisputed innovation center, educating the students of today to be the leaders of tomorrow and partnering with the city to ensure the area’s continued economic success.

While being a nexus of discovery might seem like a new role for Georgia’s second-oldest city, thanks to its canal, Augusta has actually been at the forefront of invention for more than 150 years.

Built in 1845 as a source of power, water and transportation, the Augusta Canal helped the Garden City thrive throughout periods of tremendous change. Because of the canal, Col. George W. Rains, commander of the Augusta Arsenal (located on what is now the Summerville Campus), chose Augusta as the site for the Confederate Powderworks, the only buildings constructed by the government of the Confederate States of America. After the canal was widened in 1875, it powered several textile mills. By the 1890s, the canal provided not just hydromechanical power, but also hydroelectric power, making Augusta the first Southern city to have electric streetlights and streetcars.

The key to all this lies in geography. Flowing parallel to the Savannah River from its origins at the headgates three and a half miles away, the canal is 30-35 feet higher than the river by the time it reaches the historic pumping station. Pouring water through turbines from that distance creates power. Lots of power.

Though the mills have all been repurposed or torn down, the canal continues to play a vital role for the city, supplying most of the city’s drinking water and all of the power to pump it – no small feat considering that means pumping an average of 30 million gallons of water a day 330 feet uphill to the water treatment plant on Highland Avenue. That’s 30 million gallons of water pumped nearly the height of a 30-story building. Every day. For free.

How’s that for innovation?

PHOTO GALLERY See more views of the Augusta Canal at magazines.augusta.edu.

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IN PLACE

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Sibley Mill with the Augusta Powderworks chimney. Plans are underway to turn this historic mill into a cyber-technology park.

Photo By Phil Jones

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CONTENTS Welcome Home IN PLACE............................................................................................. 1 ON THE CALENDAR.......................................................................... 4 3 QS .................................................................................................... 5 DISPATCH FROM............................................................................... 6 FROM THE WIRE................................................................................ 8

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ANSWERS ALONG THE WAY......................................................... 11 EYE ON CAMPUS............................................................................. 12

On Our Way SECRET LIVES................................................................................... 36 THROUGH THE LENS...................................................................... 38 CLASS NOTES.................................................................................. 41 HISTORY & HERITAGE..................................................................... 45 VALUE ADDED................................................................................. 47 IN THE FIELD.................................................................................... 48

22 A. [Augusta University’s Alumni Magazine] Vice President, Division of Communications and Marketing Jack Evans Executive Editor Kristina Baggott Editor Eric Johnson Assistant Editor John Jenkins Alumni Affairs Liaison Susan Everitt Art Director Tricia Perea Senior Photographer Phil Jones

© 2016 AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY 2

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Closer Look BUILDING OUR FUTURE................................................................. 16 With the opening of the Jaguar Park residence halls, Augusta University undergraduates can now have a true residential experience. That’s big for them ... and even bigger for the school.

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DRAWING THE LINE........................................................................ 22 Medical illustration might be a fusion of art and science, but for those in the prestigious Medical Illustration graduate program, it’s no compromise.

AFTER THE STORM......................................................................... 28 Hurricane Katrina brought them together, but it took Augusta University to give communication professor Dr. Melanie O’Meara and her husband, ASU grad and Augusta National horticulturist Lucas, a future.

MEET THE HONOREES................................................................... 34 They’re young, they’re accomplished, and they’re spreading Jaguar pride across the state, the nation and the world. Get to know the top 20 emerging alumni leaders under 40.

28 ALUMNI AFFAIRS OFFICE

Associate Vice President, Alumni and Donor Engagement Kristina Baggott Senior Director, Alumni Affairs Scott Henson Director, Alumni Affairs Susan Everitt MCG Alumni Affairs Coordinator Kim Koss Alumni Affairs Coordinator Callie Hagler Cosper Administrative Assistant Jackie Thomas Meggett 706-737-1759 alumni@augusta.edu A., Augusta University’s alumni magazine, is published twice a year by the Office of Advancement and the Division of Communications and Marketing. The award-winning magazine connects the university with alumni, friends, the state and the world.

NATIONAL DESIGN AWARD WINNER The inaugural issue of A., Augusta University’s alumni magazine, was awarded a 2016 American Inhouse Design Award from Graphic Design USA. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u |

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ON THE CALENDAR

] MATT LINDLER

PHIL JONES

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OCT.

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DEC.

BREW-N-QUE

Mouth-watering barbeque, live music and a spectacular fireworks show are the highlights of this annual community event. For more information, visit alumni.augusta.edu.

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CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING

Join the entire CSRA community for caroling, hot cocoa, visits with Santa and the lighting of the Christmas Tree located near the Maxwell Theatre on the Summerville Campus.

DECEMBER 16

JANUARY 31-FEBRUARY 1

FEBRUARY 18

FALL COMMENCEMENT

A-DAY AT THE CAPITOL, ATLANTA

HOMECOMING, ALUMNI TAILGATE

Celebrate the achievements of Augusta University’s students during Fall Commencement at the James Brown Arena. Check augusta.edu/graduation/ commencement for details.

Alumni, students, faculty and community members gather at the Capitol to show support for Augusta University.

Jaguars come home for a lively tailgate party and Homecoming basketball games at Christenberry Fieldhouse on the Forest Hills Campus.

For more information: 706-737-1759 or alumni@augusta.edu • augusta.edu/alumni 4

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3 Qs

] PHIL JONES

[ COWBOY MIKE MICHAEL SEARLES is a professor emeritus of history at Augusta University. Known to the Augusta community as Cowboy Mike, Searles strives to educate audiences on the Western experiences of black cowboys.

Although he is usually dressed in his signature cowboy hat, it’s not uncommon to see Searles wearing boots, spurs or other cowboy attire. Searles retired from the university in 2012 after a 20-year teaching career. He now writes a weekly column for The True Citizen, a Georgia newspaper serving Waynesboro and Burke County.

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When did you first take an interest in the cowboy lifestyle?

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What impact did black cowboys have on the American experience?

At 5 or 6 years old. Like a lot of young kids, you hear them on the radio or see them on TV, so I had a fascination early in my life. But I didn’t become interested in terms of academics until much later. That sort of occurred over a period of time – for example, when I bought my first cowboy hat as an adult.

America, from the beginning, has been a place that attracted different ethnic and racial groups. They all made contributions to America. For many scholars and individuals, America is defined by the American West. The American West makes us unique, and if we’re excluded from what makes America unique, that puts us at the outside looking in. But if we’re a part of that experience and play a role in that, then it concretes our place in American history.

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What was your experience like as a professor at Augusta University?

I once told the students I would do it for no pay. I taught full time for 20 years, and I never had a bad day. Teaching is really engaging students, and I enjoyed engaging students.

VIDEO Learn more about Michael Searles at magazines.augusta.edu. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u |

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DISPATCH FROM

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COURTESY BROWN UNIVERSITY

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PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

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fter spending his early life in Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas; his high school days in Atlanta and his undergraduate years at Wake Forest, Curt LaFrance chose to get his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia, a choice that allowed him to do his part to make good on his childhood prayer, “Dear God – Show me the mind.”

“When I was doing rotations at MCG, one of the big influences was working with the neurology faculty there,” he says. “I knew I wanted to do something that would address looking at the brain and the mind as two sides to one coin.”

So from MCG, he went to Brown University, which was one of the few places that offered combined neurology and psychiatry residencies. Six years turned into eight when he was awarded an extramural National Institutes of Health fellowship, and that eight has now turned

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into 21 years in Rhode Island.

One of his areas of research involves nonpharmacologic interventions for seizures, including nonepileptic seizures.

He recently published a workbook that gives patients tools to help them take control of their seizures. It’s an approach that has its roots in his time at MCG, particularly the Medical Campus Outreach (MCO) program that developed here, where he learned about the biopsychosocial-spiritual model of patient care that looks at the whole person.

“It was such a great community there at MCG and the Summer Medical Institute (SMI) (an MCO partnership),” he says.

“Many of us who went to SMI are now training people around the world in the integrative model to be able to practice whole-person medicine.”

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. W. Curt LaFrance Jr. (MD ’95) is director of neuropsychiatry and behavioral neurology at Rhode Island Hospital, staff physician at the Providence VA Medical Center and associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at Alpert Medical School, Brown University.

THANK YOU.

On b eha l f o f A u g u s t a U n i v e r s i t y P r e s i d e n t B r o o k s A. Ke el a nd F ir s t L a d y T a m m i e S c h a lu e , t h a n k y o u t o a ll w ho c a me t og e t h e r t o s u p p or t t h e e x c i t i ng ev e n ts tha t ma r k e d o u r i n a u g u r a t i o n w e e k a s w e ll a s Au g u s ta U n i v e r s i t y ’s A lu mn i We e k e n d .

Y o u b e c a me p a r t o f A u g u s t a U n i v e r s i t y ’ s s t or y i n a n imp o r ta n t w a y, a nd t h e fu t u r e i s b r i g h t e r for o u r u n i v e r s i t y a n d the c i t y of A u g u s t a b e c a u s e o f y ou .

We s in c e r e l y a pp r e c i a t e o u r s p o n s or s C o r v i a s G r o u p , E C P Ben e f its , M e y b o h m R e a lt or s , H o r i z on Mo t or C o a c h , iHea r tM e d ia Au g u s t a , Mo r r i s C o m m u n i c a t i on s C om p a n y L L C , Au g u s ta M a g a z i n e , P h o e n i x P r i n t i n g , a n d X y t e x C r y o I n te r n a tio n a l . T h a n k y o u for y ou r c on t i n u e d s u p p o r t , and Go Jags!

augusta.edu

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FROM THE WIRE

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3 IN INAUGURAL PBC HALL OF FAME THE PEACH BELT CONFERENCE held the induction ceremony for the inaugural Hall of Fame Class on May 31 at the Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island. Augusta University was represented by former PBC Commissioner, Director of Athletics and head coach Marvin Vanover; men’s basketball All-American Ben Madgen; and former Assistant Dean of the Hull College of Business and Director of Student Support and Advising Mary Lisko.

On the 25th Anniversary of the conference, 25 members of the Hall of Fame were formally inducted. Of the 25 inductees, 19 were present at the ceremony.

The inaugural class was divided into Founding Fathers, Student-Athletes and Coaches & Administrators. Vanover was

inducted as a founding father, Madgen a student-athlete, and Lisko an administrator.

Vanover was the first commissioner of the Peach Belt Conference and served in that capacity for 16 years.

Madgen finished his four-year career in Augusta in 2010 as one of the most accomplished men’s basketball players in Peach Belt history.

Lisko ended her 29-year tenure at Augusta University in 2006, retiring as the assistant dean of the Hull College of Business and director of student support and advising. She also served the Jaguar athletic department as the faculty athletic representative for 17 years beginning in 1989.

TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD

IN APRIL, Dr. Richard Deaner, associate professor and Counselor Education Program coordinator, was awarded the 2016 Regents’ Teaching Excellence Award for research institutions for the University System of Georgia.

After careful examination and discussion of nomination portfolios from across the state, the review committee unanimously chose Deaner to receive the award, according to an award letter from the University System of Georgia.

The review committee was most impressed by Deaner’s development of a meaningful assessment used within the counseling education discipline and cited his singular focus on student development, both inside and outside the classroom, as extraordinary.

Dustin Perry, an Augusta student The award letter also singled preparing to enroll in the out Deaner’s continued role university’s Clinical Nurse as “teacher as mentor” and Leader program, was also his lasting influence on named the championship’s students and faculty alike as READ MORE AT individual men’s winner. a “reflective practitioner.”

The Jags ended the season JAGWIRE.AUGUSTA.EDU Deaner was officially as the top-ranked team in the recognized at the annual nation, according to Innova Regents’ Scholarship Gala at Collegiate Team Rankings, the St. Regis Hotel Atlanta on placing above teams from April 29. He was honored before Clemson, Purdue and Texas A&M. more than 600 guests, including the The Jags won their first national title in regents, presidents and colleagues from 2010 and another in 2014. peer institutions. In addition to being officially recognized, Deaner also received a $5,000 monetary award.

AUGUSTA HOME TO DISC GOLF CHAMPIONS IT’S SAFE TO SAY: Augusta is now the golf — and disc golf — capital of America.

So say the Jaguars, at least.

Clinching an unprecedented third win at the National Collegiate Disc Golf Championship in April, Augusta University’s disc golf club now claims more national championship disc golf titles than any other U.S. team.

This year, the Jags squared off against the Indian Hills Community College Falcons of Ottumwa, Iowa, in what turned out to be an exciting, if one-sided, match. Led by John Baker, student president of the university’s disc golf club, the Jags shot 10-under-par to win by eight shots.

STUDENT WINS SCHOLARSHIP FOR LGBTQ ACTIVISM IN MAY, senior sociology major Kathryn DelGenio was awarded The Welcoming Project’s 2016 Undergraduate Scholarship Award for her outstanding contributions to the field of LGBTQ activism.

The award, a $500 scholarship awarded annually to one undergraduate student and one graduate student, is granted to applicants from degree-granting institutions who have made significant contributions to LGBTQ activism in the U.S. and abroad.

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DelGenio is a student leader in Augusta University’s efforts to become a more inclusive institution. Her service in the university’s Safe Zone Program and Lambda Alliance have helped to promote a more welcoming campus atmosphere for LGBTQ faculty, staff and students.

Most recently, DelGenio took a more active role in the university’s Lambda Alliance by organizing a collective response to disparaging sidewalk messages on the

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Summerville Campus in the fall of 2015.

Since then, she has also organized a “Take Back the Sidewalks” rally, drafted changes to student legislation and organized various discussion panels related to LGBTQ mental and social wellness in the CSRA. In addition to her efforts on campus and in the Augusta community, DelGenio also participated in the WorldPride Human Rights Conference held in Toronto in 2014.

SUPPORTING ‘10 IN 10’ WINNERS ON JUNE 9, the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Augusta Magazine, presented the 2016 “Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch” award at the Chamber’s Member Economic Luncheon at the Augusta Marriott Hotel at the Convention Center.

The award honors 10 rising business professionals between the ages of 25 and 35. Six former winners have gone on to win the Georgia Trend “40 under 40” award.

This year, Augusta University’s Dr. Nicholas Madden, a radiation oncology resident, was one of the recipients.

Carlton Deese, associate director, Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home, was also a winner. The nursing home is owned and funded by the Georgia Department of Veterans Service and operated through an interagency agreement with Augusta University.

In attendance were several former recipients from the Hull College of Business, including Dr. Mark Thompson, interim dean; Melissa Furman, assistant dean; Jennifer Gagnon, surgical device specialist, Covidien; Rebecca Plankey, owner, Emineo Marketing; Summer Bell, accountant, Rhoden CPA Firm; Rhonda Banks, director of annual giving, Augusta University; Wes Zamzow, director of development, Augusta University; and Adam Williams, manager at the Cleveland Group.

Other former recipients with an Augusta University affiliation include Chris Etterlee, Dr. Adam Goldberg, Rebekah Henry, Lindsay Thetford, Kristina Baggott, Matt Driskell and Catherine Stewart.

“It’s great to see the number of Augusta University-affiliated people who have been selected for this award,” said Furman. “It shows that the university is fueling the future leadership of the local community.”

MATH STUDENTS WIN COMPETITION THIS SPRING, Augusta University mathematics students took part in the Mathematical Association of America Southeastern Section’s (MAASE) Math Jeopardy competition and won first place.

Augusta students competed against 28 other teams, including representatives from The Citadel, University of North Carolina at Asheville and Georgia Southern University.

Competitors were required to solve problems from all different areas of undergraduate mathematics, including geometry, calculus, linear algebra and differential equations.

The Augusta team won the competition during the final jeopardy round.

“The team was behind going into final

jeopardy, and they were the only ones that got the final jeopardy right,” said Dr. Cornelius Stallman, team advisor and associate professor of mathematics. “The only reason the team got into the final round was because they pulled a wild card.

They won the first round and came in second on the second round. Without the wild card, they wouldn’t have made it into the final round.”

Stallman enjoyed watching his students participate.

“It was quite exciting because they were not ahead,” he said. “We weren’t expecting them to get into the final round, but then they did. So, it was very exciting.”

The last time Augusta University won the MAASE Jeopardy competition was in 2008.

KEEL OUTLINES GOALS PRESIDENT Brooks A. Keel reiterated Augusta University’s mission to advance health care, cybersecurity and comprehensive research in Georgia during his Investiture Ceremony on April 27.

Keel said the task, which he referred to as the university’s “tripartite mission” of service, education and research, presents the university with both “unique responsibilities and unprecedented opportunities.”

One of those responsibilities is spreading the reach of the university’s clinical service.

“Clearly we have a responsibility to provide outstanding, state-of-the-art clinical care to the Augusta area, and we are doing that exceptionally well,” Keel said. “But our clinical service responsibility goes well beyond the CSRA.” Keel also cited the need to harness the university’s clinical, public health and research expertise to design solutions to some of Georgia’s most pressing health care problems.

“We should be known nationally as leaders in the delivery of health care to the correctional system, both adult and juvenile,” he said. “We need to help stabilize rural hospitals, not to bail them out, but help stand them up.”

Both goals, he said, are part of a much larger effort on the part of the university to ensure that “all Georgians have access to quality medical and dental care, regardless of whether they live in the city or on the farm.”

In addition to advancing the university’s clinical service mission, Keel also highlighted the potential for Augusta to become the new nexus for cybersecurity education and research in the U.S. “With the Cyber Command coming to Fort Gordon, the city of Augusta and Augusta University have a chance together to become the next Silicon Valley for cyber education, training and research,” he said. “Like health care, we need to establish ourselves as the destination for all things cyber.”

To this end, the president stressed the importance of improving the economic development of Augusta.

“This we can do not only by providing the education and training for the workforce, for the businesses and industry of this city, but perhaps more importantly by serving as a magnet to bring additional business and industry into our area,” he said.

Head to The Fine Print, magazines.augusta. edu, for the complete story and the full video of Keel’s Investiture speech.

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Change a life.

“A scholarship is more than simply a monetary benefaction. It is a reminder to us students that someone believes in us – in our ability, in our passion and in our future. It’s an emotional relief from a heavy financial burden. The gratitude that I have felt from receiving this scholarship motivates me to be a donor in the future. Our hard work has brought us this far, and it is so reassuring to know that countless people are cheering us on as we continue to pursue our passions.”

- Leah Brown, Medical College of Georgia

YOUR gifts touch the lives of many deserving students. YOUR gift makes a real difference. Make a gift today by visiting giving.augusta.edu.

MAKE YOUR GIFT BY DECEMBER 31 FOR YOUR 2016 TAX DEDUCTION.

SAVE THE DATES! ALUMNI WEEKEND April 27-30, 2017

ALUMNI HOMECOMING TAILGATE February 18, 2017 Visit us online to keep up with the latest news and to update your contact info at alumni.augusta.edu.

Join us on social media!

Augusta University Alumni

@AUG_Alumni

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@AUG_Alumni

Augusta University Alumni

ANSWERS ALONG THE WAY

] SUBMITTED PHOTO

[ JEB BLOUNT

In 2006, Jeb Blount (BBA ’92) made the risky decision to turn his back on corporate America and lunge headfirst toward the shimmering uncertainty of entrepreneurship in the most nerve-wracking way possible – by creating a jobs portal for salespeople in the midst of the Great Recession. After three intense years (“I don’t remember much of 2007-2009, because I didn’t sleep,” says Blount.), SalesGravy.com emerged as the market leader in its field and is now the largest sales employment engine in the world. Never one for complacency, Blount, who has become a sought-after keynote speaker, has grown SalesGravy into a sales training and consulting powerhouse, complete with franchise opportunities and an online sales university. > THE EASIEST AND FASTEST WAY TO CONNECT WITH OTHER HUMAN BEINGS is to listen to them. You cannot make someone feel too important, too loved, too accepted or too needed. > YOU CAN’T BE AFRAID OF MAKING MISTAKES, because it’s the mistakes and the iteration of those mistakes that make you better. > IF YOU’RE AN ENTREPRENEUR, YOU’VE GOT TO DEVELOP THE ABILITY TO MAKE A DECISION VERY QUICKLY. If you look at startups that don’t make it, some of it was because they were scared, and some of it was because they were arrogant. But a lot of it was because of their inability to constantly innovate. > I’M REALLY MYOPIC, so if I get my eyes on something, I can get stuff done most people can’t. But I’m terrible at time management, so I have people around me who can disrupt whatever I’m focusing on and move me to the next thing. > IF IT’S 10,000 B.C., you’re in the woods hunting for your food, something is hunting

you and you can’t make a decision, you’re going to be dinner. The same is true today.

your mindset, you can change what the outcome is going to be.

> THERE’S ALWAYS AN ANSWER. When you get bad news, sometimes you’re just sitting there staring at the wall trying to figure out what you’re going to do. Part of you is fatalistic, but you’ve got to tell yourself to stop thinking that way. If you can change

> I USUALLY DON’T GET NERVOUS because I talk for a living, but I was extremely nervous for my speech at Alumni Weekend.

And it didn’t help that the president of the university was sitting in the front row.

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EYE ON CAMPUS

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Behind the crew equipment at the GPB Christmas Concert in the Maxwell Theatre.

Photos By Matt Lindler | 14.0-24.0 MM LENS,

1/60 SEC@F/5.6, ISO 1600 Continued on next page

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EYE ON CAMPUS

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RAISING THE CURTAINS

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or almost a half-century, the Grover C. Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre has welcomed students, staff and community alike.

Through these doors, people have gathered to hear concerts, recitals, academic and university-related lectures, watch theater performances and films, and participate in workshops.

When it was first built in 1968, this marked the dawn of a new era for then-Augusta College. The school was now creating educational facilities instead of repurposing old buildings. The theater was built at the same time as the neighboring instructional building, and for a while, both shared the name “Fine Arts Center.” Eventually, however, the auditorium became the “Performing Arts Theater,” finally being renamed the Grover C. Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre in 1984.

The facilities became unique not only in purpose, but also construction. Unlike other campus buildings, parts of the Maxwell are underground, including the backstage. Digging allowed not only a large backstage, but storage areas below, including a climatecontrolled space that now stores two Steinway pianos. Also special to the theater – it has both a traditional main stage and a thrust stage (an extension which can be lowered). When the thrust is used, it provides audiences with an intimate all-around view of performers. Having two stages also allows the staff to set up two shows at once. Last year, the Maxwell boasted a record schedule with 216 events and, of course, the steady stream of onlookers to match.

The theater seats 740 people, only about 100 less than downtown Augusta’s Imperial Theatre, and the Maxwell has put those seats to good use. Over the decades, notable performers have included choral director Robert Shaw leading the Augusta College Choir during its inaugural event, to more recently, last year’s performance by the Vienna Boys Choir.

Just a few years ago, the Maxwell gained a 32-foot-wide screen, the biggest on campus. So now the space also hosts films including those for the Cinema Series.

For information about upcoming shows, see augusta.edu/ maxwelltheatre.

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Closer Look

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OUR FUTURE Students move into new residence halls

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PHIL JONES

BUILDING 17

PHIL JONES

BRIGHT AND EARLY on a hot, sunny Saturday in August, a new era at Augusta University began when the first group of undergraduates to live in Oak Hall pulled up to the curb on Spellman Street and began the efficient and highly orchestrated unloading process.

By Eric Johnson The move-in and just about everything else involving the new residence halls was supervised by Dr. Heather Schneller, director of housing and residence life, who was tough to miss in her big straw hat – her movein hat – which she brought with her last year when she was hired to be Augusta University’s first director of housing.

“I love Move-In Day,” she said above the squawk of her two-way radio.

“There is just so much excitement. These students are starting a new journey, and we get the privilege of being with them on it. We’re there alongside them, making sure they succeed.”

Arriving at 30-minute increments, the incoming students quickly unloaded their belongings into rolling bins, breezed through the check-in process and were then reunited with their belongings at their rooms, all thanks to a dedicated team of yellow-shirted volunteers.

With cheerleaders in grey, move-in help in yellow, resident assistants in blue and Augustus in his Jaguar jersey, it was a very colorful affair.

“It’s really nice to see it all come together,” said Dr. Gretchen Caughman, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, who personally welcomed the first flight of new students and their families by holding open the door. “When you think back to what this area was like not that long ago…”

Move-In Day was certainly hard to imagine during the groundbreaking ceremony back in May 2015, when university leaders, representatives from student government and others gathered in the

parking lot of the old Residence V to symbolically begin the long and difficult process of bringing a true undergraduate residential experience to the university.

Augusta University was one of nine institutions in the University System of Georgia to benefit from a $527 million public-private partnership that will ultimately bring more than 3,500 new beds of oncampus housing to the state during the next half-century.

For Augusta University, that meant the construction of a two-building complex, the 312-bed Elm Hall, which houses graduate and professional students, and Oak Hall, the 412-bed undergraduate residence hall.

Composed of 66 two-bed suites and 68 four-bed suites, each suite is fully furnished, including its own bathroom. Free laundry facilities, cable and internet, common kitchen areas and several types of gather spaces provide – finally – the kind of living/learning environment administrators, students and faculty have been longing for.

While other universities across Georgia may also have received residence halls as part of this blockbuster partnership, it’s doubtful any will have more of an impact on their school than these.

“It’s not just the residence halls,” said Dr. Mark Allen Poisel, vice president for enrollment and student affairs. “It’s what those residence halls now allow us to do that we’ve not been able to do before.”

In simple terms, the residence halls allow the university to give students a complete student life experience. But the residence halls themselves were just the most obvious piece of a much larger and more significant transformation.

Continued on next page

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KIM RATLIFF PHIL JONES

KIM RATLIFF

During the last few weeks of summer, graduates and undergraduates moved into the residence halls that make up Jaguar Park.

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PHIL JONES

EXPANDING THE CAMPUS First off, there’s how the residence halls impact the look and functioning of the campus itself.

Take food, for instance. You can’t bring 400 undergraduates to live on the Health Sciences Campus without having some way to feed them, and because of the complexity of creating a residence program from scratch – and in phases – feeding those students required more than just building a dining hall.

While the two residence halls that make up Jaguar Park offer more than 700 beds, the Master Plan sets a goal of 2,600 beds by 2023.

Since the initial dining need more or less dovetailed with the space available in the nearby Student Center, officials looked at renovating the existing space, but with an eye to the future.

“This has always been what I’ve called our transitional dining hall,” said Karl Munschy, director for auxiliary services. “It was never intended to be our forever place, so we intentionally designed it that way.”

That means instead of installing a walk-in cooler that would be part of the structure, all the added refrigeration and freezer capacity is on wheels so it can all be rolled right into a new dining facility whenever the next phase kicks off.

Most of the money that went into turning the existing food court into the new Atrium Dining Hall was invested behind the scenes. Adding dishwasher capacity required tearing up the kitchen floor and adding plumbing, for example. Adding vent capacity and the production equipment to serve 400 people three meals a day came with challenges of their own, too.

And then there was the formulation of the meal plan, something the university had never really had before.

Built on swipes, the plans allow students to swipe their JagCards to access their meals in the common dining area. Every week, students on the Jaguar Blue plan get 12 all-you-care-to-eat meals in Atrium Dining.

Students on the more expensive Gold plan get the full 17 swipes a week.

Unlike the University Village apartments located near the Forest Hills Campus, which although part of a community are fundamentally an individual living experience because of their kitchens, Oak Hall is about building community, and one of the main ways that’s done is through shared dining.

“We want the students congregating in one area and hanging out and talking to each other,” Munschy said. “You lose that if you don’t have a dining hall.”

The fact that the undergraduates living on the Health Sciences Campus would be taking classes on the Summerville Campus made lunch more complicated. Knowing the majority of these students would choose to remain at Summerville over the noon hour, the meal plans come with $425 in built-in flex dollars that allows students to eat at any of the food court options on Summerville. And for meals not served at the 20 | FAL L 2 0 1 6 A. [ Au g u sta Univ e rsity’s Alu mni Mag az in e]

dining hall, these flex dollars can be used at the hospital cafeteria and the popular Subway on the Health Sciences Campus.

That comes out to over 70 meals at a $6 average.

To accommodate these students on the Summerville Campus, the soft seating in the breezeway of the Jaguar Student Activities Center (JSAC) was replaced in early August by tables and 110 hard seats.

Before you can feed them, however, you have to move them, and getting these new residential students from home to class and back again required developing a fully functional transportation system.

Built from combining the existing intercampus route with the route already servicing Forest Hills, Christenberry Fieldhouse, University Village and the Summerville Campus, the new Teal Route puts a bus at each stop every 10-12 minutes from 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 7 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday. And just in case too many students want to sleep in before their 8 a.m. classes, there is an extra bus on hand to handle the 7-8 a.m. rush … and the SmartTraxx mobile app to give users realtime positioning of all the buses on the route.

Though Munschy hoped to start the year with brand new buses, a new fleet of 32-seat buses wrapped in Augusta University colors and branding will arrive later in the fall.

As part of the $1.7 million worth of overall renovations made to the Student Center, special care was made to create comfortable areas where students can relax and hang out. Students also have the option of working out in the Wellness Center, which was renovated in the spring of 2015.

“It’s your bedroom, it’s your living room, it’s your dining room, it’s your play room,” Poisel said. “All of which allows us to create a different kind of student life experience than we’ve had in the past.”

TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE Besides giving students these social experiences, having a true residential experience also gives students the chance to enjoy a host of additional learning opportunities beyond the already existing academic and research opportunities.

“This was my first-choice school,” second-year resident assistant Reanah Gibson said while welcoming students on Move-In Day. “I really want to be a doctor, so the medical programs we have and the association with the medical school really called to me.”

Though she gladly chose Augusta University before the residence halls were an option, she’s fully aware that the students she’s Elm Hall entrance now guiding through their freshman year have the chance to have a more complete introduction to college life than she had.

Now, because of the gather spaces on each floor and the large connect space on the first floor, Oak Hall will be a hub for all sorts of programming, which started on Move-In Day with ROAR Camp, an extended orientation program for all first-year students living on campus.

“The research that’s out there nationally for extended

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The newly renovated Student Center

orientation programs shows that students are going to get acclimated faster to the campus. They’re going to interact better, and they’re going to be more likely to engage with their professors sooner than their counterparts who don’t go through the program,” Schneller said.

And that engagement directly translates into better academic performance.

“We know that living on campus you’re going to have a higher GPA as well as graduate sooner than if you live off campus,” she said. “That’s the national data, and our own data backs that up.”

Because of the way the living space has been integrated into the programming, specialized opportunities like the Living-Learning Communities have already been created to allow students to get the most out of their initial experience.

Living-Learning Communities are designed to give participating students an enhanced academic experience as well as a more fulfilling college experience by grouping them into a cohort that lives and studies together, something that could never have happened before.

Pioneered by the College of Science and Mathematics in partnership with Housing and Residence Life, students are currently grouped in two communities: those majoring in one of the biological sciences degree programs and those majoring in chemistry or physics. The hope is that by structuring a freshman year in such a way, students will not only achieve better academic results, they’ll also be more likely to remain at the university.

Seth Pettis, an incoming freshman from Monticello, Georgia, is excited to be a part of the new program.

“I jumped on it really quickly when I learned about it,” he said. “Because you’re going to be working with your peers the whole year, making friendships that will last throughout your entire college career and maybe even through medical school, since a lot of these kids want to get into medical school.”

In the end, this new experience makes it easier for the university to not only engage and retain students, it gives recruiters a student life component that, combined with the already outstanding academic opportunities, allows them to target a different kind of student than they’ve been able to attract before.

“The more high-capacity students know what’s out there,” Caughman said. “They’re savvy and they’ve seen it other places, so the ability to show these kinds of amenities and provide this experience is really important.”

Poisel agrees.

“It takes a university to recruit, retain and graduate a student,” he said.

“And we’re at a point in our institution’s history where we can create traditions we haven’t had in the past. If you come here, you’re coming to an institution where you can be a builder, and I think that’s really cool.”

As for the university, bringing undergraduates to the Health Sciences Campus is the kind of bridge Caughman hopes can further unite the two campuses.

“What this will really do is stitch together the two campuses as a community,” she said. “We believe there’s a significant advantage for students who want to be able to be right there in the midst of the Health Sciences Campus to be brushing arm in arm with the clinicians.”

At the ribbon-cutting, President Brooks Keel was equally optimistic about the transformative nature of the residence halls.

“Really, it marks the beginning of a whole new phase for our students,” he said. “Whenever you have students in one location on a campus like this, it brings a tremendous excitement. It’s going to change the face of this university.”

VIDEO Enjoy a before-and-after view of the new residence halls at magazines.augusta.edu.

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DRAWING THE LINE

AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY’S Medical Illustration Graduate Program helps artists and scientists save lives and find change without compromising their passions.

By Nick Garrett When Amy Carlsen gave birth to conjoined twins in the fall of 2005, she and husband Jesse never dreamed an artist would one day play a role in saving their children’s lives.

Like most conjoined births, their girls, Abby and Belle, were born sick.

The two shared part of a liver, and a portion of Belle’s heart was lodged in her sister’s chest. To make matters worse, the two also shared a portal vein – the blood vessel responsible for carrying most of the body’s nutrient-rich blood from the stomach to the liver. To survive, the girls needed to be separated. But in order for that to happen, surgeons at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, first needed some guidance.

Conjoined births are extremely rare – successful separations, even more so – so, to give the girls a fighting chance, the surgery team brought in medical illustrator Michael King to depict what surgeons might find under the girls’ skin.

Using a mix of research, internal imaging and a pinch of artistry, King sketched a lifelike illustration of what Abby and Belle’s shared anatomy might look like. That sketch, used by the surgery team to perform a successful separation, was so uncannily detailed, in fact, that lead surgeon Dr. Christopher Moir later remarked, “What we encountered in surgery was precisely what [Michael] depicted in his illustrations.”

Now pushing 11, Abby and Belle Carlsen lead normal, happy lives with their parents in North Dakota. But their story, while unique, isn’t necessarily a rare one. Since the early 1900s, trained medical illustrators have helped to save countless lives by providing the surgical guides and learning aides used in operating theaters and classrooms throughout the world.

In 2005, though, Stephanie Pfeiffer (MS ’16) knew nothing about that.

Then a freshman at a visual arts magnet school in Savannah, Georgia, she had never considered art as a facet of medicine. Nor had she ever considered it a career.

“I was on the science side of things, and I knew I wanted to teach,” Continued on next page

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Stephanie Pfeiffer (MS ‘16) ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 23

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Amanda Behr (center) teaches a class.

she explained. “I never really knew what opportunities existed for artists other than being the starving fine artist everyone hears about.”

So, when she enrolled at the University of Georgia in the fall of 2009 as an animal science major, no one was terribly surprised. After all, science and a love of animals had always been major parts of her life. Combining the two into a viable career path only strengthened her appreciation for both.

For a while, the choice felt like a good one. She enjoyed her classes, and the material was both challenging and stimulating. But after a few semesters, that feeling changed.

She didn’t feel stuck. Trapped wasn’t the right word for it. But something was off about her choice of major.

It felt like a compromise.

It was around this time that Pfeiffer’s older sister made a lifechanging suggestion.

“My older sister was at UGA as an art and English major,” Pfeiffer recalled. “She recommended I take an Intro to Art class.”

So, she did.

In her art class, Pfeiffer met a student who recognized her appreciation for medical science. The student referred her to UGA’s scientific illustration program. Later, Pfeiffer spoke with the program’s director about pursuing a minor in scientific illustration.

From there, it was a short leap to a medical illustration graduate program.

But as many looking to jump into the field soon discover, there’s a serious shortage of landing points.

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Only four programs in North America are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP): the Biomedical Visualization program at University of Illinois-Chicago, the Biomedical Communications program at University of Toronto, the Medical and Biological Illustration program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Medical Illustration Graduate Program at Augusta University. The task of finding the right program can be daunting. Though all four programs have their fair share of similarities, their differences far outweigh their parallels.

Pfeiffer’s choice was especially tough. She initially had an interest in Chicago and Toronto. By the time she applied to Augusta, she had already been accepted to Johns Hopkins. In the end, her decision came down to one thing.

“So, it’s really cold up north,” she said, chuckling to herself. “But, seriously, I chose Augusta because the program here really had the focus I was looking for.”

According to Amanda Behr, director of the Medical Illustration Graduate Program, that focus is one of the things separating Augusta graduates from medical illustrators the world over. It’s also not something you’d necessarily expect to hear from a professional artist.

“We focus on surgical training and the fundamentals of storytelling,” she said.

On the surface, the two disciplines – one a particularly hard science, the other an uncompromising art – might seem at first like a poor fit. Behr believes otherwise.

“I find that those who discover medical illustration as a career feel like they don’t fit in one place,” Behr said. “They love art and they love science. Some are scientists who have gone through all of their scientific training and realize something is missing.

Then they find art.”

Behr understands that feeling better than most.

“For me, I went to art school first, found art, then realized I was really missing the science,” she said. “That’s one of the things that’s great about medical illustration. You don’t have to make a choice between the two.”

While applying surgical training to medical illustration might seem like a no-brainer (it isn’t, by any stretch), applying storytelling is, for many, a much harder task. But according to Peter Lawrence (MS ’16), all it takes is a change of view.

Like many of his colleagues, Lawrence has been drawing since he was old enough to hold a crayon. He, like Pfeiffer, also felt like his initial career path was a compromise.

But one major difference separates the two.

Unlike Pfeiffer, Lawrence said he never imagined life without art. It was the driving force behind his career decisions. It motivated him to stay in school, pushed him to succeed. Only, it wasn’t quite working out.

“I’ve always loved art, and I knew I needed to draw, so initially, I was a graphic communications major at George Mason University,” Lawrence said. “I did that for a couple of years, but it really just didn’t provide a lot of the creative satisfaction I needed.”

As a graphic communications major, Lawrence’s primary focus was design work: creating graphics, tools and interactive learning aids for children. It was honest work. And, to a degree, it was artistic. But it wasn’t a strong fit for his artistic voice.

It was at this point, confused and frustrated, that Lawrence found the change he needed.

“As I was just trying to find my voice as an artist, I found out one of my professors would actually do sketches in the operating room at a hospital affiliated with George Mason,” he said. “I just found that so intriguing.”

A fine artist at heart, Lawrence had always been interested in the human form, but to that point, he’d never considered medical illustration as a creative outlet.

Following in his professor’s footsteps, he soon set about honing his own medical artistry.

He obtained permission to sketch in the OR and, eventually, began painting a series of illustrations depicting various surgeries. After some time, Lawrence’s then-girlfriend suggested he look into a medical illustration graduate program. So, he did.

“I looked into the program at Hopkins and thought to myself, ‘This is just perfect,’” he said.

Like Pfeiffer, Lawrence was also accepted into the program at JHU. He, too, declined.

“The people in Augusta were very friendly, and I really like the easygoing feel of being in a small city versus the hustle and bustle of Baltimore,” he said. “I actually reached out to several alums from each of the programs before making a decision, though.”

What he found only further cemented his decision.

“What I found from reaching out was that there are more alums from this program who have gone on to found their own successful medical illustration companies,” Lawrence said. “All the juggernauts of medical animation are alums of this program: companies like Radius Digital Science, Nucleus Medical Media and Vessel Studios.”

Lawrence entered the program shortly after. There, he discovered what it meant to become not only a “visual scientist,” but a storyteller as well.

The first step, he said, was to change the way he saw the “little things.”

As a fine artist, Lawrence had grown accustomed to including “minutiae” in his artwork. From figure sketches to paintings of surgical operations, he included every minor detail, every speck, freckle and dot he could to produce the most complete image possible.

After a few weeks in the program, however, he quickly learned why that was a problem.

“Whenever I mention medical illustration to someone who’s never heard of it, they always ask, ‘Don’t they have photographs of all that?’” he said. “It’s a fair question. Photographs catch everything on the surface. But you can tell a much more elaborate, complex story than just what a photograph reveals.

It’s not about being picture perfect; it’s about creating understanding.”

Amanda Behr shows students how to apply latex to a cast of a hand.

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Continued on next page

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BRAD ARMSTRONG BRAD ARMSTRONG

Mark Schornak (MS ‘87)

Peter Lawrence (MS ‘16)

“

All the juggernauts of medical animation are alums of this program.

— Peter Lawrence

”

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Storytelling through medical illustration, he said, isn’t about producing the most complete image. It’s about explaining something to a viewer that can be understood at first glance, regardless of whether that viewer is a patient or a trained physician.

“It’s problem solving, really,” Lawrence explained. “There’s a particular message you need to convey, so you work through it and create concept sketches and storyboards to accurately address the issue so that someone can understand it just by looking at it. It was tough learning to cut out the nonessential, but it really improved my work.”

It was clearly a lesson Lawrence took to heart.

In June, he began a new career in the Neuroscience Publications office at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. There, working under the supervision of fellow Augusta medical illustration graduate Mark Schornak (MS ’87), he will produce artwork to assist students and professionals pursuing academic publishing.

For Lawrence, it’s something of a dream job — even if it is a huge change from his fine arts background.

“The first images I’ll be doing are for a neurosurgical atlas on the brain stem, but there will be an opportunity coming up pretty soon to do an editorial illustration for the Journal of Neurosurgery,” he said, grinning from ear to ear. “I’ve been drooling over the illustrations in that journal since I came to Augusta. That opportunity would be just amazing.”

According to Behr, Lawrence and Pfeiffer’s successes aren’t uncommon. More importantly, though, she said each success felt a little like a family victory.

Part of that comes from the size of each class. Pfeiffer and Lawrence’s consisted of just nine students.

“For me, as a faculty member, when you’re in a smaller environment, you get to know what’s going on with the person,” she said. “You can understand better how to relate to them about what they’re communicating in their artwork, but you can also keep an eye on how they’re doing.”

The environment, combined with the standard critique model, heavy project focus and an emphasis on postgraduation success, Behr said, ultimately separates the Augusta program from other medical illustration programs.

“It’s less of a commodity and more of a family,” she said. “The faculty really care, and the students can see that we care because we spend so much time together. You get to see how students change, and there’s common ground when you know where someone comes from on a deeper level.”

Behr would know.

In her short time as program director, she’s seen multiple students move on to weddings, engagements and new job opportunities. She’s introduced her children to her students, and the students, close as they are, refer to her frequently and lovingly as “Mama Behr.” It’s a tremendous responsibility, but also a tremendous joy.

“It’s a lot of contact time,” she stressed. “It’s not something where we can just meet with students and give them a class schedule, but we’ve found that this model allows for a lot of collaboration and growth between students. It keeps us a close-knit family, even after graduation.”

That, Behr said, is something she hopes will never change.

VIDEO See an archived interview with the first graduate of the Medical Illustration Program at magazines.augusta.edu.

PHIL JONES

SPEED DATING FOR ARTISTS AND SCIENTISTS

By Brennan Meagher

AT AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY, bringing art and science together is part of the culture.

In February, Cheryl Goldsleger, Augusta University’s Morris Eminent Scholar in Art, hosted the university’s first Leonardo Arts and Science Evening Rendezvous (LASER).

LASER events are affiliated with Leonardo/The International Society for Arts, Sciences and Technology, a nonprofit organization serving a global network of distinguished scholars, artists, scientists, researchers and thinkers through programs focused on interdisciplinary work, creative output and innovation.

“This is a big deal,” Goldsleger said. “Top schools in the country host LASER events, including University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University.”

The theme of the event was the influence of 3-D technology on visual arts and medicine.

Four panelists in addition to Goldsleger participated. Dr. Michael Schwartz, art history professor; Amanda Behr, interim chair and program director, Medical Illustration, and clinic director, Clinic for Prosthetic Restoration; Dr. Charles Clark, dean of the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; and Dr. Paul Weinberger, director of research in the Department of Otolaryngology.

The speakers talked about their individual occupations.

“It started to become obvious how each occupation overlapped,” Goldsleger said. “We didn’t speak to the particulars of that, but it was evident in each presentation.”

She described the event as “speed dating for artists and scientists.”

Goldsleger hopes the event will foster discussion between the art and science communities.

“The idea for this LASER was to get people to start talking and realize both campuses are active and we share common ground and common interests,” she said. “It may be in different ways and through different approaches, but we still have something in common. Two vital communities became one through the merger.”

Goldsleger believes the event was a success and estimates approximately 180 people attended.

“People seemed to be really engaged,” she said. “Our goal was to kick-start the process of building bridges and finding people with not necessarily the same exact interests, but interests that overlap, and finding that space where people meet and have knowledge, experiences and skills they can share.”

Goldsleger believes attendees saw ways in which education can be improved through the development of physical models. She is interested in learning about the ways in which researchers are using 3-D printers and how the medium has impacted their research.

Following the success of the inaugural LASER event, Goldsleger hopes to see the events continue. She would like to host four LASERs a year, two at the university and two in the community.

“The point of LASER is that it’s not a one-off event,” she said. “I’m hoping that the event allowed people to meet who have the potential to collaborate.”

The event also has the ability to teach students about the value of cross-campus collaboration at Augusta.

“It’s an important part of learning how to interact,” Goldsleger said.

“If students are aware of that as beginners, then it becomes more normal to think of that as a possible way to work in later classes and when they graduate.”

Goldsleger is looking forward to future LASER events. She hopes to see an impact on the Augusta campus beyond the event itself.

“The event sparked a light, and it’s incumbent upon us to not let that light go out,” she said.

ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 27

PHOTOS BY PHIL JONES

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The O’Meara family

AFTER

THE STORM A TRAGEDY brought them together. Augusta University gave them a future.

By Brennan Meagher On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina came crashing into the Gulf Coast.

A Category 3 storm, Katrina stretched 400 miles across with sustained winds between 100 and 140 miles per hour. The wind moved almost equivalent to the speed of a passenger train and only slightly slower than a Formula One car.

The death toll climbed to nearly 2,000 people and affected approximately 40,000 square miles of the United States.

Katrina is known as one of the five deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history, and at an estimated $108 billion in damages, it is also the country’s costliest natural disaster. Ever.

But this is not a story about a storm.

This is a story about a storm that played a role in bringing two people together.

A WATERSHED MOMENT When Katrina hit, Dr. Melanie O’Meara, assistant professor of communication, was Melanie Kitchens, a doctoral student finishing up her course work at Louisiana State University.

Immediately after the storm, Melanie found herself at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, a multipurpose sports arena that had been converted into a triage center and, to this day, the largest field hospital in United States history.

There, Melanie and her colleagues at LSU brought laptops to help people displaced by the storm contact their family members.

The students, communication studies majors, also brought their cameras with them so they could record stories for local news stations.

“We were just listening to people,” Melanie said. “I think that when people are going through that kind of trauma, to have people listen to you is important.”

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ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 29

PLANTING A SEED After returning to Baton Rouge, Melanie began work on her dissertation.

Lucas started looking for a job.

A 2006 Augusta University graduate with a degree in sociology, Lucas quickly found a job in his field, or at least what would become his field.

He began working at a neighborhood plant nursery.

Like many freshmen, when he originally enrolled at then-Augusta State University, Lucas was undecided. After completing several sociology classes, he made the decision to declare a major.

But he still hadn’t quite found his passion.

However, a biology elective and Dr. Charlotte Christy, associate professor of biology, would change that.

“Right before I graduated, I happened to take a plant biology class to finish up a biology minor,” Lucas said. “I loved it. I thought it was fun, and I loved working with plants. I grew up hunting, hiking and camping. I felt like working with plants was the perfect combination of working with CONVERSATION AND CALIFORNIA ROLLS nature and doing construction with nature.”

On a late summer evening in 2006, during that extended visit It was this class, and more importantly, Christy, that changed Lucas’ career trajectory. home, Melanie Kitchens and her family had “She seemed like she was really enthralled dinner at a local Japanese restaurant. Melanie with what she did,” Lucas said “I think that’s was in need of a relaxing evening, and dinner contagious. When you have a student who with her family provided that. Being in has a sliver of interest that is genuine, having Augusta provided that. a teacher who really does care about what she They sat at the sushi bar where they ran does and really has a passion for it makes all the into some acquaintances, Lucas O’Meara and difference in the world.” his family.

SUBMIT YOUR LOVE STORY One particular project still stands out, to “We were sitting at the corner of the sushi If Augusta University brought you both student and teacher: a project involving bar, and Lucas’ family was sitting right there and your spouse together, share the love by sending us an email overcoming seed dormancy with pepper seeds. as well,” Melanie said. “It wasn’t the first time (alumni@augusta.edu).

“After 10 years, many students blur together, we had seen each other, because Lucas knew but Lucas still stands out,” Christy said. “He had my younger brother. So, we said hello in been making hybrids among different peppers, recognition of each other.” and he came back with one plant that he was sure was a hybrid. He was The two families awkwardly exchanged niceties. But then Melanie heard Lucas’ father mention Katrina, and that’s all it took to break the right. He had successfully crossed two species of sweet and hot peppers.

We were able to confirm that he created a perfect hybrid.” ice. Lucas’ father worked for Georgia Power and had been stationed To this day, Christy continues to share the story about Lucas’ hybrid in Mississippi and Louisiana after the storm. Both Melanie and he pepper with her students. were still coming to terms with what they experienced.

“He was someone who had taken my class and then did work on his As dinner progressed, Melanie and Lucas spent more and more own,” she said. “It’s great when you see something click with a student. time talking to one another. In doing so, they realized they liked each Lucas found something he wanted to do, and that makes students other. memorable.”

Before dinner was over, Lucas decided he wanted to get to know The pepper project is no less memorable to Lucas.

Melanie better.

“When I started voicing an interest in horticulture, Dr. Christy knew I “When I saw her at the sushi bar that night, we got to talking, and loved spicy food and peppers, so she suggested the experiment involving I thought she was a really unique person,” Lucas said. “She was really peppers and overcoming seed dormancy,” Lucas said. “She found a way intelligent and sweet.” to really appeal to me with horticulture. She tailored it to me. I think So, after the bill was paid, he asked Melanie for her number … in that really helped in solidifying my interest and passion in working with front of both sets of parents. plants.”

After that, Lucas and Melanie quickly became inseparable.

Though he graduated with a sociology degree, when he arrived in “Something clicked, and it was love at first sight,” Lucas said. “It’s Baton Rouge, he began following his new passion. cliché, but I just had a feeling.”

Later, after Melanie received her doctorate, the couple returned The two spent the rest of the summer together. to Georgia where Lucas received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in “I ended up staying in Augusta for the summer, which wasn’t horticulture. necessarily the plan,” Melanie said. “Lucas and I spent the summer It was Lucas O’Meara’s second life-changing move in less than a year, together, and at the end of the summer, Lucas decided to move to but it wouldn’t be his last.

Baton Rouge.”

Melanie was one of the lucky ones. A brief loss of power was the biggest direct impact Katrina had on her life.

Many of her friends didn’t fare so well, however, so she invited them to stay at her apartment.

“I was living right off campus and ended up with power sooner than a lot of other people I knew,” she said. “I had friends who didn’t have power for weeks, so I ended up having lots of my friends in my small one-bedroom apartment. At one point, I think we had more dogs than humans.”

After that emotional school year, she needed a break.

“It’s one of those fundamental things that changes your life and changes the way you perceive and empathize with others,” she said.

“It’s crazy how quickly things can be taken away from people.”

She decided to return home, to Augusta, Georgia, for an extended visit.

She had no idea that her life was about to change again.

This time, for good.

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Lucas O’Meara

BUILDING A FUTURE Within the first year of his and Melanie’s relationship, Lucas made another bold move.

He bought an engagement ring.

It was an antique-style ring. Something unique. It was a ring Lucas knew Melanie would love.

The only catch?

He wasn’t quite ready to propose.

But he held on to the ring, and almost two years later, when the timing was finally right, Lucas began planning the perfect proposal. He thought everything would go seamlessly.

Melanie’s grandparents had a cabin in the North Carolina mountains, where Melanie and her family had gone over the years to hike and camp, and in recent years, Lucas often joined them.

Lucas’ plan was to unpack the car once he and Melanie arrived at the cabin. Then he would find an excuse to leave the cabin in order to go to an overlook down the road. Lucas was going to light candles and put them all over the bench at the overlook. He and Melanie would then take the dogs for a walk and come around the corner to a candlelit bench and a beautiful view.

It was the perfect plan. In theory.

“I thought it would be romantic, but for whatever reason, Melanie was exhausted and didn’t want me to leave, regardless of whatever excuse I was giving her,” Lucas said. “She wasn’t buying it.”

Melanie was tired. It had been a long drive to the mountains. All she wanted to do was walk her dogs and rest. That posed a problem for Lucas.

“I was like, ‘Crap! My big plan is not working out!’” Lucas remembers. “I’m sweating, trying to figure out how to do it. I’m just thinking, ‘This is not going to work out how I thought.’”

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I dropped the dog toy in my hand, and I was like, ‘I’ll get down on one knee when I get the toy.’ But we bent down to pick up the toy at the same time.

— Lucas O’Meara

”

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Dr. Melanie O’Meara leads an exercise at summer theater camp.

Lucas suggested walking the dogs around the lake, hoping to direct Melanie to a hillside at the other end of the lake, but that plan didn’t work either.

“We got halfway up the hill, and she was like, ‘I’m tired, let’s go,’” Lucas said. “She was not cooperating in any way, shape or form for my big plan.”

The night was almost over. For Lucas, it was now or never.

“I was fumbling trying to get the ring out,” he said. “I dropped the dog toy in my hand, and I was like, ‘I’ll get on one knee when I get the toy.’ But we bent down to pick up the toy at the same time.”

Like a comic scene out of a movie, Lucas and Melanie hit heads.

“I remember thinking, ‘It can’t get any worse than this,’” Lucas said.

“So, I pulled the ring out and proposed.”

Melanie said yes.

CURTAIN CALL Melanie and Lucas O’Meara have now been married for a little over six years.

They have a 2-year-old son and a newborn daughter. Their careers have brought them back to Augusta.

And thanks to the seed planted in Christy’s biology class, Lucas works as a horticulturist at the Augusta National.

He works in the nursery department and is responsible for maintaining the grounds, with the exception of the course itself. His main focus is on the ornamental plants and trees.

“I love it,” Lucas said. “It’s hard work, and that’s the type of work I enjoy

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the most. I like staying busy and being exhausted at the end of the day.”

Part of his enjoyment comes from the unique challenges that come with working at the Augusta National.

“I think one of the greatest things about working at the Augusta National is that I get to do things that a majority of people in the horticulture field don’t get to do,” he said. “The scope of the projects we work on and the size of the material we move is really amazing. Even people who are in the business of moving trees rarely move the size trees we’ve been moving over the last few months.”

As for Melanie, she now works as a professor in the Communication Department of Augusta University’s Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. There, she guides the next generation of students and actors toward new opportunities in their field. It is a strong fit, especially now that she has one more reason to love Augusta.

“I love my job,” she said. “I’m very happy. It’s been nice to be back home and feel like I’m giving back to the community that raised me.”

Though the circumstances that brought them together couldn’t have been worse, today, the O’Mearas can’t help but remember the fall of 2005 with a certain fondness. It seems almost silly, focusing on the bright spots in the wake of such a tragedy. But as anyone who lived through Katrina will tell you, that’s the truth about storms.

When the rains come, you build back stronger. You push forward, and in so doing, you find your happiness.

For the O’Mearas, that lesson was not learned in Baton Rouge, but in Augusta.

And for all their trouble, they couldn’t be any happier.

PHOTOS BY PHIL JONES

A GRATEFUL PERFORMANCE

Shadan Johnson performs during Alumni Weekend.

ON THURSDAY, SEPT. 15, 2005, President George W. Bush stood in Jackson Square in New Orleans’ French Quarter. There, he addressed the American people, particularly residents of New Orleans and the surrounding areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.

“Across the Gulf Coast, among people who have lost much and suffered much and given to the limit of their power, we are seeing that same spirit,” he said. “A core of strength that survives all hurt, a faith in God no storm can take away and a powerful American determination to clear the ruins and build better than before.”

This statement perfectly describes one Augusta University student, Shadan Johnson.

On track to graduate from Xavier University of Louisiana in the spring of 2006, Johnson was one of thousands whose life was forever changed by Katrina. In the wake of the storm, she fled New Orleans for Atlanta and eventually ended up in Augusta.

Johnson found a job and reenrolled in college at Augusta.

“I was working 40 hours a week and taking 17 hours of class,” she said. “I would get off work at 7 a.m., brush my teeth and go to class.

I would return home at 3 p.m., sleep and then leave for work.”

Despite the challenges life presented her, Johnson continued to persevere.

In spring of 2016, Johnson enrolled in Dr. Melanie O’Meara’s performance studies class.

Under O’Meara’s tutelage, Johnson wrote three poems and combined them into a single performance piece.

“Each poem I wrote, I wrote about what I was going through at

SEND US AN EMAIL In this case we were lucky — Shadan Johnson had the tutelage of Dr. Melanie O’Meara to help give voice to her story and the Alumni Weekend Stage to give her an audience to hear it.

But not every story is that lucky.

that particular time,” Johnson said. “I spoke about my life and the journey I’ve gone through from Katrina up until now to complete my degree.”

Johnson performed her piece at Alumni Weekend. She credits the performance to O’Meara and her fellow classmates.

“Dr. O’Meara found something in me that I always knew I had, but she awakened it for me,” Johnson said. “I didn’t have the confidence I needed for the performance, and she helped me with that. My story is a story of perseverance. No matter what you’re going through you can come out of it and be successful. I owe my performance to God, my family, friends, Dr. O’Meara and my classmates. They gave me strength and encouragement to perform my piece and persevere.”

Johnson will graduate in December. She plans to continue her education and enroll in a master’s program at the Hull College of Business at Augusta.

After Katrina, with hard work and determination, Johnson cleared the ruins of her life and built herself back better than before.

Perhaps surprisingly, Johnson said she’s become grateful for the impact Katrina had on her life.

“A lot of people would think it would impact your life negatively, but it also impacted my life positively,” she said. “I was able to go to school and buy my first car. Anything you go through, any negative can be turned into a positive. It’s made me more aware of things. I don’t take life for granted.”

Which is why we need you.

If you have an interesting story or know a student or professor or alum who does, just shoot us an email (alumni@augusta.edu) and let us know.

We can’t write about what we don’t know about.

ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 33

MEET THE JAG Elizabeth Briere (MD ’04)

Medical Epidemiologist Atlanta, Georgia

We are very excited to honor the Jag20 honorees,

MEET THE

twenty of Augusta University’s emerging alumni leaders under the age of forty. These individuals have made a significant impact in

HONOREES their careers, communities and/or our university.

AT AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY, core values — Darronour Alvord collegiality, compassion, excellence, inclusivity, integrity Collegethey’re of Georgia and leadership — are The notDental just ideals; a way of life.

DMC 2010 Our students learn to embrace them while on campus, Periodontist, Perio & Implants and our graduates embody themSavannah in their everyday lives — in their careers, their communities and their homes.

These core values are the defining characteristics of our 2016 class of Jag20 honorees, the top 20 emerging alumni leaders under the age of 40. Each year, we have the difficult task of choosing from among many impressive nominees whose dedication to their professions, service to their communities and engagement with our university combine to create a lasting legacy of Jaguar pride around our state, our nation and the world. PleaseHull joinCollege us in congratulating this year’s Jag20 honorees. of Business

Summer Finley Bell BBA 2006, MBA 2008

Senior Accountant, Rhoden CPA Firm

Shannon Broxton

(BSN ’03, MSN ’09, DNP ’15) Assistant Chair, Physiological & Technological Nursing Augusta, Georgia

Sharon Cosper (MHS ’06)

Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy Augusta, Georgia

Mazen Fakhouri (PA-C ’09)

Surgical Physician Assistant Augusta, Georgia

Jason Fulmer (MEd ’06)

Program Consultant, New Teacher Center North Augusta, South Carolina

Darron Alvord

Summer Finley Bell

Jay Harris

Periodontist Savannah, Georgia

Senior Accountant Augusta, Georgia

Orthodontist Columbus, Georgia

(DMD ’10)

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(BBA ’06, MBA ’08)

(DMD ’02)

Shauntá King

Stacie Pettit

Public Health Dentist Pooler, Georgia

Assistant Professor, Teacher Education Augusta, Georgia

(DMD ’10)

Nathaniel Klein

(MEd ’04)

(BS ’08, MS ’13)

Partner and Director of Innovation Ames, Iowa

Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach Augusta, Georgia

Marc LeDuc

Jennifer Scott

Physician Assistant Augusta, Georgia

someone who deserves to be a Jag20 honoree?

Jamie Quarles

(MS ’09)

(BS ’04, PA-C ’13)

DO YOU KNOW

(BA ’01, MPA ’06) Senior Communication Coordinator Augusta, Georgia

Contact Susan Everitt (slandretheveritt@augusta.edu) to nominate an alum under 40 who upholds the values of Augusta University and has

Chelsea Martin

Brian Stansfield

Physician Augusta, Georgia

Assistant Professor of Neonatology Augusta, Georgia

(MD ’09)

(MD ’04)

made a significant impact in his or her career, community and/ or alma mater.

We’ll send you two Augusta University luggage tags, so next

D. Jay McCracken

Scarlett Timmons

Resident in Neurological Surgery Atlanta, Georgia

Veterinarian Augusta, Georgia

Amish Naik

Martha Harden Wells

Dentist Atlanta, Georgia

Assistant Professor and Director, Pediatric Dentistry Memphis, Tennessee

(MD ’11)

(DMD ’08)

(BS ’10)

time you travel, you can take your Jaguar pride on the road.

(DMD ’06)

ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 35

PHIL JONES

On Our Way

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KIM DAVIES

DAY JOB: Professor, Chair of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work SECRET LIFE: Lego Builder

H

ad Kim Davies ever really played with Lego as a kid – and just to be clear, the colorful little bricks are called Lego, not Legos – 2012 would have been considered the end of her Dark Age, that time when Adult Fans of Lego, known as AFOLs, return to the iconic bricks they enjoyed playing with as children. But since Davies never really had much to do with Lego growing up, she didn’t have a Dark Age. Instead, after finishing remodeling a house with her wife, Lorraine, what she had was time to fill. So one day, she went to Barnes & Noble for a jigsaw puzzle, came back with a Lego kit, and now, she has a Lego Room in her house.

That room is home to her supplies, several completed kits, a replica of Fanning Hall and one of the massive Eastern State Penitentiary, which took first place at the 2016 Philly Brick Fest.

In the Lego World, winning a “Rocky” as it’s known is a very big deal, but she almost didn’t have room to get the award back home: hitting the road with the oldest prison in the United States took 11 crates and nearly every inch of her SUV. People with hobbies that take up that much space and require that much legwork don’t usually fly so far below the radar, but no matter how many times she hits the Lego stores in Charlotte or Atlanta or how often she makes the circuit of far-flung Walmarts snooping for deals, Davies says deciding to come clean about the pastime is never easy.

“People in the Lego community talk about this a lot – do you tell your friends and family,” she says. “At first, I was quiet about it, because it does seem something that’s kind of silly, but when we had our new house built and invited people to see it, we had to decide if we were going to show people the whole house.”

Ultimately, they did, so while it’s not really been a secret since then, it hasn’t exactly been widely known among her students and peers, either ... until now.

Now, not only has her replica of the newly opened Oak Hall been immortalized on the cover of A., plans are in the works to display the finished product in a prominent location at the University.

In Lego terms, everything is awesome.

PHOTO GALLERY View more Lego creations close up at magazines.augusta.edu. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 37

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INVESTITURE

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TOLLISON GARDEN POND

The Inaugural Celebration and Investiture of Augusta University’s first President, Brooks A. Keel, took place April 27 at the Augusta Convention Center on Reynolds Street, marking the centerpiece of a week’s worth of inauguration activities.

Augusta University’s Legacy Program, introduced at this year’s commencement ceremony, honors families with a multigenerational university relationship by providing a special cord to legacy graduates and a pin for the parent or grandparent.

Located near the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, The Betty Browning Tollison Reflection Garden provides a tranquil setting for contemplation. The garden was established in memory of Mrs. Tollison’s life of service and dedicated Nov. 3, 2006.

PHIL JONES

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POKÉMON GO

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TEDDY BEAR CLINIC

Released on July 6, the virtual reality app, Pokémon Go, took the internet by storm.

And Augusta University students, faculty and staff joined in the fun by capturing, battling and training virtual creatures.

The Teddy Bear Clinic was held on the front greenspace of the J. Harold Harrison, M.D. Education Commons on April 16. The clinic is a medical student organization aimed to promote pediatric health in underserved communities. Its goal is to reduce children’s fears of health care settings and to increase their understanding of nutrition, exercise and healthy habits in a fun setting.

[ SIDEBAR

PUT SOME JAG PRIDE ON YOUR RIDE WE’RE EXCITED to announce that Augusta University license plates are now available!

With the purchase of the new plate, you will not only be able to display your Jag pride everywhere you go, but your purchase will help the newest generation of university students have access to the same great educational opportunities on our campuses that you did.

Annual renewal fees and $10 from each sale will go to support student scholarships, so it’s a great way to give back to the institution — and invest in the future of our community and state.

The plates are branded Augusta blue and feature our Jaguar mascot, Augustus, displaying his new game face. Wherever you drive, people will recognize you as a proud member of the Jaguar Nation, now and forever. It’s also a great way to spread awareness of our university and generate interest from potential students.

To purchase the plates, visit the Georgia Department of Revenue website at dor.georgia.gov and select “License Plate Samples.” If your car has one of the previous license plate designs, make the switch today since this is now the only specialized plate for the university.

For more information, contact the Georgia Department of Revenue at 706-650-6300.

1960s

Board of Governors honoree, Dr. Sidney A. Bell (MD ’67) was selected as one of the recipients of the 2016 Heart of the Community Awards of Honor sponsored by Redmond Regional Medical Center and the Heart of the Community Foundation Inc. to honor local citizens for their volunteer service to the Rome, Georgia, community.

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Dr. J. David Carson (MD ’73) joined ExperCare Urgent Care in Savannah, Georgia, as its director of occupational medicine and associate medical director.

Dr. Charles Hubbard (MD ’74) served as a 2016 honorary chair of the Tanner Medical Foundation’s annual Magnolia Ball in Carrollton, Georgia.

The American College of NurseMidwives recognized Dr. Holly Powell Kennedy (MSN ’78) UPDATE YOUR as an Exemplary Midwifery ADDRESS. Leader. Powell received her certificate of midwifery EMAIL US AT from the Frontier School of ALUMNI@AUGUSTA.EDU Midwifery & Family Nursing, Hyden, Kentucky, and a doctorate in nursing from the University of Rhode Island.

Dr. Mary Jane Hamilton (BSN ’60), founding dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, announced her retirement. In 2015, Hamilton received a resolution from the Texas House of Representatives for achievements in the nursing profession. She was also honored that same year as the Augusta University Distinguished Alumna.

The Pioneer Awards honored Shelby Lacy (BSN ’67) during the 26th Annual Emancipation Proclamation Observance and Pioneer Awards at Bethel Baptist Church in Watkinsville, Georgia. Lacy is an Athens Nurses’ Clinic co-founder.

1970s

Dr. Melvin Baker (DMD ’74) was named to the Oxford (Georgia) City Council. Baker is a member of the American Dental Association, Georgia Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Newton Medical Center Board of Directors, Washington Street Community Center Board of Directors and St. Paul AME Church.

Dr. James Scott (MD ’72) of Tifton, Georgia, was appointed to the Georgia Board of Athletic Trainers by Gov. Nathan Deal.

1980s

Dr. James Douglas (MD ’89) of Rome, Georgia, was honored for his contributions to medical education at Mercer University School of Medicine and as a dedicated community-responsive physician.

Augusta University President Brooks A. Keel (BS ’78, PhD ’82) was named to Georgia Trend’s list of “100 Most Influential Georgians.”

Dr. Marc Miller (BBA ’87), executive director of Economic Development and Entrepreneurial Engagement at Augusta University, was named dean of the School

We can't share your news unless you share your news.

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1986

FLASHBACKS BILLBOARD MAGAZINE’S TOP TUNE "That's What Friends are For," Dionne and Friends (Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Elton John and Stevie Wonder)

OSCAR-WINNING FILM Out of Africa

ON CAMPUS The Department of Respiratory Therapy graduates its first class.

of Business at Henderson State University in Arkansas.

Dr. Mark Murphy (MD ’88), gastroenterologist, was named president of the Savannah Book Festival's board of directors. Murphy is a founding partner of The Center for Liver and Digestive Health in Savannah, Georgia.

Dr. James L. Newsome (MD ’81) of Alabama was recognized as a VIP and as a Top Doctor by the Global Who's Who. The Global Directory of Who’s Who honors outstanding executives and professionals in all fields including law, health care, finance, technology, design and engineering.

The Phantom of the Opera, the longestrunning Broadway show in history, opens at Her Majesty's Theatre in London.

Dr. Ted Pennel (MD ’85) was appointed new chief hospitalist at Gordon Hospital in Calhoun, Georgia. He will provide oversight of Gordon Hospital’s hospitalist program and the hospitalist clinical initiatives.

Hands Across America: At least 5 million people form a human chain from New York City to Long Beach, California, to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness.

The Emory University School of Medicine, Archbold Medical Center and The Shaw Center for Women’s Health announced the appointment of Dr. Sandra B. Reed (MD ’87) to the clinical faculty of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

IN THE NEWS

Halley's Comet reaches its perihelion, the closest point to the Sun, during its second visit to the solar system in the 20th century (the first was in 1910).

Dr. Charles Ruis (MD ’86) was named health director of Georgia's Southwest Public Health District. He oversees the 14 county health departments and two farm worker clinics included in the district.

1990s

Mark Baker (BS ’93), CEO of the Hughston Healthcare System, delivered the keynote address to Troy University graduates in Columbus, Georgia. Baker has served as CEO of the Hughston Healthcare System, including the Hughston Clinic and Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital, since 2009.

Ricky Beale (BS ’95) will take on double duty as head coach of the Evans High School baseball and softball teams in Evans, Georgia. Beale is in his first year coaching the softball team, and he’s still active as head coach of the school’s baseball team. A member of two state championship baseball teams, Beale graduated from Evans in 1990, then obtained his undergraduate degree from Augusta University.

Dr. Bret Clark (PhD ’95), professor of biology at Newberry College in South Carolina, was one of 20 faculty selected from the member institutions of the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities for recognition at the organization’s 11th annual Excellence in Teaching Awards Dinner.

West Point Mayor Drew Ferguson (DMD ’92) announced he will be running for the U.S. Congress to represent Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District.

Dr. Sean L. Francis (MFRI ’99) was named chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health at the

IN MEMORIUM John R. Arnall (MD ’56)

Betty A. Brooks (MD ’48)

Joseph M. Echols (MD ’48)

Alonzo J. Bentley (MD ’64)

Helen M. Callahan (BA ’69)

Craig T. Elrod (BBA ’77)

Ron C. Bloodworth (MD ’63)

Jackson G. Crowder (MD ’61)

William E. Farrar (MD ’58)

Uriah H. Bodie (MFRI ’61)

Kathryn W. Dickey (Non-Graduate Alumna)

Robert C. Grant (MD ’57)

Susan B. Bohler (BA ’75) Frances C. Bouton (AA ’42)

Paul W. Doster (DMD ’75)

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Laurence B. Green (MD ’83) James T. Greene (MD ’88)

[ University of Louisville, in Kentucky. He is also an associate professor and division chief and fellowship director in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health.

Dr. George Hall (DMD ’93) recently began his appointment as director of the UNC School of Dentistry Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program and is also a clinical associate professor in the Department of Operative Dentistry at UNC. Dr. Deborah Natvig (PhD ’93) recently received the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from Minnesota State University, Mankato. The award is presented to graduates who have achieved high rank or honor in their professions, have a widespread effect on their communities, and are recognized for their achievements over the course of their careers.

Dr. Shane Rayburn (MEd ’95), principal at North Hall Middle School in Hall County, Georgia, will become a district special education coordinator.

Dr. Ronald T. Stephens (MD ’90) was promoted to brigadier general during a ceremony held at Fort Bragg this May. Stephens is now the top Army medical officer at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

Lillian Wan (BA’84, AACC ’90) passed the 40 gallon mark at Shepeard Community Blood Center in Augusta, Georgia. Her donations began at a campus blood drive in spring 1980.

Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Homer Bryson announced the promotion of Scott Wilkes (BA ’92, MS ’95) to the position of warden at Augusta State Medical Prison. As warden, Wilkes will be responsible for overseeing 447 staff members and 1,326 close security male offenders.

2000s

Jackie Cirilli (BSN ’08) was one of four pediatric nurses presented with The Laura Snitzer-Boozer Nursing Award by the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The award honors nurses who have demonstrated professional excellence and leadership in hematology/oncology care, as well as provides financial support for continued education in the field of oncology.

Dr. Chad Epps (MD ’00) was named executive director of the new Interprofessional Simulation and Patient Safety Center that is being constructed at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Epps is president of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and past chair of the Council on Accreditation of Healthcare Simulation Programs.

Dr. Melanie Hafford (MD ’07), general and bariatric surgeon, joined the Medical and Surgical Clinic of Irving, Texas. After earning her medical degree at MCG, Hafford conducted her general surgery residency at UT Southwestern and attended the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas,

CLASS NOTES

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where she completed a bariatric and minimally invasive surgery fellowship.

Holston Medical Group welcomed Jennifer Height (BSN ’00) to HMG Pediatrics at Medical Plaza, Kingsport, Tennessee. Height completed her Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Texas, Galveston.

Tennessee volunteer assistant coach Russ Johnson (MPMT ’04) was named the 2015 National Collegiate Coach of the Year by the USA Track and Field Pole Vault High Performance and Development Committee.

Sabrina Jones (MA ’04) was awarded a 2016 Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Georgia Teaching Fellowship.

The fellowship focuses on preparing topquality educators for many of Georgia’s most underserved public schools. The fellowship was designed to address a shortage of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) teachers in Georgia.

Dr. Tami Massey (MD ’02) joined Self Medical Group in Edgefield County, South Carolina. Massey completed her undergraduate work at Georgia Baptist College of Nursing and practiced several years as an ICU nurse before attending MCG. Her family practice residency was at Self Regional Healthcare in Greenwood, South Carolina.

The Novant Health Foundation Rowan Medical Center in North Carolina selected Fran Misner (MPMT ’05) to serve on their board of directors.

Joseph M. Greene (DFRI ’77)

Albert R. Howard (MD ’54)

Patricia Mangum (AA ’51)

George W. Grimes (MD ’77)

Jill G. Hunt (BS ’86)

William E. Mayher (MD ’64)

Clifford B. Harden (MD ’62)

C.F. Johnson (MD ’75)

Carolyn McMullins-Robertson (BSN ’90)

John T. Harper (MD ’71)

William P. Lawrence (MD ’69)

Kara P. Moore (BS '83)

Arthur M. Hendrix (MD ’42)

Robyn J. Levy (MD ’85)

Howard R. Mulcay (BBA ’67)

Towanna D. Hicks (BSW ’11)

John B. Lindsey (MD ’92)

B.L. Murray (MD ’56)

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In addition to working with the Foundation, she volunteers her time with the Historic Salisbury Foundation, Prevent Child Abuse Rowan, the Rowan Medical Society Alliance and First Presbyterian Day School.

Program. Akhi-Gbade plans to attend the Emory University Family Medicine Residency Program in Atlanta.

Jake Amos (BA ’10) was hired as associate head coach of the Gamecock men's golf program at the University of South Carolina. Amos was Carrie Smith Nold (MPA ’09) is now an a member of the Jaguar men's golf program assistant professor in the Physician Assistant at Augusta University that won the 2010 Studies program at the Philadelphia College NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship, of Osteopathic Medicine in Suwanee, the school's first national title. After Georgia. Before joining PCOM, Nold graduation, he served as a volunteer worked clinically as a physician assistant in 2011 as the Jaguars assistant at the Medical repeated as NCAA champions.

University of South Carolina in the Neuroscience Department.

SHARE YOUR NEWS. Ashlyn DeLoach (MHS EMAIL US AT ’15) appeared on The Ellen Dr. Brian K. Stansfield ALUMNI@AUGUSTA.EDU DeGeneres Show. DeLoach is (MD ’04), neonatologist an occupational therapist at a at Children's Hospital of number of low-income schools Georgia at Augusta University, in Brantley County, Georgia, received the 2016 Clinical and devotes her time to working Science Young Investigator Award with children in need of special attention, from the Southern Society for Pediatric helping them develop and learn, but many Research. The award recognizes exemplary of the schools she works with are lacking in work addressing a clinical or basic science technology and supplies. While visiting the problem by an early career investigator. show, DeLoach and her husband, Brett, were Stansfield received the award for his studies of surprised by Ellen and her friends at Shutterfly cardiovascular and related risks associated with with Apple iPads for her students and $50,000 being a low- or high-birthweight baby. toward the purchase of school supplies and technology needs. ellentv.com/2016/01/11/a2010s 50k-shutterfly-surprise/ Dr. Afua Akhi-Gbade (MD ’16) is the 2016 recipient of the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians T.A. Sappington Award. This prestigious award is given to student members who have demonstrated their commitment to family medicine by choosing to attend a Georgia Family Medicine Residency

Dr. Stephanie Fransoso (DMD ’15) was inducted into the Greenbrier Athletics Hall of Fame. Fransoso left Greenbrier High School in Columbia County, Georgia, as the school’s alltime leading scorer in soccer with 113 goals.

Jasmine Jarrard (MPA ’13) joined Lake Oconee Urgent & Primary Care Center as a physician assistant. Jarrard also holds a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in health promotion and behavior from the University of Georgia.

Dr. Joe Henry Livingston IV (MD ’13) recently graduated from Floyd Medical Center’s Family Medicine Residency Program in Rome, Georgia, and will practice family medicine at North Georgia Family Medicine in Blairsville.

Dr. Casey Carter Nazor (MD ’12) married Evan Neal Paul on May 21, 2016. Nazor is completing her residency training in neurology at the University of Tennessee and will follow with a fellowship in movement disorders at the University of Washington.

Christine Sage (BSN ’12), a cardiac care nurse, was named a “Daisy” award winner at Emory Hospital. For 15 years, The DAISY Foundation has been recognizing the compassion and skill direct care nurses bring to their patients every day.

Dr. Lovoria B. Williams (PhD ’11), an associate professor in Augusta University’s College of Nursing, was inducted into the Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. The FAANP program recognizes nurse practitioner leaders who have made outstanding contributions to health care through clinical practice, research, education or policy.

IN MEMORIUM David A. Owings (DMD ’73)

Itala P. Samulski (Non-Graduate Alumna)

Ronald A. Stella (MD ’78)

James W. Pate (MD ’50)

Charles F. Shaefer (MD ’79)

Darlene M. Tilton (BSN ’95)

Nathan E. Pearson (MD ’76)

Frank E. Simmons (BS ’76)

Muhtesem C. Veznedaroglu (MFRI)

Betty J. Perry (AA ’80)

Robert W. Sims (DMD ’80)

Karen L. Waldo (MS ’70)

W.F. Powell (MD ’43)

Samuel R. Smith (MD ’53)

Raymond O. Waters (MD ’52)

Cynthia J. Roof (BS ’75)

David P. Sorkey (MD ’74)

Veronica R. Whitaker (BA ’84)

Frank H. Sams (MD ’65)

Willard E. Spearin (General Certificate ’75)

Charles H. Williamson (Non-Graduate Alumnus)

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] PHIL JONES

[ TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF

O

n April 29, 2016, Augusta University celebrated National Arbor Day by welcoming a beautiful white oak to the front lawn of the Benet House. To call it a new addition, though, would be only a half truth.

This tree’s legend is 200 years in the making.

It’s a slice of Augustan royalty. Its ancestor, a giant in its own right, lived here before here was here. And if you doubt its claim to the Benet House grounds, you need only consider this: The Benéts were practically family.

Without a doubt, the new oak – one of a dozen descendants of the original Arsenal Oak – already holds a special place in our hearts. Weather willing, it might just continue to do so for the next two centuries.

But living up to its ancestor’s legacy will be a much taller order.

Planted more than two centuries ago, that tree lived to see nearly every formative moment in Augusta University’s 188-year history.

It saw the relocation of the Augusta Arsenal from the banks of the Savannah River to the site of the former Belle Vue estate at the top of Summerville’s oftreferenced Hill. In 1828, it watched four determined doctors strive to found the nation’s 13th-oldest medical school just down the road. Over the course of its life, it witnessed the rebirth of Augusta from a small in-land trading post to a center of industry.

It’s an impressive list. In many ways, though, the things the new Arsenal Oak will see far outshine anything its ancestor beheld.

Less than a month after its planting, it saw some 1,200 Augusta University graduates take their place in the wider world. In the fall of 2016, it saw Augusta University become a truly residential campus when more than 400 undergraduates moved into the recently built and aptly named Oak Hall on the Health Sciences Campus. And should it live as long as its ancestor, there’s little doubt the new Arsenal Oak will see Augusta reborn as a center of

The new Arsenal Oak

excellence in the fields of cybersecurity, health care and research innovation.

Those who planted it hope that, one day, it might become a symbol of unity on campus, a representative of the university’s deeply rooted past and the far-outreaching future.

It’s a lot to ask of a tree younger than some of our undergraduates.

But at 30 feet tall from root to crown, the new Arsenal Oak is up for tall orders. After all, it’s a legend 200 years in the making.

PHOTO GALLERY View Arbor Day pictures at magazines.augusta.edu. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 45

BE PART OF A NEW Based on the ring count of one of its fallen branches, arborists believe the original Arsenal Oak sprouted during the mid-1700s. When the Junior College of Augusta moved to what is now the Summerville Campus in the 1950s, the giant oak, then more than 200 years old, stood silent sentry to campus activities. It became the basis of the university’s logo in the 1980s.

But nothing could save the venerable old oak from nature herself. In 2004, the mighty tree was felled by disease and wood-boring beetles.

A decade later, Augusta University students began advocating for the replanting of an Arsenal Oak. A descendant of the original oak, grown from an acorn planted in the late 1990s and nurtured on private property for nearly 20 years, was then returned to the Summerville Campus in April 2016.

Our students’ appreciation of tradition has ensured that future generations will enjoy the beauty of this iconic tree and all it symbolizes. They also wanted to establish a scholarship fund named for the tree so that future generations are able to attend Augusta University for many years to come.

SUPPORT THE ARSENAL OAK SCHOLARSHIP Make a gift at giving.augusta.edu/ArsenalOakScholarship or call 706-446-4664

The Scholarship

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‘GIVE THEM A BOOST’ All that stood between her and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology was an internship. Previous summer courses she’d taken during her four years studying and playing softball at Augusta University had cost around $1,000.

Then she learned the required internship was 15 credits — and it would cost as much as a full semester. For an out-of-state student-athlete whose scholarship eligibility had run out, the news came as quite a shock.

“I called my mom, and I was crying,” said Paige Deschaine. “What was I going to do?” Then Coach Melissa Brocato told her about SCOPE. In the late 1990s, longtime Jag fans Bill and Betty Sherrill lived just a couple of doors down from Augusta State University’s director of athletics, Clint Bryant.

Bill asked Bryant about the athletics program’s greatest needs. “He told us some could use an extra boost when their scholarships run out,” Betty recalled. “Bill said, ‘I think that’s what I’d like to do — give them a boost.’”

Thus was born the Sherrill Classic Order Physical Education scholarship. Since the Sherrills began funding it in 1997, 112 studentathletes whose scholarships ran out before they completed their degrees have received one. All — male and female athletes from nearly every university team — subsequently graduated.

The Sherrills’ roots run deep in Augusta.

Betty grew up here, the daughter of Elizabeth and Marion Norvell, founder of Norvell Fixture & Equipment Company. She met Bill while attending college in his hometown of Montgomery, Alabama. They returned to Augusta in 1960, when Bill’s father-in-law asked him to join the business.

Bill, an avid tennis player and sports fan, became an enthusiastic member of the Jaguar Nation. Two of their children are Augusta College alumni. Will Sherrill III attended AC on a tennis scholarship and is a principal in the family business; Lisa graduated from the nursing program.

Bill and Betty were married for 59 years until his death in 2014. Bill was a founder of the Jaguar Club, and in appreciation for his steadfast and substantial support over many years, the annual William S. Sherrill Athletics

VALUE ADDED

] PHIL JONES

[ Paige Deschaine

Awards Banquet is named in his honor.

When Lee Rose reached the end of his baseball scholarship eligibility in May 2006, he was a few credits short of graduation. He applied for and received a SCOPE scholarship.

After graduating, Rose went to Norvell Fixture & Equipment Company to apply for a job.

“I met Bill Sherrill,” Rose said. “He commented that he funded a scholarship at my school. I said, ‘I am a direct beneficiary of that scholarship!’”

Rose got the job. Today, he is a sales

representative for Norvell’s in Savannah and Southeastern Georgia.

“He had a big heart,” Rose says of Bill. “He really cared about the student-athletes and Augusta.

I owe him a big debt.”

As for Deschaine, she was able to complete her degree and continue her plans for graduate school.

And so, with just a boost, another dream realized.

To give or for information, call 706-7212699 or email wzamzow@augusta.edu. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 47

[

IN THE FIELD

]

At press time, we received the sad news that Mrs. Monge passed away. Augusta University and the many people she touched and served over her lifetime will be forever grateful for her generous spirit and her presence in our lives.

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THROUGH ANOTHER'S EYES

I

t’s 10 a.m. on a Tuesday morning. In a routine repeated nearly 2,000 times over 35 years, nonagenarian Naomi Monge sets the morning’s Augusta Chronicle in front of her on the desk and reaches for the phone. She dials a number in Atlanta; when connected, she puts the receiver down, pulls the microphone toward her, greets her audience and begins to read.

And in homes throughout the CSRA, over special receivers or streamed live via the internet, people listen to her familiar voice — she imagines with a cup of coffee in hand — and get the day’s news.

The dial-in technology is dated, but her listeners don’t notice or care. For them, her voice is a link to their community and world that allows them to stay independent and informed, in spite of visual or physical impairments that impede their ability to read.

Monge volunteers each week at Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Augusta University radio station, WACG 90.7FM, as part of the Georgia Radio Reading Service (GaRRS). She started in 1981, a year after GaRRS launched, having learned of it from her late husband, Bill, who arranged for the two daily hours of local programming time when he was interim president of Augusta College.

She is one of 250 volunteers around the state who deliver more than 200 radio programs each month, providing audio news and entertainment to thousands of Georgians who might not otherwise be able to get it.

Programming runs 24/7, with most originating in Atlanta.

In Augusta, WACG Assistant Station Manager Laura Coleman manages the volunteers — who over the years have included students, faculty, alumni, local leaders and community members — who read from 10 a.m. to noon every weekday for broadcasting to the radio station’s local coverage area. The first hour is news, and the second is reader’s choice; most choose to read their favorite books.

On this Tuesday, the 10 a.m. hour has passed, and the next volunteer is ready to take over. Director of the Morris Museum of Art Kevin Grogan is a very busy man, but for 13 years each Tuesday at 11 a.m., he has taken time out of his day to read some of his favorite books — he’s partial to history — to those who can’t.

“It’s just a way to give back to my community,” he said. “And an opportunity to share things that I enjoy reading myself.”

For more information, contact Laura Coleman at ltcoleman@ augusta.edu.

VIDEO See Mrs. Monge with recipients of a scholarship she established in honor of her late husband at magazines.augusta.edu.

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To help us celebrate the opening of our new residence halls, Dr. Kim Davies, chair of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work and an avid Lego builder (see Secret Lives, page 36) built a replica of Oak Hall specifically for our cover.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the cover shoot, visit The Fine Print at magazines.augusta.edu.