Staff1960s
Dr. Joe Turner (MD ’60) was promoted to chairman of the board for the South Georgia Bank Holding Co.
Dr. Phil Gingrey (MD ’69) was reappointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to the Augusta University Health System board of directors.
Dr. Marion Jordan (MD ’69) was named the 2019 Distinguished Alumnus for Professional Achievement for the Medical College of Georgia.
1970s
Dr. E. Dan DeLoach (MD ’73) was named the 2019 Distinguished Alumnus for Loyalty for the Medical College of Georgia.
Judith Cofer (BA ’74) was named the 2019 Distinguished Alumna for the Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
Ella D. Gordon (BSN ’76) received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who.
Victoria Agyekum (BSN ’77, MSN ’78) was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to the Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission.
Dr. John W. Brock II (MD ’78) was featured in the Physician Spotlight in Nashville Medical News.
George “Bo” Hamil (BS ’78) was named the 2019 Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Allied Health Sciences.
Debbie Layman (BSN ’78) was recognized in The Augusta Chronicle for her work at the Costa Layman Health Fair in June 2018.
Dr. Max Poole (PhD ’78) was named the 2019 Distinguished Alumnus for The Graduate School.
1980s
Dr. Jonathon Dewald (MD ’80) joined the Wilson Physician Services team at the Wilson Medical Center, Wilson, North Carolina.
Michael “Mike” Polatty (BBA ’80) was named the 2019 Distinguished Alumnus for the Hull College of Business.
Dr. Steven M. Walsh (MD ’82) conducted a webinar for the Mississippi Hospital Association titled “The Opioid Epidemic and Strategies for Change.”
Dr. Henry Bert Yeargan (DMD ’83) was reappointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to the Georgia Board of Dentistry.
Dr. Sandra K. Banks (MD ’84) was recognized by the Atlanta Jewish Times for her work in alternative medicine and has received the patients’ choice award from Lyndhurst, New Jersey-based Vitals for two years in a row.
Dr. Sara “Sally” H. Goza (MD ’84) was voted the president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Sandra Carraway (BA ’85, MEd ’94) was honored as the speaker for the Augusta University commencement ceremony held on Dec. 14, 2018.
Dr. Joel A. Rosenfeld (MD ’85), a practicing physician at Georgia Urology, was recognized as one of Atlanta’s Top Doctors in Atlanta magazine’s July 2018 issue.
Rebecca C. McMullen (MEd ’86) was named dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies at Fort Valley State University.
Dr. Suzanne Smith (BS ’86, MD ’90) was named the 2019 Distinguished Alumna for the College of Science and Mathematics.
Dr. Dave A. Ringer (MD ’86) was appointed the chief executive director by the TenderCare Clinic board of directors.
Dr. Roosevelt Allen Jr. (MD ’87), a practicing physician at Georgia Urology, was recognized as one of Atlanta’s Top Doctors in Atlanta magazine’s July 2018 issue.
Dr. Shirley Fisher (BS ’87, DMD ’91) was named the 2019 Distinguished Alumna for The Dental College of Georgia.
Dr. Lorie Fleck (MD ’89) joined the newly established USA Health Physicians Group clinic, in Mobile, Alabama.
1990s
Dr. Hope Bussennius (BSN ’90, DNP ’12) was named the 2019 E. Louise Grant Distinguished Alumna for the College of Nursing.
Dr. Tim Livingston (BS ’90, MD ’94) joined the Children’s Hospital of TriStar Centennial in Nashville, Tennessee.
Dr. Margaret Wadsworth (MD ’90) joined the Highlands-Cashiers Hospital.
Dr. Kathy Sanders (DMD ’91) was recently named an Accredited Fellow in the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson (DMD ’92) of Georgia was named the chief deputy whip for the 116th Congress.
Dr. Richard Scallion (MD ’92) was part of a partnership formed between Novant Health and Dosher Memorial Health in Southport, North Carolina, to provide expanded general surgery for patients.
Dr. Tracy R. Barefield (MD ’93) and partners opened a new MDVIP-Affiliated Primary Care Practice in North Augusta, South Carolina.
Dr. Daniel L. Heithold (MD ’93) joined the CHI Memorial Medical Group in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Dr. Douglas Lundy (MD ’93) was elected president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Dr. Matthew Clark (MD ’95) was officially named a patriotic employee under a program run by the Department of Defense.
Dr. Scott A. Kelly (MD ’96) was appointed chairman of the board for CytoDyn Inc. in Vancouver, Washington.
Dr. Tony Robinson (BBA ’96) hosted a marketing strategies discussion titled “Marketing Strategies: Getting Others as Excited as You about Your Business” with the Augusta Metro Chamber.
Col. Greg Blythe (MS ’98) recently retired from the United States Army after serving for more than 34 years.
Dr. Denny A. Carter (MD ’98) co-hosted a webinar discussing innovative total knee replacements.
Dr. Gwendolyn Childs (MSN ’98) was named the 2019 Phoebe Kandel Rohrer Distinguished Alumna for the College of Nursing.
Dr. Cathy Hatcher (PhD ’98) was named the Innovative Teacher of the Year by the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Garnett Johnson (BBA ’98) was named the 2018 Augusta’s Entrepreneur by the Augusta Metro Chamber and South State Bank.
Dr. Derek Heard (MD ’99) was named the assistant primary care medical director for Phoebe Physicians.
Dr. James “Larry” Hornsby (MD ’99) joined the WellStar board of trustees effective July 1, 2018.
Dr. Clayton Brent Stiehl (DMD ’99) was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to the Georgia Board of Dentistry.
2000s
Dr. Bert Chen (MD ’00), a practicing physician at Georgia Urology, was recognized as one of Atlanta’s Top Doctors in Atlanta magazine’s July 2018 issue.
Dr. Tracy W. Gay (DMD ’01) was reappointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to the Georgia Board of Dentistry.
Dr. Jason Moore (M.Ed ’03, Ed.S ’04) was named the 2019 Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Education.
Dr. Jonathon Wetherington (PhD ’03) was named the principal at Paul Duke STEM High School in Norcross, Georgia.
Heather Jennings (BSN ’04, MSN ’08) was named the 2019 Outstanding Young Alumna for the College of Nursing.
Sam Barth (BA ’05) was named the 2019 Distinguished Alumnus for the Department of Athletics.
Dr. Jonathan Bullard (BBA ’05, DMD ’10) was named the 2019 Outstanding Young Alumnus for The Dental College of Georgia.
Dr. Eumeka Hogans (DMD ’06) joined the Kid’s Dentistree practice in Richmond Hill , Georgia.
Dr. Betsy Grunch (MD ’07), a practicing neurosurgeon, was named to the University of Georgia’s “40 under 40” list of award winners.
Patrick Eckhold (MS ’08) published an illustration of a hip labral reconstruction using allograft tissue.
Ashley D. Nelson (BBA ’08, MBA ’10) was named the 2019 Outstanding Young Alumna for the Hull College of Business.
Dr. Mehul Parikh (MD ’08), a gastroenterologist who practices at Gastroenterology Specialists of Gwinett, Georgia, was named a “GI Leader to Know” by Becker’s GI and Endoscopy.
Dr. Pratik Patel (MD ’08) recently joined the Community Care Network Inc. (CCNI) team of physicians serving Munster and East Chicago, Indiana.
Dr. Natalie Lemacks Thigpen (BS ’08, M.Ed ’10, Ed.S ’13, Ed.D ’18) was named the 2019 Outstanding Young Alumna for The Graduate School.
Dr. Douglas Widener (MD ’08) joined Resurgens Orthopaedics in Atlanta.
Dr. Rebecca Befingfield Ando (MD ’09) joined the Longstreet Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health in Gainesville, Georgia.
Adam C. Mestres (BA ’09, MPA ’10) was named the 2019 Outstanding Young Alumnus for the Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
2010s
Anton Anthony (MAT ’10) recently published an educational reform book titled Loving Education and a children’s book titled I Don’t Like School.
Dr. Ashley Hill (DMD ’10) recently joined the dental practice of Dr. Suzanne Haley in St. Simons Island, Georgia.
Dr. Jeffrey Smith (MD ’10) served as a foot and ankle specialist for Atlanta United 2, Atlanta United FC’s reserve team.
Rafy Bassali (MBA ’11) was recognized in the Metro Spirit for his efforts in revitalizing downtown Augusta.
Dr. Erik Randall Ewing (BS ’11) completed the Floyd Family Medicine Residency Program and joined the CHI Memorial Family Practice Associates in Harrison, Tennessee.
Dr. Brooks Ficke (MD ’11) joined Resurgens Orthopaedics in Atlanta.
Dr. L. Renee Hilton (MD ’11) was named the 2019 Outstanding Young Alumna for the Medical College of Georgia.
Rachel Mellick (PA-C ’11) was named the 2019 Outstanding Young Alumna for the College of Allied Health Sciences.
Dr. Jessica R. Rubin (MD ’11) has joined Reproductive Biology Associates in Atlanta.
Dr. Taylor Winkleman (BA ’11, BS ’11) was named the 2019 Outstanding Young Alumna for the College of Science and Mathematics.
Maura Bravo Pridgen (M.Ed ’12, Ed.S ’14) was named the 2019 Outstanding Young Alumna for the College of Education.
Dr. Patrick D. Grace (MD ’13) joined the Ramos Center for Interventional & Functional Pain Medicine.
Dr. Devin A. Stephens (MD ’13), in partnership with St. Mary’s Medical Group, opened a new primary care medical practice in Watkinsville, Georgia.
Dr. Zach Balest (MD ’14) joined the Gainesville Eye Associates in Gainesville, Georgia.
Dr. Samantha Curtis (MD ’14) was highlighted in an article titled “Polk County People in Medicine” published by The Ledger in Lakeland, Florida.
1st Lt Simeon Hanks (BS ’14) was recognized by the Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico for his work in the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Dr. Christopher Lang (MD ’14) joined the Providence Orthopedics and Sports Medicine practice in Spokane Washingon.
Dr. Chelsea Jones Mikell (MD ’14) joined the Ogeechee OB-GYN practice in Statesboro, Georgia.
Dr. Yolanda Safford Jones (MD ’15) recently joined Pediatric Partners of Augusta.
Dr. John Patrick McCaskey (MD ’15) completed the Floyd Family Medicine Residency Program and will join the Evans Medical Group in Evans, Georgia.
Dr. Brandon Taylor (MD ’15) joined Athens Internal Medicine Associates in Athens, Georgia, July 2018.
