Achieving Our Strategic Plan: Each unit contributes toward meeting the Augusta University mission and furthering our strategic plan. Following is an ongoing list that chronicles our journey to become a top-tier university that is a destination of choice for education, health care, discovery, creativity, and innovation.
Strategic Priority 1: Be a National Model
Strategic Priority 2: Be a Comprehensive Research University
Strategic Priority 3: Be a Nationally & Internationally Recognized Leader
Strategic Priority 4: Provide Service
Strategic Priority 5: Optimize our Potential
Strategic Priority 6: Diversity and Inclusion Across all Missions
Strategic Priority 1: Be a National Model
Offered Nurse Executive Track, which is among the first few in the nation and the ONLY 1 in Georgia.
Achieved National Recognition as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security.
Enrolled first cohort of students in Ph.D. in Applied Health Sciences in fall 2015. Enrollment in 2016 doubled.
Held Leonardo Arts and Science Evening rendezvous (LASER) talks hosted by the College of Allied Health Sciences and presented by the Department of Art.
Celebrated Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work‘s 50 years as a department.
Signed articulation agreement with the National Security Agency’s National Cryptologic School (NCS) on October 12, 2016, to increase educational opportunities for NCS students.
Earned reaccreditation for the Master of Public Administration program by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration.
Earned full 8-year accreditation for the Medical College of Georgia by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
Recognized by NCAA for Women’s Golf Team ranking in top 10 percentile of the Division I Academic Progress Rate for 2014-2015 academic year and earned the NCAA’s Public Recognition Award.
Named to the Victory Media’s Military Friendly Schools List for 3 years.
Underwent Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Reaffirmation in 2016 and received a “no recommendations” evaluation.
Revealed new mace and seal during May 2016 commencement.
Branded, and the new branding campaign rolled out for the University and Health System.
Changed name to Augusta University.
Changed name to the Dental College of Georgia.
Strategic Priority 2: Be a Comprehensive Research University
Dr. Teal Benevides was featured on the “Means Report” and WFXG to discuss her latest research project, “Priority Setting to Improve Health Outcomes: Autistic Adults and Other Stakeholders Engage Together.” The project recently received $250,000 from the Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement award.
Dr. Nagy Youssef, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Augusta University, is exploring the use of spiritual therapy to treat veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The article regarding his efforts has been published in more than 40 publications across the country, including The Washington Times and Miami Herald.
A $9.4 million Program Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute helps scientists explore how cell death from high blood pressure fuels even higher pressure.
Enrolled first cohort of students in Ph.D. in Applied Health Sciences in fall 2015. Enrollment in 2016 doubled.
Enrolled first cohort of students in Master of Science in Allied Health Science with a concentration in Nutrition in fall 2016.
Offered a Bachelor of Arts in Music with an emphasis on Musical Theater in fall 2016.
Graduated first cohort of students in spring 2016 from the Dietetic Internship of the College of Allied Health Sciences.
Established first two Living Learning Communities in fall 2016 for freshman STEM majors.
Received BOR approval for Masters of Science in Information Security Management in Hull College of Business to begin January 2017 (now in the School for Computer & Cyber Sciences).
Offered Nonprofit Leadership Certificate starting fall 2016.
Inaugurated state-of-the-art cyber facility for the Cyber Institute in September 2016 containing 9,000-square-feet of dedicated space in University Hall, including a state-of-the-art cyber lab, a study lounge for students, a cyber coffee bar area and 15 offices.
Opened new student housing facilities, Oak Hall and Elm Hall.
Strategic Priority 3: Be a Nationally & Internationally Recognized Leader
Added Honors Scholars Track in fall 2016 for students who already completed 24 or more credit hours and wish to take advantage of the Honors Program’s offerings.
Honors student, Asma Daoudi, named Student of the Year by National Collegiate Honors Council in December 2015.
College of Nursing Ranked Programs: Clinical Nurse Leader program is ranked TOP 10 in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 Best Graduate Schools rankings. Doctor of Nursing Practice, Nursing Anesthesia Program, and Master of Science in Nursing are among the TOP 100 in the nation. Online Graduate Nursing Program is in the Top 50.
Hull College of Business ranked by The Princeton Review’s 2016 edition of The Best 295 Business Schools as one of the nation’s top business schools.
Hull College of Business ranked among top 50 U.S. schools having the most affordable MBA degree program by online business education and career guide Top Management Degrees.
College of Allied Health Sciences’ Bachelor of Science in Health Information Administration program ranks 4th for Most Affordable Bachelor’s in Health Informatics according to College Choice.
Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences’ Bachelor of Social Work program ranks among the 50 Best Bachelor’s in Social Work according to College Choice.
Medical College of Georgia climbed from the 76th to 73rd best medical schools for research by the U.S. News and World Report.
Carton Deese, the associate director at Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home, and Dr. Nicholas Madden, a radiation oncology resident for the Georgia Cancer Center, were named to the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce/Augusta Magazine 2016 list of Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch. Also, Deese was chosen as one of Georgia Trend’s “40 Under 40.”
Dr. Jedidiah Ballard named the 2016 Ultimate Men’s Health Guy by Men’s Health magazine during a live broadcast of the NBC Today show.
Dr. Arnab Barik, a neuroscience PhD program graduate, and the Xiong and Mei Labs were featured on the cover of the Journal of Neuroscience.
Division 2 Athletic Directors Association Achievement Award honored 26 student-athletes for the 2015-2016 year.
Pardon Ndhlovu, an alumnus and volunteer assistant coach, finished 41st in the 2016 men’s Olympic marathon.
Dr. Samir N. Khleif represented the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University at the National Cancer Moonshot Summit held June 2016, in Washington, D.C.
The inaugural issue of A., Augusta University’s Alumni Magazine, was awarded a 2016 American Inhouse Design Award from Graphic Design USA.
Peach Belt Hall of Fame inductees: Marvin Vanover was first commissioner of the Peach Belt Conference and served for 16 years. Ben Madgen finished a four-year basketball career in 2010 as one of the most accomplished players in Peach Belt history. Mary Lisko ended a 20-year tenure in 2006 and was the Assistant Dean of the College of Business Administration, Director of Student Support and Advising, and the Faculty Athletic Representative for 17 years.
MCG Department of Emergency Medicine team took home first prize in the national SonoGames, a competition for emergency ultrasound.
Graduating ROTC cadet Jake Padgett was commissioned into the United States Army during the May 2016 commencement.
Jaguar Archery Group won two national championships in March 2016 at the 47th U.S. National Indoor championship and also at the United States Collegiate Archery Association National Indoor Championship.
Dr. Brian K. Stansfield, neonatologist at Children’s Hospital of Georgia, received the 2016 Clinical Science Young Investigator Award from the Southern Society for Pediatric Research.
Aubrey Hinkson, director of marketing, was named to DTC Perspectives’ 2016 Top Hospital Marketers of the Year list.
Dr. Frederick Rueggeberg, a professor at the Dental College of Georgia, received the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Stephen H. Leeper Award for Teaching Excellence in March 2016.
Third-year dental student, Eric Anderson, received the District 4 Delegate of the Year Award at the American Student Dental Association Annual Session.
Men’s Tennis advanced to the 20th best team in the nation according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II Men’s National Team Rankings release on March 23, 2016.
Disc Golf Club won National Collegiate Disc Golf Championship for third year, which is more national championship disc golf titles than any other U.S. team.
Dr. Selina Smith, director of the Institute of Public and Preventive Health (IPPH), was named President of the Georgia Public Health Association.
The Baseball Team ranked 18th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association of America (NCBWA) national poll in 2016.
For 15 consecutive years, Augusta University Health has been the only local hospital to have its physicians ranked among the top 1 percent in the nation and included in the list of America’s Top Doctors®.
Dr. Brenda Seago, professor and director of Libraries, was awarded the 2016 President’s Award by the Medical Library Association (MLA), which is one of MLA’s highest honors.
Jaguars listed as best college basketball team in Georgia by HERO Sports.
Two gold awards, one silver award, and two merit awards were won by Augusta University and advertising agency Wier/Stewart at the 31st Annual Educational Advertising Awards.
Men’s Golf Head Coach Jack O’Keefe was inducted into the 2016 Arkansas Golf Hall of Fame in February 2016.
Competition Cheerleading Team took first place at the CheerSport Regionals and were named Grand Champions for the college level four division on January 23, 2016.
Kinesiology Pro Consult, an app developed by members of the Occupational Therapy and the Instructional Design and Development departments, won gold in the EdTech category of the Design 100 2015 App Design Awards.
Celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Nurse Practitioner degree program in 2015.
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi recognized the Augusta University chapter as a Chapter of Excellence, which is the highest commendation a chapter can receive.
Robert B. Greenblatt Library received the 2015 Consortium of Southern Biomedical Libraries (CONBLS) Distinguished Library Award.
College of Nursing ranked No. 1 nursing school in the Eastern region in 2015 by Nurse Journal.
Karin Gillespie, part-time instructor in the Department of English and Foreign Languages, was awarded a 2016 Georgia Author of the Year Award in the Romance category for her novel Girl Meets Class.
Held the annual Augusta University Half Marathon and 10K on February 28, 2016. The 10K sold out for the first time.
Hosted the 17th Annual Phi Kappa Phi Student Research and Fine Arts Conference on March 18th, 2016.
Joined with American Heart Association on March 5, 2016, for the 2016 CSRA Heart Walk.
Crystal Smith, lead exercise physiologist at Augusta University’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Department, released her second book The Centered Woman: Focused. Beautiful. Happy.
Dr. Paulette Harris, Cree-Walker Professor of Education in the College of Education and leader of the Literacy Center, published her book Leading Literacy Programs: Proven Practices.
Senior z Wiggins received first place for her video “Hyperthyroidism: Not As Grave As It Seems” in the 2016 American Physiological Society’s Phantastic Physiology Voyage “Function Follows Form” Video Contest.
Shellie Smitley and Timothy Howard won first and second place in the category of undergraduate research papers at the American Journalism Historians Association’s Southeast Symposium on January 30, 2016.
Won Best Research Presentation Awards by 3 physics students in their respective sections at the 2016 American Physical Society’s March Meeting.
Tara Cramer, executive director of the Georgia Regional Academic Community Health Information Exchange (GRAChIE), was a winner of the 2015 Health IT Outcomes Change Agent Award.
Professor Richard Deaner of the College of Education was named the recipient of the Board of Regents’ 2016 Teaching Excellence Award, which is the University System of Georgia’s highest honor for faculty.
Dr. Lovoria B. Williams was 1 of 88 nurse practitioner leaders to be inducted into the Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP) to recognize her outstanding contributions to health care.
Dr. Michael W. Brands, a professor in the Department of Physiology, and Dr. Mark Hamrick, a professor in the Department of Cellular Biology & Anatomy, were named Regent’s Professors.
Mathematics students won first place in the Mathematical Association of America Southeastern Section’s (MAASE) spring 2016 Math Jeopardy competition.
Beth Bryson, parking and transportation manager in the Department of parking and Transportation, was recognized as the 2016 Parking Supervisor of the Year by the Parking Association of Georgia.
Dr. Pamela Cromer, associate professor of biobehavioral nursing in the College of Nursing, was awarded the 2016 AANP Nurse Practitioner State Award for Excellence, which is given annually in each state.
Mathematics students took first place at the Eagle Undergraduate Mathematics Conference 2016 Team Problem Solving Contest.
Partnered with colleges and universities across Georgia through a grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and fatalities as a part of The Young Adult Program.
Bettie William’s book The Rake’s Tale was published October 26, 2015.
Dr. Sandra Inglett, assistant professor of biobehavioral nursing, was selected as one of the 2015 Nurse of the Year Georgia finalists by the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Selection Committee.
Strategic Priority 4: Provide Service
On February 8, 2017, 22 Dental College of Georgia students volunteered for Lessons in a Lunch Box, an oral health literacy initiative developed by the Children’s Oral Health Institute that brings oral health care to grade school students. Special lunch boxes, which contained floss, a toothbrush and toothpaste, were delivered to 154 first and second grade students at Lamar-Milledge Elementary School.
The grand opening of the Academic Success Center on January 9, 2017, commemorated the introduction of a valuable new resource for students. The center focuses on assisting freshmen and sophomores through tutoring and teaching useful tools and techniques about how to study for college.
On Give Kids a Smile Day, more than 150 children from New Holland, Rollins and Monte Sano Elementary Schools were given free cleanings, screenings and other dental health services by students and faculty with the Dental College of Georgia and the College of Allied Health Sciences.
Offered two GenCyber Camp for high school students in the summer 2015/2016, and offered the first GenCyber Middle Grades Teacher Camp in summer 2016.
Offered Cyber Georgia @ Augusta University, which was the third annual Cyber Education Summit, in collaboration with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce in October 2016 and featured CIA Director John Brennan and NSA Deputy Director Richard Ledgett.
Chief of the National Security Agency’s Tailored Access Operations (TAO), Rob Joyce, spoke on September 10, 2016 at BSidesAugusta 2016.
Signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Friday, April 15, 2016, with the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence to share resources and help develop a cyber-trained workforce.
Ranked a 2017 “Best for Vets” University according to a recent report from the Military Times.
Hosted the annual Nuclear Science Week Education Day on October 19, 2016, by the College of Allied Health Sciences and the College of Science and Mathematics for students from Richmond County Technical Career Magnet High School, Evans High, and Aiken Career and Technology Center.
A study appeared first in the nation to examine the impact of vitamin K supplements as a safe alternative to lower the risk of cardiovascular risk of obese children. A total of 60 children ages 8 to 17 will participate in the study.
Raised nearly $17,000 for Children’s Hospital of Georgia during the inaugural Dance Marathon on October 28, 2016, by a new student-run organization called Jaguar Miracle.
Provided examinations, health screenings, and bilingual information for female farmworkers at a free health clinic hosted by students on October 28, 2016.
Offered the Study Abroad Experience to Jamaica for Occupational Therapy students to work with children and adults with disabilities.
Children’s Hospital of Georgia was recently reaccredited for another three years by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission for high-quality performance in pediatric echocardiography.
Augusta University Health retained level 4 status, the highest accreditation possible, from the National Association of Epilepsy Centers for its comprehensive adult and pediatric epilepsy program.
College of Nursing awarded $350,000 to increase number of primary care Advanced Practice Register Nurses (APRNs) in rural and/or undeserved communities in Georgia.
New Augusta University Health CEO Lee Ann Liska focusing on improving patient safety and satisfaction.
Provided rapid stroke care using a web cam through the REACH program’s tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) over the last 13 years to more than 1,000 people in rural Georgia and South Carolina.
Augusta University Health earned CEO Cancer Gold Standard reaccreditation for maintaining a strong commitment to the health of its employees and satisfying the latest, comprehensive requirements of the Gold Standard.
Augusta University Health agrees to share expertise in health care operations and management with the 56-bed Washington County Regional Medical Center in Sandersville, Georgia.
Newborns with meconium aspiration who are placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at Children’s Hospital of Georgia have the highest survival rates (97%) when compared to the national averages of ECMO Centers with comparable volumes.
Augusta University Health earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star designation for a third time. It is the only hospital in Georgia which holds the designation for 2016 and, as of April, one of only six medical centers in the country.
A May 2016 report by the Georgia Hospital Association noted Augusta University Health and its partnership with the state’s Roosevelt Warm Springs Rehabilitation and Specialty Hospitals generated close to $1.3 billion in revenue for the local and state economy.
Hosted annual middle school Model United Nations Conference on March 16, 2016.
Held the 18th annual Impacting Student Learning Conference in March 2016.
Hosted more than 100 student presenters at the 33rd annual Georgia Collegiate Honors Council Conference on February 27, 2016.
Augusta University Health earned three patient care quality and safety awards in 2016 from the Partnership for Health and Accountability, an affiliate of the Georgia Hospital Association.
Students and faculty from the Dental College of Georgia and College of Allied Health Sciences provided free dental care for local children on February 5, 2016.
Hosted training session on ultrasound diagnostics for Army doctors from Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Eisenhowerat the Medical College of Georgia.
As part of the Transformation Agenda, Adult Inpatient Medicine opened a 15 all-private-bed medicine unit on 8 South in December 2015.
Piloted a Patient Discharge Lounge on 5 North in the Oncology Library to enhance patient throughput.
Men’s basketball team hosted second annual Education Day game for over 2,500 Richmond County fifth graders on December 15, 2016.
Received the final order on November 23, 2015, from the Commissioner of DCH awarding the Certificate of Need to build a 100-bed hospital in Grovetown.
Named an Engine of Opportunity school in 2015 by the U.S. Department of Education for offering affordable education to low-income students and contributing to their mobility into the middle class.
Augusta University Health was presented the Harry Orme, M.D., Partnership Award for exemplary Patient- and Family-Centered Care at the national PFCC Conference in California in October 2015.
Unveiled in 2015 a $25.8 million plan by Augusta University Health to renovate the clinical facilities at the historic Roosevelt Warm Springs Rehabilitation & Specialty Hospitals.
Augusta University Health purchased a 30-percent ownership in the Surgery Center of Columbia County.
Children’s Hospital of Georgia ranks No. 1 in pediatric care for all of 2014 according to the latest Quality and Safety Management Report from the University HealthSystem Consortium.
June 2015 marks the 10-year celebration of the Augusta University Medical Associates, Lake Oconee Village.
The Breast Cancer Team of the Georgia Cancer Center was accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Center, a program administered by the American College of Surgeons in fall of 2015.
Child Life Services Manager Kym Allen named WRDW’s September 2016 Time to Care Award recipient for working with young patients at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia.
Bart’s Heart, a children’s book written by Dr. Cargill H. Alleyne Jr., won second place at the 2015 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards.
The Carlos and Marguerite Mason Trust awarded Augusta University nearly $1.5 million to help fund the consolidated and expanded kidney transplant clinic.
Strategic Priority 5: Optimize our Potential
A $1 million gift from the Medical College of Georgia Foundation will help establish a new scholarship and further diversify the state’s public medical school.
John “Jay” Heslen, assistant professor of political science and cyber, received a $284,434 2017 CyberSecurity Core Curriculum Development Grant from the National Security Agency. The grant supports the President’s Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP), and one of its primary goals is to develop publically available core cyber curricula and prepare graduates for work in federal cybersecurity positions.
A partnership between the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and Westobou will provide more opportunities for students while helping the arts organization further solidify itself as one of Augusta’s leading cultural institutions.
On February 14, 2017, the newly remodeled gift shop at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia opened and was renamed Re:sourxe Gifts by Sodexo. Re:sourxe offers more service hours, including evening and weekend hours, a great merchandise selection and an e-commerce site.
On February 22, 2017, Dessert with Deans allows students and others to connect with the academic leadership at Augusta University.
Hospitality is the 3rd-largest employer in Augusta, and Augusta University is focusing on this all-important industry with the introduction of its new Hospitality Administration Certificate Program.
Augusta University Health unveils a new post-anesthesia care unit, which adds seven new bays for a total of 25 anesthesia and surgical recovery rooms.
Augusta University Health signed 15-year master service agreement with Beckman Coulter in October 2016.
The 2016 IGIVE fundraiser for Augusta University exceeded its $1 million goal for the second consecutive year.
Cerner’s Capacity Management Patient Flow system was implemented hospital-wide on December 15, 2015, to improve patient throughput and increase staff and patient satisfaction.
The 15th annual Cares for Kids Radiothon for Children’s Hospital of Georgia raised almost $205,000.
Held second annual Dance Dash in November 2015 to raise money for Children’s Hospital of Georgia.
Implemented the Care Facilitation Division on all nursing units.
The Student Counseling & Psychological Services was featured in a Chronicle of Higher Education article concerning how campus counseling centers are meeting rising demand from students.
Strategic Priority 6: Diversity and Inclusion Across all Missions
A signature event on February 7, 2017, recognizing the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University’s first black students and a keynote address from a former U.S. surgeon general will commence a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the state’s public medical school.
University Libraries received $10,000 Latin American history grant in summer 2015.
The Cardiology Fellowship program at the Medical College of Georgia is the recipient of the 2016 Spirit of the Heart Diversity in Cardiology Award from the Association of Black Cardiologists.
1 of 5 Georgia institutions which received the 2016 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
9 mentees from universities across the country participated in Augusta University’s Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-related Research (PRIDE) Summer Institute, which is funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Senior sociology major Kathryn DelGenio was awarded The Welcoming Project’s 2016 Undergraduate Scholarship Award for her contributions to the field of LGBTQ activism.
The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration hosted by Augusta University, Paine College, and Augusta Technical College was held January 15, 2016.
International Education Week, a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, was held November 2015.
