Members - AU Academy of Health Sciences Educators

T. Andrew Albritton, MD is Associate Dean for Curriculum and Professor of Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia. He graduated from the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in 1980 and completed his fifth pathway Program at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City in 1981. After completing his Internal Medicine residency at the Medical College of Georgia, he was engaged in the private practice of internal medicine from 1985 to 1990 and joined the faculty of the Medical College of Georgia in 1990. He has served as the Clerkship Director and Director of Student Education for the Department of Medicine. In addition to serving as the Associate Dean for Curriculum, he is the co-director of the community-based faculty development program, and Program Director for Essentials of Clinical Medicine.  Dr. Albritton also practices and teaches general internal medicine at Augusta University.

Lori Schumacher Anderson, PhD, RN earned a BS degree in nursing from Creighton University, MS in nursing from the University of Minnesota, and PhD in nursing from Duquesne University. She is associate dean for simulated learning innovations and associate professor at the Augusta University College of Nursing (CON). She has over 20 years of acute and critical care nursing experience. She joined the CON faculty in 2000 and has led the establishment of the Augusta University Interdisciplinary Simulation Center.  Her research interests include investigating the utilization of simulation in academia and in healthcare settings, critical thinking and clinical decision-making, and learning outcomes. She publishes in the area of clinical simulation, is a simulation consultant, and is on the editorial board for Simulation in Healthcare.

William "Bill" Andrews, MA, CMI, FAMI is an award-winning medical illustrator, teacher and leader in his field. He has received a great many national and international awards for his work, and has had numerous pieces included in juried exhibits around the world. Selected artworks are included in museums and private collections throughout the US and in Australia, Canada, Chile, England, France, Italy, Japan and The Netherlands. Bill earned his BA in Art degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and his MA in Biomedical Communications from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He is currently working on a PhD in the Health Promotion, Education and Behavior at the University of South Carolina at Columbia. He is a Certified Medical Illustrator (CMI), and a Fellow of the Association of Medical Illustrators (FAMI). Bill is a member of Phi Kappa Phi. He is currently a Professor of Medical Illustration in the Dept. of Medical Illustration at Augusta University, as well as Director of the David J. Mascaro Gallery. Bill served as Education Program Coordinator then Program Director (14 years total) in the transdisciplinary Medical Illustration Graduate Program. He enjoys small-group teaching, and specializes in creative engagement, developing problem-solving and visual story-telling skills. In 2010, he received the prestigious Brödel Award for Excellence in Education from the Association of Medical Illustrators.

Julia Behr, DNP, RN serves as the Assistant Dean at the College of Nursing Athens campus. Dr. Behr has served on the Augusta University faculty for more than 20 years at both undergraduate and graduate levels, and has established online instruction and curriculum development for advanced practice programs. She serves as an evaluator for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and is a member of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties and the American Nurses Association. She received her bachelor’s and master’s of nursing degrees from the Augusta University College of Nursing and her doctorate of nursing practice from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her doctoral research evaluated nursing knowledge and attitudes in treating pregnant women with opiate addiction.

Gayle Bentley, RN, DNP, PHCNS-BC earned a BSN from Clemson University, and MSN and DNP from the Augusta University College of Nursing. She joined the faculty of the CON in 1994 and has served in many roles and teaches in the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. She is currently an associate professor in the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing, Colleges of Nursing and Graduate Studies. She specializes in public health nursing and was an inaugural fellow in the Academy of Nursing Scholars.  
Dr. Bentley has led curriculum evaluation and revision for nursing programs, and is known as an innovator in web course delivery and teaching with technology. She supports service learning through health promotion programs in community health nursing courses. In recognition of her educational contributions, she received the Sigma Theta Tau Excellence in Education award and recognition for publications on educational innovations. Dr Bentley mentors faculty locally and nationally in web-based learning. Her philosophy of teaching is based on open and respectful relationships, high expectations, active learning with regular feedback, and respect for diverse talents and ways of learning. Her teaching strategies are designed to promote engagement, critical thinking and the logical progression of ideas. These principles are demonstrated in her course and curriculum management as well as relationship with students and peers.

Lori A. Bolgla, PT, PhD, ATC earned her BS in Physical Therapy in 1993 and MS in Allied Health in 1998, both from MCG.  In 2005, she received a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Kentucky.  Prior to joining the faculty in the Department of Physical Therapy, Dr. Bolgla primarily worked with patients in an outpatient orthopedic/sports medicine setting.  Since joining the faculty in 2005, she has taught extensively in the musculoskeletal content area and served as a research advisor for students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Shilpa P. Brown, MD, FACP earned her MD from MCG in 1994 and completed internal medicine residency at MCG.  After serving as chief resident, she joined the faculty as assistant professor of medicine in 1998.  She currently serves as associate program director of the internal medicine residency program where she is primarily responsible for ambulatory education and directing the resident continuity care clinics.  She has been involved extensively in medical student education and is a core clinical educator for Essentials of Clinical Medicine and directs the Women’s Health Intersession.  Dr. Brown’s primary interests are in student and resident education with a clinical interest in Women’s Health.

Richard Callan, DMD, EdS earned his DMD in 1983 from the Augusta University Dental College of Georgia (CDM). After 17 years in private practice, he joined the CDM faculty where he co-directs the college’s practice management curriculum at both the undergraduate and graduate level.  He maintains an intramural general dental practice and supervises the comprehensive care clinic. His research interests include the educational applications of modern dental technology and improving dental education through curriculum reform.  He is a member of many dental organizations including the American Dental Association, the American Dental Education Association’s Commission on Change and Innovation, the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

Charlotte Chatto, PT, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Augusta University. She received her Bachelor’s in Physical Therapy from Boston University in 1987. She has a Master of Science degree from the Medical College of Georgia and a PhD in Applied Neuroscience from the Union Institute and University. Her research and clinical practice of 25 years has specialized in the care of patients with neurological diseases and injuries. She currently is one of the Physical Therapists in Augusta University’s ALS clinic and Christ Community Clinic in Augusta, Georgia, as well as with Global Therapy Group in Haiti. She is currently funded through a grant from the National Parkinson's Foundation CSRA Parkinson’s Support Group to investigate the effectiveness of a home-based LSVT-BIG protocol on the function of patients with mid-stage Parkinson’s Disease and with the use of a novel Kinect-based motion capture system. One of her passions is teaching entry-level physical therapy students for the past years, with focus on ways to drive the neuroplasticity in patients recovering from neurological injury or disease to improve their quality of life. She was completed a Teaching Scholars Fellowship in 2012 and her project was the creation of an educational app for learning basic neuroanatomy called Build-a-Brain Explorer, with Augusta University Educational Design and Development (EDD) team. Her current project with the EDD team, with funding from Affordable Learning Georgia, is the creation of a no-cost iBook/ebook for physical therapy students.

Janis S. Coffin, DO is an Associate Professor in Family Medicine and Director of the Augusta University Family Medicine Clinic.  She received her D.O. degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and her Family Medicine Residency training in Capital Region Medical Center, Jefferson City, Missouri.  Under Dr. Coffin’s leadership, the National Committee for Quality Assurance has recently designated the Family Medicine Clinic as a level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home. Dr. Coffin has received departmental teaching awards from 2007 to 2010, was chosen as the recipient of the Medical Student Exemplary Teacher award in 2009 and 2010, and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Society in 2009. In her work with students, Dr. Coffin has served as Director of the Women’s Free Health Clinic from 2005 to 2008 and a preceptor at the Salvation Army Homeless Clinic since 2005. The care and passion Dr. Coffin exhibits at work is parallel that which she provides for her own family. Janis loves spending time with her husband, David, who is also a physician working at Eisenhower Army Medical Center in the Emergency Room, and their two daughters, Madison and Chloe.

Gerald E. Crites, MD graduated from the Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1991 and completed his Categorical Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Cincinnati in 1994. From 1994-1998, he was an Assistant Professor of Medicine, F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, billeted at the Wright Patterson Medical Center. From 1998 to 2009, he was an Assistant Professor and later Associate Professor of Medicine at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. In 2005, he obtained a Master of Education degree from the University of Cincinnati. In 2009, he was appointed the Director of Essentials of Clinical Medicine for the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership in Athens and was later named the Campus Director of Program Evaluation and Educational Research. In 2014, he was promoted to Professor of Medicine. His academic interests include curriculum design, curriculum evaluation, and psychometric research.

Anna C. Edmondson, PhD received her BS degree in Molecular Biology from Auburn University and PhD in pathology from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.  She completed a Scientist-Educator Postdoctoral Fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center before joining the MCG faculty in 2009 as an assistant professor in the Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy.  She is a basic science educator and teaches primarily in the first year medical school curriculum, where she teaches gross anatomy and is the component director for development.  She is course director for Human Gross Anatomy for CAHS students. Dr. Edmondson was a 2011 Educational Innovation Institute research fellow; her research focuses on how student learning styles, motivation and sociodemographic factors, and professionalism attitudes influence classroom attendance and academic performance.

Mohammed E. Elsalanty, MD, PhD graduated from Cairo University Medical School in 1994, followed by 4 years of training in maxillofacial surgery at Nasser Institute Hospital and Research Center in Cairo, Egypt. In 2004, he completed a PhD with emphasis on craniofacial biology at Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX. Following a 3-year post-doctoral fellowship at Baylor, he moved to Augusta University Dental College of Georgia (CDM) as an assistant professor in the department of oral biology in 2007. He is course director for oral and general microanatomy. As a teacher, he strives to start a process of intellectual interaction with the students from which students, faculty and patients benefit. Dr. Elsalanty has developed a well-received series of instructional computer animations explaining dental development.

Ralph A. Gillies, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine. Since 2001, Dr. Gillies has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and has specialized in the area of behavioral medicine (i.e., interviewing skills, psychosocial aspects of medicine, physician-patient relationship).  In 2004, he was selected to participate in the Georgia Governor’s Teaching Fellow program to further develop his teaching skills.  Recently, he has expanded his interest to include faculty development in education.  As an educator, he has emphasized promoting learner participation in the learning process, implementing new teaching strategies, and evaluating what works in learning setting, what does not work, and why.  He is particularly interested in the use of technology in education for both its positive (efficient, effective, distance-learning) as well as its negative potential (decreased interaction between teachers and learners).  While developing a variety of web-based learning modules, he has noted the importance of applying adult learning theories to maximize the utility and acceptability of these electronic modules. As an Academy member, Dr. Gillies plans to advocate for MedEdPORTAL as a viable opportunity for Augusta University faculty to publish educational content in a digital format.  He also plans to be involved in institutional efforts to systematically develop the teaching skills of educators at Augusta University.  Ralph is married to Dr. Amy House who is an associate professor in the Dept. of Psychiatry and Health Behavior; they have three children, Owen, Naomi, and Jonah.

Hartmut Gross, MD, FACEP is a Professor of Emergency Medicine, an Associate Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, and a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.  Dr. Gross graduated in the first residency class of MCG’s Emergency Medicine (EM) program.  Working with the Department of Neurology, he is cofounder of the REACH program, and routinely treats acute stroke patients via the Internet.  As a faculty member in the EM department, he has been actively involved in various leadership roles in the EM residency and served as the EM clerkship director for 4th year medical students for over a decade. In addition to his clinical teaching role in the emergency department, Dr. Gross has also serves as a faculty advisor for students and residents, coordinates international rotations for MCG medical students, and he is the director for the departmental International Fellowship.  Practicing and teaching medicine outside the emergency department is his passion, be it at community mass gatherings such as the Masters, drag boat races, airshows, in wilderness events like MedWAR, or in the developing world. Central themes of Dr. Gross’s educational philosophy are that a listener who is attentive and engaged is a learner, and learners should be encouraged to discover and pursue their own ideas.   His goals as a member of the Academy are to share his teaching experiences, skills and techniques with junior faculty, helping them recognize their strengths and facilitating the development of their own skills.

Valera L. Hudson, MD is Vice Chair for Education and Pediatric Residency Program Director at the Medical College of Georgia.  Dr. Hudson is a fellowship trained pediatric pulmonologist with clinical interests in cystic fibrosis and asthma.  She was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society in March 2007.  Dr. Hudson’s passion for medical education is centered in the privilege and opportunity to mentor individuals in their professional development.   As the Pediatric Residency Program Director for the past eleven years she has successfully guided the residency program through the significant paradigm shift in resident medical education from a primarily apprentice model to a competency-based model.  Her educational scholarly focus has been in the areas of curriculum development, competency-based evaluation and web-based program administration.  She believes the division of undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education and continuing medical education should become a seamless continuum of medical professional development.  She has worked closely with the director of pediatric student education to develop an innovative curriculum for fourth year medical students planning a career in pediatrics.  Dr. Hudson is leading a consortium of the pediatric residency programs of Georgia and South Carolina to assess current outcomes of residency education in order to help define potential areas for curriculum changes.  As an inaugural member of the Augusta University Academy, Dr. Hudson is committed to “giving back” in a number of areas including faculty development in competency curriculum and evaluation.   She is also interested in the development and implementation of curriculum innovations in the third year clerkships and senior student curriculum to better prepare students for the transition to graduate medical education.

Lisa E. Leggio, MD is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and the Director of Medical Student Education for the Department of Pediatrics.  She enjoys caring for pediatric patients from the newborn nursery to the adolescent clinic, and has clinical interest in discipline, sleep, and health maintenance.  Although she teaches the continuum of learners from first year medical students to third year pediatric residents, her focus is directing the pediatric clerkship for junior students and overseeing pediatric electives for senior students.   Dr. Leggio has been collaborating with others locally and nationally to improve the readiness of graduating students for residency training by developing a senior curriculum for students interested in pediatrics.  As a Core Clinical Educator she facilitates small groups of first and second year medical students in the Essentials of Clinical Medicine course and teaches pediatric physical diagnosis.  Dr. Leggio serves as the Chair, Class of 2012 Promotions Subcommittee.  She was awarded the Faculty Senate Distinguished Faculty Award for Clinical Science Teaching in 2008.  Nationally she is a member of the Computer-assisted Learning in Pediatrics Project (CLIPP) Editorial Board, and leads the Practice Based Learning and Improvement Working Group for the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP) Curriculum Task Force.  Dr. Leggio is fascinated by theories of learning styles and uses a variety of tactics to engage learners at different levels and learning preferences.  As an inaugural member of the Academy of Educators, Dr. Leggio looks forward to mentoring junior faculty and collaborating with other educators to improve student curricula and learning experiences.

Donna Londino, MD, entered medical school at MCG after working for seven years as a quality control chemist.  She is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior and medical director of inpatient child and adolescent psychiatric services where she teaches multidisciplinary and patient family centered care.  Since 2001, she has served as director of mental health education to first year medical students and now serves as a component director for the Nervous System and Special Senses module, an integrated course with gross and neuroanatomy.
Even during her residency and fellowship, Dr. Londino enjoyed teaching colleagues, facilitating study efforts for board preparation and utilizing movie clips and clinical correlations to teach development and psychopathology.  She serves as an examiner and item writer for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Recently, she has prepared video vignettes for the written board examination in psychiatry.  She has been nominated to be an item writer for USMLE examinations.
Dr. Londino has received formal training in medical education as a Harvard Macy Scholar.  She is involved in both undergraduate and graduate education.  She is currently collaborating with others in her department to produce a psychiatry curriculum map that strategically places topics of development, mental health, and psychopathology throughout the four years of medical school.  As an Academy member, Dr. Londino plans to continue her involvement in curriculum development and collaborate with other members in producing interactive and self-directed learning exercises with the goal of aspiring others to translate the scientific knowledge they learn into evidence based clinical care and in helping them develop skills to become lifelong learners.

Matthew L. Lyon, MD FACEP earned his MD at MCG in 1999 and completed the emergency medicine residency in 2003, after which he joined the Augusta University faculty as an assistant professor. Currently he is vice chairman of academic programs, director of the emergency department observation unit, director of emergency medicine ultrasound, and director of emergency medicine ultrasound fellowship. He developed the curriculum for the emergency and clinical ultrasound sections and his leadership in this area led to the development of an integrated curriculum for the residency in emergency and clinical ultrasound.  In addition, he developed a medical student rotation for emergency ultrasound.

Renuka Mehta, MBBS, MRCP, DCH, FAAP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, came to MCG in 2001 as a critical care fellow, after which she joined the faculty as an intensivist in the Department of Pediatrics. Since then her caring for sick children in the PICU has been characterized by sound clinical judgment and passion.  She feels that every learner caring for children should be adequately trained to recognize sick children and provide appropriate management within their scope of practice. Her philosophy of patient care has fostered her love for teaching and learning, and motivated her to become a “PALS” instructor and regional faculty.
She believes that concepts of human illnesses cannot be taught or learned merely through lectures or reading. Her commitment to hands-on experience motivated her interest in using human simulation as a teaching tool to engage her students in learning.
Dr. Mehta has designed evidence-based curricula including mock code scenarios and procedural skills exercises for medical students, pediatric residents, nurses, and emergency medical technicians. These curricula aid health care providers in maintaining their expertise in caring for critically ill children.  She has also designed posters and handouts describing/explaining assessment and management of sick children for local and regional emergency health care providers.
In October 2009, Dr. Mehta created a dedicated pediatric simulation center in CMC. Her aim as medical director of the simulation center is to provide courses that are accessible to all learners and healthcare providers in this region. She is also initiating several research projects to assess the effect on patient safety of interactive simulation to teach medical students and community-based ER physicians. She believes her strong physiology background as a pediatric intensivist and her commitment to lifelong learning enable her to provide high quality care and teaching.

Jan K. Mitchell, DDS, MEd  graduated from Emory University School of Dentistry in 1979 and accepted a commission in the United States Navy.  After tours aboard ship and overseas, she completed her Master’s in Higher Education from the George Washington University and a residency in Comprehensive Dentistry at the Naval Dental School in Bethesda MD.  Dr. Mitchell retired after 26 years at the rank of Captain and practiced in Anchorage Alaska for 5 years before returning to her home state of Georgia and joining the faculty at the School of Dental Medicine. She developed and headed a new residency in Advanced Education in General Dentistry for three years, and now serves as course director for two courses as well as teaching students in the first three years.

Laura L. Mulloy, DO received her DO degree at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (1984), and completed her medical residency at the Yale-University Waterbury Hospital Health Center, Waterbury, CT and a nephrology fellowship at MCG. She joined the faculty in 1990 as an assistant professor. She is a clinician-educator and has been involved in clinical research. She is professor of medicine and chief, Section of Nephrology, Hypertension and Transplant Medicine. She was program director for the renal fellowship (1993-2006) and interim chair, Department of Medicine (2006-2008). Currently she is vice chair for clinical affairs and faculty development since 2008. Her passion for mentorship and faculty development led her to implement a departmental mentoring program for junior faculty.

Janet A Munroe, MD graduated from the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine 1994.  She continued at the Medical College of Georgia completing a radiology research year and her diagnostic radiology residency. She then joined the Augusta Veterans Affairs in 1999 as a staff radiologist and VA radiology residency coordinator. In 2003 she became a member of the Medical College of Georgia Department of Radiology Body Imaging Section and serves as the Radiology Residency Associate Program Director, Categorical and case conference course director for Radiology Residency and Augusta University Radiology Lead Medical Student Career Advisor.

Marguerite Murphy, DNP, MS earned her BSN from Berea College, MSN from Georgia State University, and DNP from Augusta University. She is an associate professor in the Augusta University Colleges of Nursing and Graduate Studies.  Since 1996, she has taught in multiple CON programs, including the RN-BSN, the clinical nurse leader (CNL) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs. She is currently Director of the DNP program, and recently assumed leadership of the new Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/DNP Program. She uses distance learning technology extensively in the delivery of her courses.

Robert R. Nesbit, Jr., M.D., FACS, Professor Emeritus of Surgery, joined the MCG faculty in 1974 and has been actively involved in medical student education ever since.  He was Chief of Surgical Services at VAMC Augusta from 1983 to 1995 and Chief of the Section of Vascular Surgery at MCG from 1994 until he took early retirement in 2000.  He chaired the MCG Student Promotions Committee for seven years. 
After retirement from clinical responsibilities, he became more active in pre-clinical teaching, participating in Essentials of Clinical Medicine and becoming a core clinical educator in 2005.  He has been on the Admissions Committee since 2001.  A year after retiring he was asked to become director of the surgery clerkship and has served in that position since 2001. He has been a member of the Curriculum Oversight Committee since 2002 and chair of the Phase 3 Curriculum Committee since 2005.
As clerkship director, Dr. Nesbit sought help from others in his position and learned that there was no organization of surgical clerkship directors.  He then helped found the Surgery Clerkship Directors Committee of the Association for Surgical Education and became the first chair of that committee.  With that committee he is working to produce a North American surgical clerkship curriculum. 
Dr. Nesbit is also currently involved in a grant funded project to improve the “WISE MD” Web Initiative for Surgical Education program.  He believes that all lectures can be interactive.  He is a member of the Competencies Committee ad hoc Subcommittee of the Curriculum Oversight Committee and looks forward to participating in curricular innovations that will result from the work of that committee.

Carol Nichols, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy at the Augusta University.  She is a basic science educator and trained gross anatomist with medical education interests in instructional design and course development.   She directs the gross anatomy program for medical students and has developed several courses to foster interest in gross anatomy and academic medicine.  She has developed an innovative elective, “Essentials of Education,” for freshman medical students to facilitate their development as teachers and tutors in anatomy.  Dr. Nichols is a past recipient of the MCG Faculty Senate Distinguished Faculty Award for basic science teaching and is a current member of the American Association of Anatomists Educational Affairs committee.   Her educational philosophy is that teaching and learning are inextricably linked and both should be fun!  No aspect of her career is more enjoyable than seeing the metaphorical light bulb turn on when students learn a new concept.  As a member of the Academy of Educators, she is looking forward to leading educational workshops that she has developed.   Dr. Nichols acknowledges the great mentoring she has received that has helped her grow as an educator, and she welcomes the opportunity to share her experiences by mentoring others.

Alyce M. Oliver, PhD, MD, graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1992.  She attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she obtained a doctorate in microbiology while studying B cell immunology.  Her efforts then turned to the study of medicine.  She graduated from the UAB School of Medicine in 2002.  After completing her Internal Medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Oliver pursued a Rheumatology fellowship at Duke University.  She jointed Augusta University after completing her Rheumatology fellowship in 2007.  She has served as the Program Director for the Rheumatology Fellowship and has been awarded an Exemplary Teaching Award for medical student teaching for the last 2 years.  Dr. Oliver practices and teaches general internal medicine and rheumatology at Augusta University.

Bill Pearson, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy with a research appointment in the Department of Otolaryngology. He joined the Medical College of Georgia faculty after earning a PhD in Anatomy and Neurobiology from the Boston University School of Medicine in 2012. Previous to graduate school, Dr. Pearson served in pastoral ministry to students at MCG and then at Harvard Medical School where he also taught as an instructor in the first-year medical gross anatomy course. He then taught anatomy at Boston University School of Medicine while earning his PhD. In all he has over 25 years experience teaching first year medical students. His research and scholarly interests include the computational analysis of swallowing mechanics and various topics in medical education. He currently serves as Director for the Phase 1 Head and Neck Special Senses module and has introduced several innovations into the Phase 1 curriculum including an imaging anatomy thread in gross anatomy, redesigning the neuroanatomy lab experience, and various classroom and laboratory exercises that promote the synthesis and retention of knowledge.

Kevin D. Plummer, DDS received his DDS from Emory University, Atlanta, GA in 1979 and completed post-graduate training in prosthodontics at the U.S. Army Prosthodontic Program in San Francisco, CA (1986). He is certified by the American Board of Prosthodontics (1987). Prior to joining the Augusta University CDM faculty, he served 21 years in the U.S. Army Dental Corps, retiring with the rank of Colonel. During that time he was consultant to the U.S. Army Surgeon General in the areas of infection control and OSHA compliance in dental laboratory operations. He currently serves as the Chair of the CDM Infection Control and Hazards Committee and vice chair of the Augusta University Institutional Chemical Safety Committee. He is a director of two major courses and teaches in other undergraduate and graduate dental courses at the CDM.

Mary Ellen Quinn, PhD, MS earned her BSN from MCG, MS from Georgia State University, and PhD and a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology from UGA. She joined the Augusta University CON faculty in 1992 and is an associate professor. She also has a faculty appointment at the UGA College of Public Health Gerontology Institute.  She has received the Georgia Gerontology Society’s Marietta Suhart Faculty Award. Her educational research addresses the needs identified in the Institute of Medicine Report to build a healthcare workforce to care for an aging America, and has resulted in peer-reviewed publications. Her BSN home visit clinical rotation received the Housing Authority National Award of Excellence. She is a member of the GA Health Decisions Board of Trustees, Northeast GA Aging Services Advisory Council, and Northeast and the GA CARE-NET.  Dr. Quinn received the Dean’s Award for Excellence for her service as the chairperson of the Athens Community Council on Aging Board of Directors.

W. Scott Richardson, MD graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine and Dentistry, in Washington, D.C., in 1979. He completed his Residency in Internal Medicine, his Chief Residency in Internal Medicine, and his fellowship in General Internal Medicine at the University of Rochester. He has practiced general internal medicine while working at the academic medical centers in Rochester (NY), San Antonio (TX), and Dayton (OH), where he has also been steadily involved in medical education for three decades, including serving as Associate Program Director and as Clerkship Director, both in Internal Medicine. His principal scholarly interests and publications are in clinical epidemiology, evidence-based medicine, and medical education. In 2009, he joined the faculty of the Augusta University/UGA Medical Partnership Campus, where he serves as the Campus Associate Dean for Curriculum.

Vincent J. B. Robinson, MD, FRCP, FACC earned his MD from University of the West Indies (Mona) Kingston Jamaica, West Indies (1976).  He completed residency training in internal medicine in Canada.  He completed clinical and nuclear cardiology training, followed by a clinical research fellowship all at the University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (1982-1988). Since joining the Augusta University in 1994, Dr. Robinson has focused on mentoring all levels of trainees. He has mentored more than 30 trainees in clinical research. He has served as program director of the Augusta University cardiovascular disease training program since 2002.  In this role, he has developed new program assessment and training tools. He has been a faculty organization leader in campus-wide faculty development initiatives. He has served as Chair of the Faculty Development Subcommittee and as Vice-Chairman of the University Faculty Senate.

Barbara Russell, EdD, MLS(ASCP)CM, SH (ASCP)CM earned her BS in medical technology from MCG (1991), a Masters of Health Education (MHE); (1997), and EdD in health administration from Georgia Southern University (2006). She has the Specialist in Hematology and Medical Laboratory Science certifications from the American Society for Clinical Pathology. Dr. Russell joined the Augusta University faculty in 2003 and is the program director for the undergraduate and graduate degrees in clinical laboratory science. She is involved in course development for on-campus and distance programs as well as curriculum development for the Masters of Health Science degree in clinical laboratory science. Dr. Russell engages in educational research and has publications in evidenced-based practice and distance learning. She was interim department chair (2006-2008) and now is vice chair for clinical affairs and faculty development.

Judith B. Stallings, EdD, MHE, PA-C graduated from the Augusta University Physician Assistant Program in 1990 and later became employed within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology – Section of Gynecology Oncology.  After six years of clinical experience, she became a faculty member at the Augusta University PA Program. She later became Director of Admissions of the Augusta University PA Program for many years and most recently transferred the role over to her colleague due to Dr. Stallings’ other administrative responsibilities.  During this timeframe as faculty member, she obtained her Masters of Health Education degree from Augusta University in 2003 and then obtained her Doctorate of Education in Administration from Georgia Southern University in 2011.  She has also practiced in the Family Medicine clinic at Augusta University and is now currently practicing at Student Health Services at Augusta University.

Andria Thomas, PhD is the Associate Dean for Evaluation at the Augusta University. Dr. Thomas is a clinical psychologist by training, but has focused her career on program evaluation. Since her original appointment as Director of Evaluation Services in 2001, she has sought to create an effective and innovative system for faculty, student, and program evaluation within MCG. From its inception, Dr. Thomas has tried to insure that the MCG evaluation system has been grounded in empirically validated theory. Furthermore, she has made every effort to expose the system to peer review and public dissemination through presentations at national and regional meetings and through consultation with other institutions as they create their own programs for evaluation. Her approach to teaching students at MCG has been equally scholarly as evidenced by her efforts to introduce innovative teaching techniques and to present and publish in the area of teaching. To further her ability to integrate function and scholarship, she attended a National Board of Examiners Item writing workshop, the Case-Macy Institute for Health Communications Curriculum Development, and the Millennium Conference 2007: A collaborative approach to educational research sponsored by the Carl J. Shapiro Institute for Education Research. Dr. Thomas has been an active member of the Augusta University Career Development and Education Center since 2001 and has offered multiple workshops to her colleagues as a member of this center. As a member of the Augusta University Academy, Dr. Thomas hopes to contribute to the development of faculty and programs in the Augusta University by providing expertise in evaluation and educational research design and implementation.

Christopher White, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Educational Achievement, divides his time between his interests in clinical medicine and medical education.  As a medical educator and former pediatric clerkship director, he has been a strong advocate for the expansion of clinical clerkships to community-based practices, and has been very active in the MCG Clinical Faculty Development Program. 
He is a graduate of the Michigan State University Primary Care Faculty Development Fellowship Program, and was selected as a National Faculty Development Scholar for Teaching in Community Based Ambulatory Settings in a project sponsored by HRSA and the Ambulatory Pediatric Association.  He is the President of the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP), the national organization that represents pediatric educational leaders in U.S. medical schools. His interests include medical education, using technology to enhance medical education and faculty development.  He helped establish the MCG Academy of Medical Educators and has served as its Director since its inception.  Dr. White also practices general pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases at the Medical College of Georgia and the Children’s Medical Center.  He enjoys teaching pediatric physical diagnosis to students and residents, and is an ardent believer in incorporating patients and parents into his clinical teaching. His clinical interests are ambulatory pediatrics, streptococcal and staphylococcal infections, parasitic infections and rashes. He has been happily married to Patty since May 3, 1980.  Their two sons (Timmy, Tommy) share their father’s interest in technology, but not in medicine, and are pursuing careers in computer science and management at Georgia Tech.

Stephanie M. Wright, DNP, RN, MSN, MBA is an Alum of Augusta State University, Medical College of Georgia and Augusta University. With over 17 years of clinical experience, Dr. Wright's rich and varied professional career has included staff, administrative, and Nurse Educator positions in such departments as renal, medical, cardiac and critical care. Dr. Wright obtained her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in 2013 at Augusta University. Working with the renal and critical care populations has been a constant thread throughout Dr. Wright's profession.  Dr. Wright's career in academia began in 2007. Her passion to educate the next generation of nursing professionals is evident in the commitment shown to her students and the milestones she has achieved. Dr. Wright currently serves as the Director of the Clinical Nurse Leader program at Augusta University.

Julie K. Zadinsky, PhD, RN, CIP graduated with her Master’s degree in nursing from the University of California at San Francisco. She obtained her PhD in nursing from the Medical College of Georgia, and a Masters in Strategic Studies from the Army War College.  She also completed a one-year post-doctoral medical research fellowship at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Dr. Zadinsky served for 30 years in the U.S. Army, where she practiced as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and held several research and leadership positions. She has worked at the Augusta University College of Nursing since June 2011 and currently serves as their Interim Associate Dean for Research.

Eric Zevallos, MD earned his MD at the University of South Florida in 2010, completed Emergency Medicine residency in 2013, and completed a fellowship in emergency ultrasound in 2014. He joined the Augusta University faculty as an assistant professor in 2014. He currently serves as the Clerkship Director for the Emergency Medicine Clerkship, Director for the Center of Ultrasound Education and as a faculty mentor for Physical Diagnosis. He developed the curriculum for the Emergency Medicine clerkship and his leadership in this area led to the first integration of ultrasound into a clerkship at the Medical College of Georgia. In addition, he created an ultrasound and procedures elective as well as directs the Emergency Medicine selective for first-year students.