The SPRING 2021 A PUBLICATION OF MERCER UNIVERSITY • MERCER.EDU WHAT DOES R2 MEAN FOR YOU? SCHOOL OF MEDICINE BREAKS GROUND IN COLUMBUS UNIVERSITY SETS NEW ENROLLMENT RECORD • CAPRICORN AFFILIATES WITH GRAMMY® THE MERCERIAN, SPRING 2021 MACON | ATLANTA | SAVANNAH | COLUMBUS Douglas County, Henry County, Warner Robins FEATURES VOLUME 31, NO. 1 CARNEGIE RECLASSIFIES: PRESIDENT William D. Underwood, J.D. DOCTORAL WITH HIGH CHANCELLOR RESEARCH ACTIVITY R. Kirby Godsey, Ph.D. 12 PROVOST UNDERGRADUATES FRONT D. Scott Davis, Ph.D. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR AND CENTER OF ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE James S. Netherton, Ph.D. MERCER RESEARCH SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR STRATEGIC 18 INITIATIVES Kellie Raiford Appel, J.D. DEPARTMENTS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AND CHIEF OF STAFF 4 BEARINGS Larry D. Brumley 24 BEARS ROUNDUP SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT 34 MERCER HEALTH Penny L. Elkins, Ph.D. SCIENCES SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT 40 CLASS NOTES John A. Patterson 48 ADVANCEMENT SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL William G. Solomon IV, J.D. UPDATES EDITOR Rick Cameron ART DIRECTOR Steve Mosley STAFF WRITER Kyle Sears CLAS ’09 CONTRIBUTORS Kraig Doremus, Jennifer Falk, Andrea Honaker, Jill Kinsella CLAS ’85, Mary Beth Kosowski, Erin Lones CLAS ’00, Jesika Moore, Travis Rae, Stephen Waldman, Daniel Williams SPECIAL DESIGN Ginger Harper, Alex Keller PHOTOGRAPHY COORDINATOR Jan Crocker COPA ’09 PHOTOGRAPHERS John Amos, Matt Boyd, Victor Brott, Jan Crocker COPA ’09, Marin Guta, Bekah Howard, John Knight, Christopher Ian Smith, Matthew Smith, Ann Thompson NPR, Robin Trimarchi, Leah Yetter DIGITAL PRODUCTION Matthew Smith, Jennifer Falk, Andrea Honaker, Rob Saxon, Todd Sayre VIDEO PRODUCTION Bekah Howard EDITORIAL OFFICE The Mercerian, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, Georgia 31207-0001, (478) 301-4024 GET IT IN THE MAIL! Request at
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