Augusta University 2020 Spring Graduation Program
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Augusta University Spring Commencement May 30, 2020 AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY In 1828, eight ambitious doctors founded a medical academy in the heart of Augusta, Georgia. Little did they know the school they created, now the Medical College of Georgia, would go on to become part of a much larger university. Nor could the founders of the Academy of Richmond County have foreseen the impact of chartering the state’s first junior college, the Junior College of Augusta, in 1925. Today, the legacies of both institutions continue to develop, grow, and flourish together as one in the form of Augusta University. Augusta University is at the forefront of groundbreaking research focused on improving and enriching the human experience. Offering undergraduate programs in the liberal arts, social sciences, health sciences, business, education and cybersecurity as well as a full range of graduate programs and clinical research opportunities, Augusta University is Georgia’s innovation center for education and health care. With four campuses in Augusta and satellite campuses in Athens, Albany, Rome and Savannah, the university’s 10 colleges and schools have a truly statewide impact. Home to the Medical College of Georgia, the nation’s ninth-largest and 13th-oldest medical school, the university’s Health Sciences Campus is at the forefront of health care innovation. Housing the state’s largest College of Nursing, the College of Allied Health Sciences, The Graduate School and The Dental College of Georgia, the Health Sciences Campus also features the state’s only public academic medical center. Built in and around a former United States arsenal, the historic Summerville Campus is home to the university’s liberal arts curriculum and Cyber Institute. In the shade of ancient trees, professors from the Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; the nationally ranked James M. Hull College of Business; the College of Education; and the College of Science and Mathematics prepare students for a lifetime of critical thinking, creativity and entrepreneurial success. Christenberry Fieldhouse houses 11 of the Augusta Jaguars’ 13 competition sports as well as all administrative and support staff for the Augusta University Department of Athletics. CFH also houses the College of Education’s Kinesiology Department. The Forest Hills Campus also houses a full- size golf course, baseball, softball and soccer fields, and serves as the home of the Jaguars’ nationally recognized NCAA Division I golf team. In June of 2017, Augusta University announced the creation of its new School of Computer and Cyber Sciences to train the next generation of cybersecurity and computer science professionals. The new school is housed in the Hull McKnight Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center, located on the Riverfront Campus in beautiful downtown Augusta. 2 ABOUT THE SPEAKER Jenelle Smeragliuolo The remarks to the graduating class are given by Jenelle (Jenny) Marie Smeragliuolo, who is earning a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene, from Cumming, Georgia. As an Augusta University student, Jenny has held leadership positions in many student organizations, including Secretary for the Undergraduate Student Government Association, Director of Philanthropy and VP of Membership & Recruitment for Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity, Director of Public Relations for the College Panhellenic Council, and President of the Student American Dental Hygiene Association. She has also served as a member of She’s The First Augusta Chapter, 1828 Ambassadors, and as a Leadership Coach for the Student Leadership Challenge. Her leadership has been recognized with the 2016 New Member of The Year Award at the Student Organization Awards and the 2019 Alpha Eta Leadership & Service Award. Jenny attended West Forsyth High School and is the daughter of Mark & Kathy Smeragliuolo. Upon graduation, Jenny plans to obtain her Registered Dental Hygienist license in Georgia, and begin clinical practice in a private office. She is looking forward to being involved in her professional organization (American Dental Hygiene Association) and join the Georgia Dental Hygiene Association.. 3 PROGRAM Brooks A. Keel, Ph.D., President, Augusta University, and CEO, Augusta University Health System, presiding PRELUDE CONVENING OF COMMENCEMENT Provost Gretchen Caughman NATIONAL ANTHEM Courtney Michenzie Reese INVOCATION Rev. W. Jeffrey Flowers COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS President Brooks A. Keel CONFERRAL Provost Gretchen Caughman COLLEGE OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES PAMPLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES JAMES M. HULL COLLEGE OF BUSINESS SCHOOL OF COMPUTER AND CYBER SCIENCES COLLEGE OF EDUCATION COLLEGE OF NURSING COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS STUDENT SPEAKER Jenelle Marie Smeragliuolo CONCLUSION Ringing of the Arsenal Bell 4 Executive Leadership Brooks A. Keel, President, Augusta University and Chief Executive Officer, Augusta University Health Gretchen Caughman, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost David Hess, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs/Integration & Dean, MCG Katrina Keefer, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs & CEO of AU Medical Center Russell Keen, Executive Vice President for External Relations & Chief of Staff Karla Leeper, Executive Vice President for Operations/COO Chris Melcher, Vice President for Legal Affairs Michael Shaffer, Executive Vice President for Strategic Partnerships & Economic Development Yvonne Turner, Executive Vice President for Finance/CBO Academic Leadership Richard Franza, Dean, Hull College of Business Elna Green, Dean, Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Carol Lefebvre, Dean, Dental College of Georgia Lester Pretlow, Dean, College of Allied Health Sciences Alexander Schwarzmann, Dean, School of Computer and Cyber Sciences Tanya Sudia, Dean, College of Nursing John Sutherland, Dean, College of Science and Mathematics Mitchell Watsky, Dean, The Graduate School Judi Wilson, Dean, College of Education Other Platform & Program Participants Markus Bacha, Cyber Academic Program Coordinator, School of Computer and Cyber Sciences Ashley Gess, Assistant Professor, College of Education W. Jeffrey Flowers, Director, Pastoral Care Andy Hauger, Professor, Chemistry and Physics Michenzie Reese, Degree Candidate, Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Robert Scott, Vice Chair, University Senate Jenelle Smeragliuolo, Degree Candidate, College of Allied Health Sciences Judith Stallings, Associate Dean, College of Allied Health Sciences Hubert VanTuyll, Professor, History, Anthropology, and Philosophy 5 Claudia Anne Fulmer Lauren Eugenia Fesperman THE GRADUATE Dissertation: Kayla Sondria Freeman SCHOOL Gene Regulation by the Putative Christian Gibbs Doctor of Philosophy Campylobacter jejuni Diguanylate Valerie Renee’ Grenald Cyclase CbrR Kimberly Natson Hall Brinda Bhatt Tanya Renee Hall Dissertation: Helen Kaiser Robert Adam Hardy Role of Ufl1 in CD8+ Memory T Cell Dissertation: Lacy Elizabeth Lally Survival and Function The role of kynurenine, a tryptophan Jennifer Logan metabolite that increases with Taylor Pegg Logue Shankarappa Devi Prasad Boggupalli age, in muscle atrophy Melissa Ann Long Dissertation: Christen E. McCabe Defining the Role of Tropomyosin-1C Huiping Lin Steven Allen Moon Jr. in Cargo Transport in Drosophila Dissertation: De’Monica Swantese Neal Cell drinking: a closer look Maggie Norman Aaron En-Kuang Fan at how macropinocytosis Lauren Noxsel Dissertation: drives cholesterol uptake in Cara Overstreet atherosclerotic vessels Using peptide-based vaccines to Nicole Reinecke Powell enhance adoptive cell therapy Chelsey Elana Pye with genetically engineered T Yujiao Lu Shanelle L. Raiford cells Dissertation: Morgan Alese Rowe Neuron-Derived Estrogen and Jacey Laine Salley Neural Function Xing Fang Akosua Frema Sarfo Dissertation: Annalee Snyder Arcuate AgRP and POMC Merry Wenlan Ma Elizabeth Moran Tyson neurons modulate depressive- Dissertation: Erin M. Webb like phenotypes in a chronic Role of NADPH Oxidase following Jennifer Erin Wood unpredictable stress model Traumatic Brain Injury Melissa Zeagler Lauren Elizabeth Prusinski Fernung Doctor of Education Dissertation: Daley S. Morera Educational Innovation Early life environmental and Dissertation: Jeana O’Neill Aycock hormonal exposure and race- Glycosaminoglycans, Natalie M. Cason related influence on the human Chondroitinase, and Molecular Phyllis Juanita Gamble stem cell populations in fibroid Subtypes in Bladder Cancer William Blount Hamilton and myometrial tissues leads Baria L. Jennings to compromised genomic Jing Sun Joe Henry Lott Jr. integrity and increased fibroid Carol Willyn Maple tumorigenesis Dissertation: False coverage rate- adjusted Felina Rae McCoy smoothed bootstrap Lauren Antoinette Wetherbee Ocak Watson Pryor Folk simultaneous confidence Katherine Marie Scoggins Dissertation: intervals for selected parameters Holly A. Townsend The E2F1 corepressor BIN1 is a novel tumor suppressor RB1- Doctor of Nursing Practice binding cofactor for cell-cycle Kay M. Argroves arrest and genomic instability Marissa Kelly Byrd Shonkeisha L. Byrd Yesenia Castro Jessica Lashae Coker Charlaine Conger Michael G. Ehrie 6 Scott Hansen Lowry DENTAL COLLEGE Philippe Nabil Mansour MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA Julia Margol OF GEORGIA Doctor of Dental Medicine Treyvon Deshawnte’ Merritt Doctor of Medicine Melisa Kaye Adams Chelsea Elizabeth Middleton Mary E. Abkemeier Amara Altman Benjamin John Miller Folasade Aderibigbe Benjamin Wade Alverson