Augusta University
Russell T. Keen, EdD
I once read about a horse pull in Canada where workers hitched one draft horse that pulled 9,000 pounds with another strong horse that pulled 8,000 pounds. The workers figured the two of them together could pull 17,000 pounds. They loaded their sled with 17,000 pounds of material and attached the two horses. To their amazement, the horses almost ran away with the load without any signs of struggle. The workers kept adding bags of supplies and testing their strength to see what an appropriate load would be for them to carry. Do you know how much those two horses pulled together? Those two mighty creatures pulled 30,000 pounds, over three times what either horse could pull separately.
We have many people and organizations like those Canadian workhorses within Augusta University, AU Health, the CSRA and beyond. Our goal for Augusta University is to engage and partner with our local, state, federal, and global communities to accomplish great things that none of us could achieve alone. The team at Augusta University works every day with our stakeholders to build bridges and future partners that will collectively move our university and community forward. The past several months have been focused on enhancing our engagement efforts and spreading the good news of Augusta University.
The External Relations team worked with numerous internal and external stakeholders this summer to initiate the first annual President’s Summer Tour. This year, we chose Savannah and Brunswick for the tour, and we had such a great experience. We met with numerous stakeholders ranging from alumni and donors to civic clubs and media outlets to inform them of all of the exciting and innovative advances at Augusta University including:
- MCG 3+ Program (Thank you to Governor Brian Kemp, the Georgia General Assembly, the MCG Foundation, and donors like Centene/Peach State Health Plan, the Hearst Foundations, Georgia Community Foundation, Dr. Yekeen Aderibigbe, Dr. Thomas “Tom” Jr. (MD’01) and Julie Bradbury, Dr. James (MD ’08) and Amelia Callaway, Dr. John Darden, (MD ’71), Dr. J. Roy Rowland, (MD ’52), Dr. George (MD ’55) and Martha Sessions, Dr. George Snelling, Dr. Matthew (MD ’06) and Brooklyn Thom for making this possible.)
- Creating a New School of Public Health
- Augusta University Cyber Security and the Cyber Institute with K-12 program offerings
- New degrees such as the BFA in Digital and Visual Storytelling
- Augusta University Online
Our increased engagement efforts are already showing great results in our government funded appropriations and earmarks, events and volunteer programs, and community partnerships. For example, our Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement team closed out the fiscal year on June 30 with one of the best years we’ve ever had by raising over $38.5 million. I can’t thank our team enough for their hard work toward exceeding our goals and the dedication that they exemplify for AU. Eileen Brandon served as interim VP for Development during this time, and I attribute much of our collective success in this area to her leadership and resolve.
This year we are working to bring in even more resources for research, scholarships, professorships, and capital projects under the leadership of Brandon McCray. Brandon joined us Aug. 1 and has already hit the ground running. When you begin planning your end of the year philanthropic gifts, I invite you to reach out to Brandon, or feel free to visit our giving website by clicking here. Every gift helps us serve our students and faculty and has a direct impact on our enrollment. As the number of high school graduates continues to trend downward, recruitment has become increasingly competitive. We rely on philanthropic gifts to continue serving our current students and faculty and advance our recruitment efforts to attract the very best students and faculty possible.
We continue to see gradual improvements with our student enrollment outcomes. From the Fall of 2015 to Fall of 2022, student enrollment increased by 17.7% in students going from 8,333 to approximately 9,800 (official numbers will be released in October). I would also ask for you to consider spreading the good news happening at Augusta University to your circle of friends, K-12 teachers, guidance counselors, and anyone else who will listen. As the state of Georgia’s designated health sciences university, we prepare the next generation of medical researchers and health care providers to become life-saving and life-changing contributors to humanity. Augusta University is a comprehensive research university and offers more than 150 areas of study—including cyber security, kinesiology, business, animation, and much more. We have a vibrant student life and we have faculty and staff who truly care for our students, patients, and each other.
The Augusta University community demonstrated this care recently during the Celebration of Life for the late Dr. William A. Bloodworth Jr., President Emeritus of Augusta State University, who passed away Aug. 29, 2022. He served Augusta State as President for over 18 years with a spirit of kindness and humility. Dr. Bloodworth was a friend to students, faculty and staff alike, and his impact will live on for generations. Our prayers are with the Bloodworth family and all who knew him.
Chancellor Sonny Perdue was formally invested as chancellor of the University System of Georgia on Sept. 9. He visited Augusta University in June and met with students, faculty, and administrators. We are all looking forward to working with him to make AU and the entire University System the best in the country.
In closing, I once read an African proverb, “If you want to run fast, run alone. If you want to run far, run together.” I am grateful to be running with great leaders like Dr. Keel and our entire cabinet, along with the External Relations team, and people like you. Together we can run far and accomplish great things for Augusta University and our community.
Thank you for your continued support of Augusta University!
Best regards,
Russell T. Keen, EdDEVP for Administration and External Relations & Chief of Staff to the President Read Newsletter
