Augusta University Medical Illustration Graduate Program

01/28/2021

Coronavirus image produced by alumna wins international award

Iconic COVID Image Update— Please join us in congratulating Alissa Eckert ('06) and her colleague Dan Higgins on receiving a Beazley Design of the Year Award in Graphics for their masterful work on the now-icon COVID-19 virus. Here's a link to the story about their award as featured in the current edition of the JagWire: https://jagwire.augusta.edu/coronavirus-image-produced-by-alumna-wins-international-award/.
And here's a link to the story about the Beazley Awards at the Design Museum: https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/beazley-designs-of-the-year/graphics.
Our alumni are incredible, and they do amazing work. Congratulations Alissa!

The coronavirus image created by alumna Alissa Eckert earns a big win on the international design stage.

12/16/2020

The Image Seen Round the World

The Fall 2020 edition of "A." (Augusta University's Alumni Magazine) features "The Image Seen Around the World, the story of the creation of the iconic image of the COVID-19 virus by alumna Alissa Eckert and co-worker Dan Higgins at the CDC. Click on the following link to read this amazing story: https://magazines.augusta.edu/2020/11/25/the-image-seen-round-the-world/

The image she designed is everywhere, and so is she: Alissa Eckert (MSMI '06) is the most famous medical illustrator in the world.

12/10/2020

Frequently Asked Questions

REMINDER— The deadline for submission of applications for the Class of 2021-23 in our accredited Medical Illustration Graduate Program is January 10, 2021. All application materials must be submitted by midnight on the 10th. For detailed information about our application requirements and process, please visit https://www.augusta.edu/alliedhealth/medicalillustration/admissions.php#Admissions. Only online applications can be accepted. Applications will not be considered unless complete.

Additional useful information about the program, including how we are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, can be found on our FAQ page, at https://www.augusta.edu/alliedhealth/medicalillustration/faq.php.

For questions, please contact Program Director Bill Andrews at [email protected].

Per direction of the University System of Georgia (USG) in March 2020, AU issued a shelter at home mandate and closed the campus. After a brief transition period, online instruction was provided to keep current students on-track with their degree plans. Over the Summer, AU faculty and staff worked d...

12/09/2020

The Image Seen Round the World

We invite your to read the story about "The Image Seen Round the World" in the latest edition of the Augusta University Alumni Magazine at https://magazines.augusta.edu/2020/11/25/the-image-seen-round-the-world/.

The image she designed is everywhere, and so is she: Alissa Eckert (MSMI '06) is the most famous medical illustrator in the world.

12/09/2020

Please join us in congratulating Andrea Lacy (Class ’21) on her induction into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. Andrea came to us from Columbus, IN. She earned a BS in Biology degree, with a minor in Illustration, from Indiana Wesleyan University.

PKP is the premiere international honor society in higher education. Among graduate students who have completed at least one full year of study, only the top 10% academically are eligible for membership in this century-old community of scholars and professionals. The PKP motto is “Let the love of learning rule humanity.” The mission of the Society is: “to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”

Congratulations, Andrea, on this well-deserved recognition of your academic efforts and achievements! You are a true credit to the Medical Illustration Graduate Program, the College of Allied Health Sciences, and The Graduate School at Augusta University.

10/29/2020

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you interested in applying to our accredited Medical Illustration Graduate Program? The application deadline for the Class of 2021 - 2023 is January 10, 2021. For information about our application and admissions process please visit https://www.augusta.edu/alliedhealth/medicalillustration/admissions.php#Admissions. For additional information about the university and our program in the time of COVID, please visit our FAQ page at https://www.augusta.edu/alliedhealth/medicalillustration/faq.php. For additional, specific questions you may have about applying, please contact us at [email protected].

Per direction of the University System of Georgia (USG) in March 2020, AU issued a shelter at home mandate and closed the campus. After a brief transition period, online instruction was provided to keep current students on-track with their degree plans. Over the Summer, AU faculty and staff worked d...

10/01/2020

Medical Illustration

Please join the Dept. of Medical Illustration in congratulating the following talented graduate students and outstanding alumni who today received awards for their artwork from the Association of Medical Illustrators.

Our award-winning students are:
For the category in Didactic/Instructional: Surgical/Clinical Procedures, in the Student Salon—
• Katharine Thompson (Class of ’20), Award of Merit, for ACL Reconstruction: Arthroscopic Graft Placement
• Madison Christian (Class ’21), Award of Merit, for Swine Ovariohysterectomy
• Megan Ward (Class ’20), Award of Merit, for Total Thyroidectomy

For the category Advertising and Marketing/Promotional, in the Student Salon—
• Kristin Piciacchia, (Class ’21), Award of Merit, for Meet CPAP: A Guide to Getting Your Best Rest

Our award-winning alumni are:
For the category Didactic/Instructional: Non-Commercial, in the Professional Salon—
• Andy Rekito (Class ’02), Award of Excellence, for Immunopathogenesis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

For the category Editorial, in the Professional Salon—
• Alissa Eckert (Class ’06), Award of Merit, for 2020 Global Pandemic Health Enemy #1: SARS-CoV-2

For the category Medical-Legal, in the Professional Salon—
• MediVisuals, Inc. (Bob Shepherd (Class ’81) and team), Award of Excellence, for Burn Injuries and Treatments
• Jennifer Darcy (Class ’04), Award of Excellence, for Janie Doe: 7/25/15 Right Leg Injuries Following Gunshot Wound
• MediVisuals, Inc. (Bob Shepherd (Class ’81) and team), Award of Merit, for Mechanism of Scalping Injury
• Jennifer Darcy (Class ’04), Award of Merit, for John Doe’s Traumatic Facial Injuries

For the category Animation: Didactic/Instructional – Noncommercial, in the Professional Salon—
• Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. (Elizabeth McDonald (Class '10) and owners Ron Collins (Class ’90) and Keith Pavlik (Class ’89)), Award of Merit, for Decoding Cancer Immunology: Hunting Hidden Tumors
• Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. (Mike Gleason (Class '88), Mary Beth Clough (Class '96), Elizabeth McDonald (Class '10), and owners Ron Collins (Class ’90), Keith Pavlik (Class ’89)), Award of Merit, for How COVID-19 Affects the Body
While all of our students are truly exceptional and our alumni are leaders in the field, today we are especially proud of our newest award-winners!

The Association of Medical Illustrators is the preeminent international professional society in this field. More info about the organization can be found at https://ami.org/.

Medical illustration is truly an interdisciplinary field—a creative combination of the visual arts, the health sciences, education, and communications. Historically, its roots were fully evident by the Renaissance, as seen in the work of research anatomists and educators such as Andreas Vesalius and in the artwork of the great figurative artists such as Leonardo DaVinci. Today, medical illustration—and biomedical communication in general—is an essential component for the growth and effectiveness in healthcare research, education and delivery.

The Medical Illustration Graduate Program at AU (MIGP) is the premier training center for visual communications in the health sciences in the southeast. It was the first graduate degree offered at the Medical College of Georgia. And, it is the oldest existing graduate program of its kind in the world. MIGP was the first graduate program to become accredited, and has been continuously accredited since 1967. It is one of only four accredited graduate programs.

The program features a synergistic multidisciplinary curriculum—students take courses in the medical sciences as well as in communications and graphic arts. The course of study focuses on conceptualization, planning, design, production, implementation and evaluation of visual solutions for complex communication and education problems in the life and health sciences. These visual solutions incorporate a variety of media—from static imagery to 3D animation, and from instructional game modules to physiological simulation. Completion of the 21-month program results in the unique Master of Science in Medical Illustration (MSMI) degree. Since its inception in 1948, the department has graduated more than 399 highly accomplished medical illustrators. More info about the program can be found at https://www.augusta.edu/alliedhealth/medicalillustration/.

The Medical Illustration Graduate Program within the College of Allied Health Sciences at Augusta University is one of only three such programs in the country.

09/08/2020

Congratulations, Seniors!— On the afternoon of Friday, September 4th, the talented and indomitable Class of 2021 received their white coats! This important rite of passage marks the beginning of their senior year in the Medical Illustration Graduate Program at Augusta University. As juniors, they completed their basic training in the biomedical sciences and in media techniques—all amid the turmoil of the Covid19 pandemic. Their senior year will focus on mastery of visual storytelling and problem-solving. They will be demonstrating just what they are capable of accomplishing via our unique Comprehensive Exam, participation in the Student Medical Illustration Service, and the Master's Project. They're going to crush it!

06/08/2020

OUTSTANDING ALUMNUS— The Dept. of Medical Illustration is delighted to announce that William C. “Kip” Carter is the 2020 recipient of the Robert C. Benassi Outstanding Alumni Award. Kip is a member of the Class of ‘82.

After graduation from the Medical College of Georgia, Kip went to work as in Educational Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine, UGA. He quickly became Chief of Medical illustration Services, a position he still holds. In 2013 - 2014, he served as Interim Director of Educational Resources. Kip has also served as Chief Medical Illustrator for Journal of Clinical Techniques in Equine Practice and the Journal of Operative Techniques in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, both published by W.B. Saunders.

From 1982 - 1996, Kip was a preceptor for Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI) summer internship program. Many MCG students interned with him and learned a good deal about comparative anatomy and how to be a better illustrator. From 1991 – 1997, Kip also served as an Instructor in the Scientific Illustration program in the Lamar Dodd School of Art, UGA. Since 1990, Kip has been an Asst. Adjunct Professor in the Medical Illustration Graduate Program here at AU. Beginning in 2015, Kip has been an Instructor in the Comparative Medical Illustration Certificate Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, UGA. It is fair to say that Kip has been uniquely involved in the education of a great many medical and scientific illustrators at undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels.

In his nomination letter, Prof. & Chair Emeritus Steven J. Harrison, PhD (Class of ’70) said, “Kip has three decades of service to the department as an Asst. Adjunct Professor. He also established post-graduate internships in veterinary illustration at UGA, which have greatly benefited quite a few of our grads.” Kip has been an active lecturer in the Medical Illustration Graduate Program here at Augusta University on topics including: veterinary illustration, comparative anatomy, surgical illustration, and artists’ rights. According to Andrews, “For many years Kip has been a major and invaluable participant in the Mock Interview Program that is an essential part of our comprehensive business course.” Harrison sums it up nicely, “Kip is a great teacher.”

Kip is an outstanding medical illustrator, with a great many national and international awards to his credit. Here are a few highlights:
• Will Shepard Award of Excellence for Instructional Color, for “Comparative Anatomy: Avian
• and Quadruped,” from the AMI, Richmond, 2009
• Will Shepard Award of Excellence for Instructional Color, for “American Trypanosomiasis,” from AMI, Cleveland, 2004
• Award of Excellence, Editorial Cover Illustration, for “Equine Acupuncture,” from The Rx Club, New York, 2001
• First Place for Illustration, American Horse Publications, Annual Awards, 1999
• Award of Excellence, Editorial Cover Illustration, from The Rx Club, New York, 1994
• Award of Excellence, Illustrated Medical Book, AMI, 1993
• Award of Excellence, Editorial Cover Illustration, from The Rx Club, New York, 1992
• Award of Excellence, Illustrated Medical Book, Clinical Text, AMI, 1990
• Award of Excellence, Georgia State and University Media Film Festival, 1984

Kips’ curriculum vitae includes scores and scores of entries for textbooks, atlases, book chapters, medical journal articles, trade magazine articles, and poster exhibits which he has illustrated or designed. He has given dozens of presentations and workshops, and has been involved in numerous panel discussions and other continuing education events.

When not drawing or painting, Kip stays busy as a kid’s soccer and basketball coach, and has even found time to serve as president of the Olde Lexington Gardens Homeowner’s Assoc.

There’s an old adage that says, “if you need something done, find a busy person.” Kip is that busy person, he gets things done. And whatever he does, he gives it a 100%. Kip is dedicated to the profession, committed to the craft, and driven by the pursuit of excellence. In describing his talents as a medical illustrator, Charles Boyter stated, “His skills are second to none.” The Medical Illustration Graduate Program, and the profession, are indeed better and stronger for his involvement.

05/26/2020

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS— Dean Mitchell Watsky, PhD and The Graduate School are pleased to announce that William B. Westwood is the 2020 recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award. Bill is a 1972 graduate of our Medical Illustration Graduate Program. The award is sponsored by the Office of Alumni Engagement.

In his remarks, Watsky said, “In addition to being an exceptionally accomplished medical artist, he is a renowned leader in his profession. He is a well-respected teacher, mentor and advisor on business issues and artists’ rights. Bill is a dedicated alumnus and supporter of our Dept. of Medical Illustration, serving as an Asst. Adjunct Professor and as a member of the National Advisory Council for the Graduate Program. Through his professional work and service, Mr. Westwood has embodied the values and vision of The Graduate School. I am delighted that we can recognize him through this Distinguished Alumni Award.”

Congratulations Bill!

05/20/2020

M.WARD Medical Media

Introducing Megan Ward, Class of 2020—

Originally from southwestern Virginia, Megan journeyed to Richmond to attend Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She received a BFA in Communication Arts with a Concentration in Scientific Illustration and Preparatory Medical Illustration.

Through her undergraduate interdisciplinary studies of art and biological science, Megan gained a strong interest in the fields of scientific and medical illustration. During junior year at VCU, she took a course that provided collaborative experience of how meaningfully combining art with science can improve an area of medicine. As a small class, multiple projects were generated to create educational simulation models for medical students in practices ranging from dentistry to reconstructive surgery. During the process of creating these devices, they were challenged with learning the specific area of medicine and applying creativity and artistic skill to develop a realistic model to help better teach and prepare medical students during their training. Megan gained valuable new perspectives about the various possibilities and interdisciplinary opportunities that could be explored through medical illustration.

Megan has recently completed her Master of Science in Medical illustration degree at Augusta University. She is a member of the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI) and is studying to earn status as a Certified Medical Illustrator. Megan has had the incredible opportunity to learn from some of the industry’s leaders, as well as have gained exposure to a variety of media ranging from traditional carbon dust to 3D software, such as Cinema 4D. Through her training, she has realized that all aspects must be carefully considered and executed in a highly deliberate manner in order to best fulfill a specific need.

Megan has an ever-growing interest in the integrative possibilities of the medical sciences combined with the creative visual communications, and looks forward to a fulfilling career in medical illustration.

A video of Megan's presentation of her Master's Project "An Interactive E-Guide to Enhance Learning Abdominal Exam Practices & Technique" is attached. Megan's promotional website can be viewed at: https://www.mwardmedmedia.com/