Augusta University Medical Illustration Graduate Program

04/01/2020

The Spiky Blob Seen Around the World

COVID-19 IMAGE UPDATE— The New York Times has today published “The Spiky Blob Seen Around the World,” a story about our own Alissa Eckert (Class of ’06) and the image of the coronavirus that she and Dan Higgins created. Here’s the link to the story:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/health/coronavirus-illustration-cdc.html . The work Alissa and all our alumni do everyday is beautiful, meaningful and important.

How C.D.C. medical illustrators created the coronavirus pandemic’s most iconic image.

03/27/2020

COVID-19— Alumna Alissa Eckert (Class of ’06) works at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. Alissa is the amazing medical illustrator who created the now-iconic image of Covid-19. Alissa and her work on the corona virus are featured in a March 13th story in Elemental by Robert Roy Britt, at https://elemental.medium.com/what-the-coronavirus-image-youve-seen-a-million-times-really-shows-3d8de7e3eb1f.

In the article, Alissa tells Elemental “The image was originally designed with the public in mind. However, it also serves to help researchers differentiate and visualize their information. Creating visual representations of diseases provides a way to take something complex and abstract and make it tangible through visualization.” Later in the article Alissa says, “One goal is that through this visualization we can help inform and educate the public about the disease, and thus hopefully help improve public health by limiting and halting the spread of disease.” Outstanding work, Alissa!

03/12/2020

Congratulations to Keri Jones and Katharine Thompson (Class of '20), who have just been named as Vesalian Scholars! In recognition of the outstanding work they are doing on their Masters Projects, each will receive a handsome scholarship from the Vesalius Trust.

Keri’s Masters Project is titled “An Interactive iBook on Type II and III Hypersensitivity.” The goal is to enhance teaching effectiveness and retention about immunopathology among second-year dental students. Keri is using an Apple iBook as the learning platform. Dental College of Georgia Assoc. Professor Zoya Kurago, DDS, PhD is Keri’s content advisor and our own Assoc. Professor Mike Jensen is her major advisor.

Katharine’s Masters Project is titled “An Interactive Learning Module to Teach Chest Examination.” The goal is to enhance essential clinical skills training among medical students, which will hopefully result in improved patient interactions, more accurate diagnoses, and better utilization of health care resources. Katharine is designing an producing an interactive learning module that will be used online. Medical College of Georgia Assoc. Professor Elena Wood, MD, PhD is Katharine’s content advisor and our own Professor Bill Andrews is her major advisor.

The Vesalius Trust is the leading public foundation supporting research and education in visual communication in the health sciences. Further information about the VT can be viewed at https://vesaliustrust.org/.

All of our seniors deserve recognition for independently undertaking complex Masters Projects which creatively address and solve a real communication or educational issue in health care. We are especially delighted that Keri and Katharine have been recognized by the Vesalius Trust for their singular efforts.

Congratulations Katharine & Keri!

01/29/2020

#You Are Welcome Here - The Graduate School of Augusta University

We invite you to view this short welcome video from The Graduate School at Augusta University. Ben Brown, Class of '20, serves as host, and several of our wonderful medical illustration students appear in the video. You can view the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-bAR-g4eD0&feature=youtu.be

A message from the graduate student community at Augusta University. You are welcome here. This video was produced by the The Graduate School as a partnershi...

01/09/2020

MIGP Admissions

Application Deadline Reminder for the Medical Illustration Graduate Program Class of 2020-2022—
Part 1 - Department: January 10 (Fall Entry), MIGP Applicant Digital Portfolio of Artwork—Portfolio must be submitted directly to the Medical Illustration Graduate Program online through Box.com. Submit artwork with the MIGP Portfolio Application form. It must be received by midnight on January 10. Specific information about instruction for submission and the contents of the Applicant Digital Portfolio of Artwork can be found in the MIGP Portfolio Application form and at https://www.augusta.edu/alliedhealth/medicalillustration/admissions.php#Admissions.
Part 2 - University: January 10 (Fall entry), Online Application for Graduate Programs Deadline—All applicants must complete an Online Application for Graduate Programs and submit all required application materials to the Office of Academic Admissions by January 10. Apply online at https://www.augusta.edu/gradstudies/admissions/med-illus.
Note: All required application materials and documents must be received in order for an application to be considered complete and before an admission decision can be made. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

MIGP Portfolio Application Form (includes Applicant Summary, Applicant Digital Portfolio of Artwork Form, Applicant Digital Portfolio Requirements and Instructions, and Applicant Questionnaire).

10/17/2019

Augusta University Medical Illustration Graduate Program's cover photo

09/30/2019

Saturday the 28th was a warm but beautiful day here in Augusta—a perfect day for our White Coat Ceremony recognizing the bright and talented Class of 2020 and their new status as Seniors. We celebrated the first-year accomplishments of Ben Brown, Anna DeMario, Weston DeWolff, Keri Jones, Amanda Manowski, Ryan Reed, Tori Rogers, Katharine Thompson, and Megan Ward. There was a little technical difficulty with the video, but the tweaked-up version will be posted here soon.

09/27/2019

Augusta University Medical Illustration Graduate Program

Tomorrow, Saturday, September 28th at 2:00 p.m. eastern we will hold the White Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2020. The event will be streamed live on this Facebook group. The URL is: https://www.facebook.com/AUGMedArt/. You are cordially invited to tune-in!

This page provides information about the Medical Illustration Graduate Program at Augusta University, formerly Georgia Regents University and MCG.

08/15/2019

We are delighted to welcome the incoming Class of 2019 - 2021! They are:
· Madison Christian, with a BFA in Scientific Illustration from the University of Georgia
· Mason Goth, with a BA in Commercial Art and Illustration from the University of Central Missouri
· Anekay Kelly, with a BS in Integrative Animal Biology from the University of South Florida
· Andrea Lacy, with a BS in Biology with a minor in Illustration from Indiana Wesleyan University
· Linden Pederson, with a BFA in Scientific Illustration and a BS in Entomology from the University of Georgia
· Maxwell Perim, with a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University
· Kristen Piciacchia, with a BFA and a minor in Biology from Seton Hill University
· Jordan Thornton, with a BFA in Painting with a minor in Health Sciences from Montana State University
· Annie White, with a BFA from Christian Brothers University
They are a bright and talented group, and we are delighted they choose to pursue their graduate education with us ay Augusta University.

08/12/2019

Alumni Awards at AMI 2019—
Several of our talented alumni and alumni-owned companies recently received high honors for their work. Their amazing illustrations, animations, interactive media and sculptures were on display in the Professional Salon held during the 74th annual meeting of the Association of Medical Illustrators. The meeting was held July 26 – 28, in Milwaukee, WI. Award recipients were:
· Amy D’Camp (Class of ‘14), Award of Merit, Didactic/Instructional – Commercial, for “Duodenal Ulcers and Surrounding Anatomy”
· Peter Lawrence (Class of ’16), et al, Award of Excellence, Editorial, for “Controversies in Skull Base Surgery”
· Jennifer D’Arcy (Class of ’04), Award of Excellence, Medical-Legal, for “John Doe’s Left Hand Amputation and Crush Injuries.”
· Jennifer D’Arcy (Class of ’04), Award of Merit, Medical-Legal, for “Mechanism of Injury and Resulting Right Leg Crush Injuries.”
· Philip Mattes (with MediVisuals, Inc.) (Class of ’87), Award of Merit, Medical-Legal, for “Chemical Neurolysis Versus Radiofrequency Ablation of the Intercostal Nerve.”
· Nucleus Medical Media, Award of Merit, Animation, Didactic/Instructional – Commercial, for “Enabling Delivery of Life Changing Medicines.”
· Medivisuals, Inc., Award of Merit, Animation, Medical-Legal, for “Cervical Spine Injuries, Gardner Wells Tongs Placement, Cervical Decompression and Fusion.”
· Medivisuals, Inc., Award of Merit, Interactive Media, Didactic/Instructional – Noncommercial, for “Traumatic Brain Injury Digital Interactive Interface.”
· Alissa Eckert (Class of ’06), Award of Merit, Simulators, Prosthetics and Surgical Products, for “3d Printed Gastroschisis Infant.”
Congratulations to all our alumni award recipients! Your work is amazing, and reflects your ongoing quest for artistic and scientific excellence.

The College of Allied Health Sciences is home to the Dept. of Medical Illustration. Completion of the Medical Illustration Graduate Program results in a Master of Science in Medical Illustration (MSMI) degree from The Graduate School. For more information about the Program, please visit our website or contact us at [email protected].

07/27/2019

Congratulations to our students who received awards at the Association of Medical Illustrators Salon in Milwaukee! Zachary Kevorkian (Class of ‘19) has received an Award of Merit in Didactic/Instructional - Anatomical/Pathological for “The Pediatric Inguinal Canal / Descent of the Testes and Cryptorchidism. Katharine Thompson (Class of ‘20) has received an Award of Merit in Didactic/Instructional - Surgical/Clinical Procedures for “Baerveldt Aqueous Shunt Insertion.” Weston DeWolff (Class of ‘20) has recieved an Award of Excellence for Didactic/Instructional -Surgical/Clinical Procedures for “Radical Nephrectomy Subcostal Approach.” Aaron Cole (Class of ‘19) has received an Award of Excellence in Didactic/Instructional - Molecular/Biological/Life Sciences for “Combating Insulin Deficiency in Diabetes Mellitus Type 2.” Tara Colquitt and Aimee Choi (Class of ‘19) have received an Award of Merit in Didactic/Instructional - Interactive for “3D Interactive Surgical Module for Orthognathic Osteotomies.” Congratulations to you all!

05/11/2019

Our newest graduates, the Class of 2019: L>R, Aaron Cole, Tara Colquitt, Aimee Choi, Sam Nigro, Meghan Neace, Kyana Afshar, Zachary Kevorkian, Elizabeth DePace and Melissa Wallin Wallin. Congratulations!

05/09/2019

05/09/2019

Join us today for the showcase today. Live on Facebook or in person at Augusta University Health Sciences Campus, Auditoria Center. 2:00-4:00 PM

Announcing the 2019 Masters Showcase and the premiere of the completed Masters Projects by the Class of 2019. The Showcase will be held on Thursday, May 9th from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. in the Small Auditorium, BC-1030, in the Auditoria Center on the Health Sciences Campus of Augusta University. The event is open to the public.

04/28/2019

During the College of Allied Health Sciences Alumni Banquet yesterday evening, April 27th, the Dept. of Medical Illustration recognized... But first I'd like to tell you about Robert C. Benassi.

Bob was born and raised in Minnesota. He became a Sergeant in the US Army Air Corps during WWII, and earned 5 Bronze Stars for his service behind enemy lines. After the war he attended the University of Minnesota, earning an undergraduate degree and completing the prerequisites needed to enter the Medical Illustration Graduate Program at the Medical College of Georgia.

He matriculated at MCG in 1949. The following Spring, the Board of Regents approved the Master of Science in Medical Illustration degree—the first graduate degree at the university. Bob graduated a year later, in 1951.

Bob returned to Minneapolis to practice, working with such medical luminaries as Drs. Owen Wangensteen, C. Walton Lilihei, Jesse Edwards and John J. Wild. Bob later joined the illustration team at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. As Chief of the Medical Graphics Section from 1973 to 1989, Bob led the team to accomplish many significant advances in the field, including the becoming the first medical art unit to use computer graphics.

In 2011, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Medical Illustrators. In 2015, the Dept. of Medical Illustration presented Bob, our first graduate, with our first Outstanding Alumni Award. After a rich and full life, Bob passed away in 2018.

At the banquet Bill Andrews, Chair of Medical Illustration, announced our alumni award will be known as the Robert C. Benassi Outstanding Alumni Award.

Bob's wife Anne could not be present for the awards ceremony, but she wants everyone to know that Bob would have been deeply honored by this announcement. And perhaps more importantly, of how proud and pleased he would be of the first recipient of the Robert C. Benassi Outstanding Alumni Award—Gillian F. Duncan.

Gillian earned a BFA from Tulane, and her MSMI from MCG in the Class of 1977. As a student here, she lived in Miss Bass’ boarding house, where the Sheppard Blood Center now stands. She is now a Certified Medical Illustrator and a Certified Clinical Anaplastologist. Anaplastologists create facial and somatic prosthetics for cancer, trauma and congenital malformation patients.

Gillian has practiced in both Europe and the US, and counts numerous world-renowned surgeons and international publishers among her clientele. She is a member of the Mayo Clinic Facial Transplant Team, and she is a clinical adjunct faculty in our department.

She has served in leadership roles in the:
• Gesellschaft für Chirurgische Prothetik und Epithetik
• Association of Medical Illustrators
• Vesalius Trust for Visual Communication in the Health Sciences
• Walter Spohn Educational Fund, and
• International Anaplastology Association.

Not only is she a gifted professional and a leader in multiple fields, she is exceptionally bright—after all she married a medical illustrator, Michael Belknap, Class of 1975. They were married in Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church, on Walton Way, in 1977.

Gillian is a dedicated and generous alumna. In 2014, she and Michael opened their home to us for our annual alumni gathering. Gillian is also an amazing sculptress. She created a life-like bronze bust of Bob Benassi to celebrate his receipt of our inaugural alumni award in 2015.

It is a true honor to introduce you to the first recipient of the Robert C. Benassi Outstanding Alumni Award—Gillian F. Duncan.

04/25/2019

Announcing the 2019 Masters Showcase and the premiere of the completed Masters Projects by the Class of 2019. The Showcase will be held on Thursday, May 9th from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. in the Small Auditorium, BC-1030, in the Auditoria Center on the Health Sciences Campus of Augusta University. The event is open to the public.

04/25/2019

Please join us in congratulating our student award winners at Graduate Research Day 2019. Sam Nigro, Class of 2019, has received the Octavia Garlington Instructional Design Award – Poster for the scientific poster about her Masters Project, which is entitled “Patient Education Website Detailing Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy.” John Theisen, MD was Sam’s content advisor and Amanda Behr was the Major Advisor for her project. Christina Pecora, Class of 2018, has received the Educational Multimedia Award for her Masters Project entitled “An Interactive Platform to Enhance Knowledge and Understanding of Ovarian Neoplasm: A Pilot in Standardized Clerkship Training.” Erin Latiff, MD was Christina’s content advisor, Alexa Hryniuk, PhD was her technical advisor, and Bill Andrews was the Major Advisor for her project. To see a demonstration video of Christina's amazing project, visit https://www.christinapecora.com/e-learning.
The awards were presented at the Graduate Research Day Awards Banquet on the evening of Wednesday, April 24th, at the Kroc Center in Augusta, GA. Congratulations to all involved and especially to our outstanding students, Christina and Sam!

03/24/2019

We are pleased to announce our student award recipients at the 2019 University of Georgia and Augusta University Scientific and Medical Illustration Student Exhibition—
Sam Nigro, Class of 2019, received an Award of Merit for "Epiphyseal Sparing ACL Reconstruction," a surgical illustration in digital line.
Megan Ward, Class of 2020, received an Award of Merit for "Arches of the Foot," a didactic anatomical illustration.
Aaron Cole, Class of 2019, received an Award of Excellence for "Combating Insulin Deficiency in Diabetes Mellitus Type 2," a didactic poster.
Amanda Manowski, Class of 2020, received an The William J. Stenstrom Award of Excellence for "Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome," a patient education brochure.
The awards were presented at a reception in the Lamar Dodd School of Art on the University of Georgia campus on the evening of Wednesday, March 20th. Congratulations to all our talented students!