Dr. Sally S. Atherton, chair of the Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, has been elected to a five-year term as executive vice president of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Dr. Jatinder Bhatia, chief of the Section of Neonatology and vice chair for clinical research in the Department of Pediatrics, has been named president of the Southern Society for Pediatric Research. The 800-member society, which represents Southern states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, hosts annual research meetings and sponsors research and travel awards for basic scientists, clinical investigators, pediatric educators and future pediatricians.

Dr. Wendy Bollag, a cell physiologist in the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, has been named to the editorial board of the Journal of Lipid Research, which focuses on the biology of lipids in health and disease. She will serve a three-year term.

Dr. Jerry J. Buccafusco, founding director of the Alzheimer’s Research Center, has co-edited the textbook, Animal Models of Cognitive Impairment (CRC Press, 2006). The book, a volume in the Frontiers in Neuroscience Series, examines animal models for drug recovery and synopsizes cognition-related research.

Dr. Peter F. Buckley, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, has been named inaugural chair of the National Institutes of Health’s Interventions Committee for Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Personality Disorders and Disorders of Late Life. The 15-member committee of the National Institute of Mental Health reviews grant applications to the institute to fund innovative treatment protocols for schizophrenia and related disorders.

Dr. Cynthia Chernecky, professor of physiological and technological nursing, has been named a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

Dr. William K. Dolen, an MCG allergist-immunologist and president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, recently served as the national allergy group’s representative to the general meeting and official launch of the World Health Organization’s Global Alliance against Respiratory Diseases in Beijing. The alliance consists of 41 international organizations and agencies aiming to reduce the worldwide burden of chronic rhinitis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Anthony “Tony” Duva has been named associate vice president for gift planning and senior director of development for the School of Medicine. He will coordinate gift-planning activities for MCG’s five schools and MCG Health, Inc., develop and oversee gifts from donor estates and identify, solicit and manage the cultivation of major donor prospects for the School of Medicine. He joined MCG in 2003 as senior director of development, central operations and planned giving.

Dr. C. Alvin Head, chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, has been elected to a second four-year term on the American Medical Association’s Council on Science and Public Health. The 12-member council reports on medical, public health and scientific issues affecting the practice of medicine.

Dr. Joseph Hobbs, chair of the Department of Family Medicine and vice dean for primary care and community affairs in the School of Medicine, has been appointed to the Council on Graduate Medical Education of the Health Resources and Services Administration. The council assesses the nation’s physician workforce and makes recommendations for federal and private-sector initiatives to meet needs to the secretary of Health and Human Services, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the House of Representatives Committee on Commerce.

Denise Hodo, a student in the master of public health program, has received a $1,000 scholarship from the Georgia Health Association, a non-profit corporation that promotes the public and personal health of Georgians. The award encourages students to pursue public health studies and careers.

Dr. Gary Holmes, assistant professor of oral rehabilitation, has received the Excellence in Dental Education Award from the Georgia Section of the Pierre Fauchard Academy. The award, presented at the academy’s annual conference Feb. 4, recognizes clinical excellence and encourages junior faculty to stay in academic dentistry.

Dr. Stilianos E. Kountakis, vice chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and director of the Division of Rhinology, has been elected second vice president of the American Rhinologic Society.

Dr. Carol Lefebvre, professor of oral rehabilitation and oral biology, has been named the School of Dentistry’s associate dean for strategic initiatives and faculty development.

Dr. Bruce MacFadyen Jr., Moretz/Mansburger Distinguished Chair of Surgery, has received the 2006 Distinguished Service Award from the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons. The award honors contributions to surgical endoscopy and advancing the society’s mission.

Dr. Lynnette P. McCluskey, an MCG neuroscientist using taste buds as a model for studying nerve regeneration, has received the 2006 Ajinomoto Award for Young Investigators in Gustation. Her work, funded by the National Institutes of Health’s Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, involves the role of the immune system in helping nerves regenerate.

Elizabeth “Betty” Meehan has been named associate vice president for development. She will oversee development activities for the Schools of Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Studies and Nursing. She joined MCG in 2002 as senior director of development, constituent operations and director of development for the School of Nursing.

Dr. Shelley Mishoe, dean of the School of Allied Health Sciences, has been elected chair of the Southern Association of Allied Health Deans, chair-elect of the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs and a member of the Georgia State Epidemiological Outcomes Work Group for substance abuse prevention.

Sheila Mobley, a nurse clinician at the Augusta Multiple Sclerosis Center, a joint venture of the MCG Neuroscience Center and Walton Rehabilitation Hospital, has been named an Expert MS Professional by the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers.

Dr. Michael L. Myers, interim chair of Department of Oral Rehabilitation since 2003, has been named chair. Dr. Myers, a faculty member since 1990, received the Georgia Section of the American College of Dentists Professionalism Award in 1995 and 2003. The School of Dentistry class of 2000 named Dr. Myers Outstanding Clinical Instructor and he received the school’s 2000 Teaching Excellence Award.

Dr. Robert Nesbit, Professor Emeritus of Surgery, has been elected to a two-year term as chair of the new Surgery Clerkship Directors Committee of the Association for Surgical Education. The committee will address new accreditation standards for surgical rotations and other issues common to surgical clerkship directors.

Dr. Dennis Ownby, chief of the Section of Allergy and Immunology, has been appointed to the Infectious Diseases, Reproductive Health, Asthma and Pulmonary Conditions Study Section of the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Jay J. Pillai, director of neuro-magnetic resonance imaging and associate professor of radiology, has been elected secretary of the American Society of Functional Neuroradiology for 2006-07. Dr. Pillai, president of the MCG School of Medicine Faculty Senate, also has been appointed chair of the national organization’s membership committee. He recently completed a one-year term as the society’s treasurer.

Dr. Gregory N. Postma, professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery and director of the Center for Voice and Swallowing Disorders, has been elected secretary of the American Broncho-Esophagological Association.

Recipients of MCG’s 2006 Outstanding Faculty Awards were Rebecca Lam, associate professor of biomedical and radiological technologies, from the School of Allied Health Sciences; Dr. Kevin D. Plummer, assistant professor of oral rehabilitation, from the School of Dentistry; Dr. Wendy Bollag, professor of medicine, from the School of Graduate Studies; Dr. Robert Yu, director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics and the Institute of Neuroscience, from the School of Medicine; and Dr. Jeannette Andrews, assistant professor of nursing, from the School of Nursing.

Retiring faculty honored during MCG’s April 27 General Faculty Assembly were Franklin H. Dennison, associate professor of respiratory therapy; Dr. William F. Kimbrough, associate professor and director of undergraduate endodontics; Dr. Edna L. Pashley, vice chair of oral diagnosis; Dr. William H. Hoffman, professor of pediatrics; Dr. John R. Molinaro, assistant professor of medicine; David J. Anna, assistant professor in health environments and systems; and JacqueLyn H. Dennison, assistant director of library operations.

Hal Scott, vice president of information services and chief information officer of MCG Health, Inc., has been named a member of the Certification Process Advisory Group of the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology. The 16-member group will develop an inspection process by which the commission’s electronic health records products can be certified.

Peter Shipman, assistant professor and outreach librarian at the Robert B. Greenblatt, M.D. Library at the Medical College of Georgia, has been named a Governor’s Teaching Fellow for the 2006 Summer Symposium. Co-sponsored by the Institute of Higher Education and the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Georgia, the program enables Georgia’s higher education faculty to develop and improve important teaching skills.

Dr. J. Graham “Skee” Smith, retired professor and founding chair of the Department of Rheumatology, has received the 2005 Distinguished Service Award from the Southern Medical Association.

Dr. Ying C. Song, clinical associate professor in the Department of Surgery and Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics and director of research for Augusta-based Xytex Research/Xytex International, has been appointed to the editorial board of the journal Cryobiology.

Fatima Cody Stanford, third-year medical student, has received a Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Medical Society Student Scholarship, given annually to two U.S. female medical students who show promise in the field. The scholarship helped fund her trip to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons meeting in Chicago March 22-26.

Dr. William B. Strong, Emeritus Leon Henri Charbonnier Professor of Pediatrics and Section Chief Emeritus of Pediatric Cardiology, has received the 2006 Ross Award in Pediatric Education from the Southern Society for Pediatric Research. The award honors educators for stimulating students to provide excellent health care to children, helping develop and administer pediatric curricula or parent-child educational programs and serving as a role model.

Dr. Robert K. Yu, director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics and the Institute of Neuroscience, has been appointed to the editorial board of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. He will serve a five-year term on the board of the journal of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.