The Medical College of Georgia has presented its 2006 Vessel of Life Award to Dr. Lloyd B. Schnuck Jr., an MCG alumnus and faculty member.
President Daniel W. Rahn presented the award, which honors professional achievement and contributions to society that enhance MCG’s mission of education, research and service, at the annual President’s Dinner Nov. 4.
“Dr. Schnuck refers to himself as a ‘gadget geek,’” President Rahn said in presenting the award.
“In his case, gadgets represent equipment, machines and technology that save lives. Geekiness represents a tireless, single-minded commitment to excellence, which translates into terrific outcomes for patients.”
Dr. Schnuck cited the “big shoulders to stand on” of past Vessel of Life Award recipients, adding, “I am humbled and honored by this presentation.”
He expressed appreciation to Dr. Rahn for the “vision and insight” to help MCG reach new heights and to his recently deceased wife, Barbara, “who inspired me every day to be a better clinician and to aspire to higher goals.”
Dr. Schnuck earned his medical degree from MCG in 1968, interned at University Hospital, then served in the U.S. Army for three years. His service included a tour of duty in Vietnam where he volunteered in orphanages and hospitals. His military honors include a Bronze Star, Air Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and National Service Defense Medal.
He completed a diagnostic radiology residency at MCG in 1974 and returned in 1995 to complete a body imaging fellowship. He has been an assistant professor of radiology at MCG since 1996. Dr. Schnuck recently was named chief of the Department of Imaging and Radiology at the Augusta Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
An enthusiastic supporter of his alma mater, he has served as president of the Alumni Association of the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine, Inc., and as an MCG Foundation, Inc., board member. He recently established an MCG scholarship endowment for students in financial need.
He has committed to fund the Lloyd B. Schnuck Jr., M.D./GRA Eminent Scholar in Breast Cancer with matching funds from the Georgia Research Alliance.
“His generosity and altruism have only grown through the years,” Dr. Rahn said. “His devotion is to the well-being of others.”
Dr. Schnuck is a fellow of the American College of Radiology and a member of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, the American Medical Association, the Radiological Society of North America, the Medical Association of Georgia and the Richmond County Medical Society. He is a member and former president of the Georgia Radiological Society.
His awards include the American Medical Association Physicians Recognition Award with Commendation and the 2006 Outstanding Philanthropist Award from the Augusta Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
- Jennifer Hilliard with Christine Hurley Deriso