To share your personal (new baby, engagement, marriage, hobby, etc.) or professional (awards, elected positions, grants, publication, presentation, etc.) news or that of a fellow alumnus in future UGA Scripts, please complete this form. We are particularly interested in learning more about the professional associations, boards, committees, and other leadership groups that our alumni are involved with across all industries. Telling us about the organizations you participate in and the positions you hold is a great way to inspire current students about the variety of pathways they can take after graduation. For questions, contact Alumni Director Kim Hamby.
Carlos “Bud” Adkins Jr., BS Pharm ‘55, is a licensed pharmacist and a discharged USAF pilot with the rank of Captain. He owned and operated Pelham Drug Co. for more than 30 years before selling his business to Rite Aid Pharmacy and becoming the Pharmacist in Charge for 10 years. He then worked as a pharmacist for CVS Pharmacy until 2015 and has been semi-retired since. He enjoys the outdoors, keeping active in civic affairs and youth programs, and serving the local Rotary Club with 25 years of perfect attendance. He is active in his church, Gatlin Creek Baptist in Thomasville, GA.
Robert Martin, BS Pharm ‘67, shared that his wife and fellow PharmDawg, Carol Ann Kimsey, BS Pharm ‘68, passed away March 27, 2023 from early Alzheimer’s disease. Her ashes were interred during Thanksgiving in the Martin family plot in Cuthbert, GA.
Michael Adams, BS Pharm ‘73, fulfilled his internship after graduation at Dekalb Medical Hospital. In fall 1976, he and former classmate, Ed Shaw, BS Pharm ‘73, opened Winn Way Pharmacy beside the hospital. The two developed a good working relationship with doctors in the area and were asked to move to the hospital’s new medical complex in 1991, renaming it Dekalb Pharmacy and Medical Supply. The move proved to be very valuable as they captured patients from doctors’ offices and filled hospital employees’ prescriptions. CVS Pharmacy purchased their store in 2003, and after working there for nine months, Adams finished the last eight years of his career at Medical Arts Pharmacy owned by Omnicare Corp., the largest long-term pharmacy operation at the time. He retired in 2012 at age 66 and did relief work for Conyers Pharmacy for another 18 months before officially retiring and not renewing his license. Adams shared that pharmacy has been good to him, and he cannot say enough good things about his education at UGA and the College of Pharmacy.
Larry Handal, BS Pharm ‘73, is enjoying his retirement in the beautiful city of Las Vegas, Nevada!
The College of Pharmacy welcomed back several members of the Class of 1977 to Athens recently. Fellow classmates enjoyed catching up after 45+ years and cheering on the Dawgs at a UGA Basketball Game. The group also visited the College to meet Dean Kelly Smith, tour the school, and chat with students and faculty members. It was great to see these alumni; we hope this class, and other classes will visit us soon!
David Gammon, BS Pharm ‘81, retired from practice in 2015 but still consults for a drug database and, on occasion, travels throughout the country to help healthcare systems manage their pharmaceutical waste. In 2020, he was on an NDMS (National Disaster Medical System) medical team serving as the pharmacist when they greeted U.S. passengers at Travis AFB who had been on the Diamond Princess in Japan when COVID broke out. The team isolated and quarantined the passengers until they all tested negative and were treated. Later that year, the group deployed to El Paso to relieve overworked hospital staff caring for COVID patients. Gammon has since retired from the team but encourages all interested pharmacists to join one. See related article here. He has been married to Bobbie Brooke since 1984, and they are fortunate to be healthy and happy.
PharmDawg couple Tom Heard, BS Pharm ‘83 and Beth Heard, BS Pharm ‘85, moved back to Athens several years ago. Tom was promoted to Senior Director with Pfizer and serves on a local church board of elders. Beth retired as an independent pharmacist. They enjoy spending time with their son Stephen Heard, MBA ‘22, and six grandchildren, who they are raising to be Bulldogs.
Gary Bridges, BS Pharm ‘84, was highlighted in an Isstories Get to Know feature for his practice Anesthesia Associates of East Alabama.
Lisa Nichols Nicholson, BS Pharm ‘88, is starting her 39th year of pharmacy practice. The last 10 years have been in hospital pharmacy in Habersham County, which is now part of the Northeast Georgia Health System. She serves on several nonprofit boards, is active in her church, and most importantly, spends as much time as possible with her two granddaughters, Ava and Ana, who live a 1/2 mile away. She enjoys traveling, walking, and spending time with girlfriends.
Terri Lynn Beck, BS Pharm ‘90, lives in Destin, FL and is a Pharmacy Manager at Emerald Coast Infectious Disease Group in Fort Walton Beach. She serves as Medical Response Team leader at Destiny Worship Center. She’s a hot yoga junkie and enjoys Rabun County High School football and of course, UGA football.
Kurt Begeman, BS Pharm ‘90, is a staff pharmacist at Kroger Pharmacy in Lovejoy, GA. He has a 22-year-old autistic daughter, Charissa, who is a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo, and he has been happily married to his wife, Julie, for 26 years.
Dr. Heather Lindell Tally ’93, ’94, recently retired from Pharmacology at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine and a current part-time Assistant Professor at the College, recently wrote a chapter in “Reimagining Adult Education as World Building” which is now available for purchase at this link. The chapter explores vaccine hesitancy using a world building approach.
Congratulations to Cass Nelson-Dooley, MS ‘04, on the successful publication of her book “Heal Your Oral Microbiome.”
Joel Melroy, PharmD ‘05, was recently named VP of Pharmacy and Nutrition Services at Grady Health System.
Elaine (Mebel) Strauss, PharmD ‘10, recently became a published textbook chapter author in the 5th Edition of the ASHP Compounding Sterile Preparations Textbook, Chapter 7: Secondary Engineering Controls. Elaine is a Senior Consultant for Cleanrooms and Sterile Compounding at WorkingBuildings – an Atlanta-based Engineering and Commissioning firm. Elaine supports both hospital pharmacy compounding and cGMP manufacturing/503B clients with cleanroom regulatory compliance. Prior to WorkingBuildings, Elaine was a Pharmacy Manager with the Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh and a Cleanroom Pharmacy Operations Manager at Massachusetts General Hospital. Elaine has been back in Georgia since 2017 and resides in Peachtree Corners with her husband Ben and two children, Michael (6), and Zoey (4).
Jake Galdo, PharmD ‘11, recently was featured in a Pharmacy Times Spotlight.
Ansley Booker, MS ‘13, and Farah Pathan, PhD ‘21, participated in an Alumni Career Panel hosted by PBSO (Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Student Organization) at the College of Pharmacy.
Sheryle Gallmeier, PharmD ‘14, welcomed her third healthy baby boy into the world last year. She currently works as a Kroger Pharmacy Manager and is celebrating 13 years with Kroger Pharmacy.
Michael Saxon, PharmD ‘15, has transitioned to a new role as the Pharmacy Supervisor of Staff Development and Clinical Programs for Northside Hospital after working seven years in critical care. He serves as the system coordinator for IPPEs and APPEs and is now the PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director. He is excited to have the opportunity to work more closely with current and future PharmDawgs!
Titus Gates, PharmD ‘17, is a Clinical Pharmacist at Kaiser Permanente. He has been happily married for two years and counting. He shared that he loves his classmates and trusts that they are all living their best lives. “Who’s that coming down the track?! It’s a mean machine in Red and Black!” He sends best wishes to the Class of 2017 and hopes they continue to be the awesome, talented, amazing people he remembers from their days in the classrooms.
John Stevick, PharmD ’17, and his wife have welcomed three wonderful boys into the world since his graduation. He currently works as a Staff Pharmacist at Houston Healthcare-Warner Robins. During the past year he has been involved in his hospital’s community by running in the annual 5k and participating as musical entertainment for the hospital system’s annual service awards.
Kirty Patel, PharmD ‘20, was promoted to manager at Costco Pharmacy in Los Angeles, CA.
Parker Courson, BSPS ‘21, describes the UGA College of Pharmacy as “everything and more, both during the experience and forever after.” She currently is a student at the University of Texas College of Pharmacy (UTCOP) and credits UGA’s undergraduate major program for “gifting her with the passion” for a career and immense knowledge in the practice of pharmacy. She is now part of the curriculum board for UTCOP and is advocating for a stronger curriculum in their college of pharmacy to mirror UGA’s.
Madhuri Rudraraju, PhD ‘23, successfully defended her Ph.D. dissertation at UGA’s College of Pharmacy six months ago and is now advancing research as a post-doctoral research associate for the University of Virginia.
Pictured: David Gammon, BS Pharm ‘81
