The University of Georgia on Monday announced it’s named Dr. Michelle ”Shelley” Nuss the founding dean of a medical school that it plans to open in Athens.
The Georgia Board of Regents last month unanimously approved a plan to create a new, standalone medical school. Augusta University currently operates the state’s lone public medical college, the Medical College of Georgia. A new UGA school could enroll students as early as fall 2026.
“There is no one better equipped to lead this important initiative than Dr. Shelley Nuss, with her exemplary, widely recognized leadership in medical education,” UGA President Jere Morehead said in a statement. “I look forward to working with her as we seek (Liaison Committee on Medical Education) accreditation and build an outstanding medical school in the coming years.”
Here are five things to know about Nuss:
1. Nuss has served as campus dean of the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership since 2016. During Nuss’ tenure as campus dean, the partnership has expanded its enrollment to 60 students per class and now enrolls 240 students.
2. Nuss has been involved in efforts for several years to train more doctors. Georgia currently ranks 40th among U.S. states for the number of active patient care physicians per capita, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Nuss worked with St. Mary’s Health Care System in Athens a decade ago to create an internal medical residency program. As chair of the GME Regents Evaluation and Assessment Team (GREAT) Committee since 2016, she has led the development of several new residency programs across Georgia, UGA said in its announcement about Nuss’ new role.
3. Nuss was involved in UGA’s COVID-19 campus testing program. The university offered voluntary testing for people who showed no clear symptoms of the disease the fall semester after the pandemic began. “We wanted to put something in place that was effective, using the highest level of testing. Most importantly, we wanted a fast turnaround,” Nuss told CNN at the time.
4. In 2023, Nuss received the Lamartine Hardman Cup from the Medical Association of Georgia. The award recognizes a physician who has addressed a problem in public health or contributed to the science of medicine. Nuss was awarded for her residency work.
5. Nuss is an alumna of the West Virginia University School of Medicine M.D. Program and the internal medicine and psychiatry residency program, where she served as chief resident in her final year. Prior to relocating to Georgia, Nuss served as the program director for the internal medicine and psychiatry residency program at the WVU School of Medicine and the vice president of medical affairs for WVU Hospitals.
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