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Health founder, CEO receives 2025 Footsteps Award at annual celebration

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By: Rachael Andrews and Gabby Adekogbe  

Dr. Michael V. Smith (BSA ’79) was selected as the 2025 Footsteps Award recipient, in honor of his impact on the community. The award is named to recognize the three students who helped to integrate the university in the 1960s: Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Hamilton Holmes and Mary Frances Early, and honors alumni who follow in the footsteps of these trailblazers. Smith was chosen by a committee of University of Georgia faculty, staff and students. 

Smith is the CEO and founder of Marti Health, an innovative health care platform dedicated to improving the quality and consistency of health care for at-risk populations, including those with sickle cell disease and their caregivers.  Previously, as chief of cardiothoracic surgery at the former Atlanta Medical Center, Smith launched the first early-detection lung cancer program in Georgia.  

Smith — in addition to being a member of the UGA Board of Visitors — has also committed to improving the student experience through supporting scholarships. Smith himself was the recipient of a scholarship during his time as a Bulldog, which eventually led him to give back to UGA. He has established several need-based scholarships to support at-risk students to continue their academic journey at the university.  

“I know there are students who leave every year not because they’re not academically competitive, but because they are just not financially able to support themselves,” Smith said in a recent UGA Alumni spotlight. “The idea is that there will be, in perpetuity, academically capable kids who won’t be hampered by financial obstacles because those who benefitted before them paid it forward.” 

Michael Smith, Footsteps Award recipient, is pictured at the event.

In addition to honoring Dr. Smith, the event also celebrated reaching $1 million in the Black Alumni Scholarship Fund endowment.

“The University of Georgia is lucky to call someone like Dr. Smith an alum of our institution,” said Jill Walton, vice president for development and alumni relations. “His work bridging gaps not only in health care, but also in student support at the university has been so inspiring to witness. His compassion, care and commitment to his patients, community and our students is something we hope for all of our alumni to embody.” 

Last year, retired Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Benham was honored with the Footsteps Award, following Richard Dunn and Xernona Thomas in 2023 and Eugenia Harvey in 2022. 

Smith was honored during the annual 1961 Club Celebration on June 13 in Athens, which held particular significance this year as the Black Alumni Scholarship Fund — supported by members of the 1961 Club — surpassed $1 million. The fund was launched in 1981 with a gift from James Simmons, Jr. and Horatio Lanier (ABJ ’77) and has grown thanks to generous support from a dedicated group of alumni, faculty and thousands of donors. 

Members of the 1961 Club contribute gifts of $19.61, $196.10, or $1,961, making giving accessible to all UGA alumni, friends and students.  

To date, the BASF has supported numerous students who exhibit promising leadership qualities. Among them is Jordan Howard ’26, a computer systems engineering major.   

“When I first received the scholarship, it meant a lot to me because it brought me closer to my goal of graduating debt-free,” said Howard. “It also had a big impact on my experience at UGA, allowing me to pursue opportunities I might have had to pass up if I had been working to cover expenses.”  

Ericka Bayonne (AB ’93), who played a pivotal role in the creation of the 1961 Club, envisioned a giving program that honored UGA’s trailblazers and made a lasting impact.  

“Legacy, pride, and the future. We stand on the shoulders of those who came in 1961 — Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Hamilton Holmes and Mary Frances Early,” said Bayonne. “We want alumni to walk away with a deep sense of pride in that legacy, understanding that the work is far from over. It’s about passing the baton to the students who will follow in our footsteps.”  

Alumna mentor guides students to shared success

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An interview with Intel CTO Greg Lavender (BS ’83)

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This story was originally published on the Franklin College website on Nov. 20, 2024.

While on campus in November, UGA School of Computing students had the opportunity to network with distinguished alumnus Greg Lavender (BS ’83). Lavender’s Dr. Jeffrey W. Smith Undergraduate Scholarship recipient Hannah Le conducted a one-on-one interview with Lavender.

Q: What’s your favorite memory from your time at the University of Georgia?
A: Oh, that’s a good question! I actually never went to a single football game while I was at UGA. I was always in the computer labs — very geeky, you know? My favorite memory would be a pretty funny one. I had this huge final exam in a computer science class, and it was during the winter semester. It was freezing cold, and I was studying late, wrapped up in my electric blanket, just sleeping away.

Then my phone rang — this buzzing sound that annoyed me, so I ignored it at first. Finally, I woke up and answered it. It was one of my friends calling to ask if I was going to make it to the exam. I looked at my watch, and it was already 8:15 a.m.! The exam had started at 8:00, and I had overslept by three hours! I panicked, threw some water on my face, got dressed, and rushed to campus. I couldn’t find a parking spot, so I parked in the faculty lot and ran into the exam room. I told the proctor I had a flat tire — he believed me — and then I took the exam. I finished in 35 minutes, scored a perfect 100, and passed the course. It was a moment of pure panic followed by relief. I still look back at it as one of my favorite memories because it was such an intense experience, and I never overslept for an exam again!

Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
A: I think I’m most proud of my time as a professor at the University of Texas at Austin. I supervised a lot of students over the years, and many of them have gone on to do amazing things in the tech industry. Some of them are now making more money than I ever will! But the real pride comes from seeing them succeed. I always say that while I’m proud of my own accomplishments, I’m even prouder of the accomplishments of my students.

Q: What advice would you give to current students?
A: My advice is simple: Don’t be afraid to take risks, but make sure they are calculated risks. A lot of people play it safe, but if you’re passionate about something, you have to commit to it fully — even if that means sacrificing other things for a while. Focus on becoming an expert in one area that truly excites you. In computer science, you get the chance to dive deep into certain technologies or fields. Who knows, maybe that focus will put you at the forefront of the next big thing. Just don’t waste time on easy problems — take on the hard ones. Those are the ones that push you to grow.

Q: You mentioned taking a big risk in your career. Can you elaborate?
A: Sure! One of the biggest risks I took was leaving a well-paying job to go back to school for my Ph.D. I had a great career going, and I was well-established, but I felt like I needed more advanced knowledge. I wanted to be the person who didn’t have to say much, but when I did speak, it was something important. People with Ph.D.s were the ones being respected in academic and professional circles, so I decided to go back to school. It wasn’t easy — I had three years of work experience under my belt, but I finished my master’s in just a year and then my Ph.D. after that. And I haven’t looked back since.

Q: You’ve been in the tech industry for a long time. How did you end up in Silicon Valley?
A: I never really planned it, but it happened. After I finished my Ph.D., I ended up in Silicon Valley because I sold the company I had started. That move felt like going to the “new Rome” — the center of innovation at the time, just like ancient Rome was for culture and knowledge. Silicon Valley was (and still is) a place where you have a front-row seat to the cutting edge of technology, and I wanted to be part of that. It was a wealth of opportunity, and being there opened doors I never imagined.

Q: You’re clearly passionate about technology and innovation. How do you keep yourself grounded and manage stress?
A: I’ve always been someone who needs an outlet to clear my head. Back when I was at UGA, I’d go hiking or just walk by the river. I wasn’t into football or the typical college stuff — I was always in the labs. But getting out in nature helped me reset and focus. Now, I travel a lot for work, and I still try to do the same thing. Whether I’m in Tokyo or Singapore, I take time to explore the local culture and clear my mind. It’s important to step away from work and recharge.

I get to meet interesting people from around the world. Plus, it helps me think creatively by experiencing new perspectives.

Q: You’ve lived in many places around the world. What’s your favorite travel destination?
A: Athens, Greece, holds a special place in my heart. I’m on the board of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, and for the past 30 years, I’ve been combining my love for technology and archaeology. I bring tech tools like drones and 3D mapping to archaeological sites to help preserve them. Greece is an amazing place to visit — great food, history, and culture. I’ve traveled to many Greek islands and explored places like Santorini, Mykonos, and Delos. I’m actually planning a trip next year to Turkey and Greece for an ancient history tour that includes stops in Troy and Ephesus.

Q: You mentioned that you were born in Panama and lived in Germany as a child. How has this international upbringing influenced your career?
A: I grew up in a military family, which meant I had the chance to live in different parts of the world. I was born in Panama, and we lived in West Germany for five years, so I was exposed to different cultures from a young age. That international experience has shaped how I view the world. It’s one of the reasons I love meeting new people from different countries and cultures. It gives you a broader perspective on life and work. Plus, I speak Spanish and German, which has helped me build connections globally.

Q: What’s the next big project you’re working on?
A: Right now, I’m managing a lot of the AI and generative AI work at Intel. We’re developing new chips and systems, and we’re also working on factory automation. I oversee a large team — around 15,000 people — so my time is spent managing research labs, where we have 700 people working on everything from semiconductor physics to software, AI, and graphics. I’m excited about the potential of generative AI, so I’m closely involved in shaping how we apply that technology to new areas.

Q: You’ve had a successful career in both academia and industry. What advice do you have for students aspiring to enter the tech field?
A: My advice is simple: stay curious and never stop learning. The tech industry evolves so quickly, and you need to be willing to take on new challenges and learn new things all the time. And remember, no matter how far you go in your career, always give back. Whether it’s mentoring students or helping others in the industry, the value of sharing knowledge and giving back to the community is immeasurable.

Q: You’ve stayed connected to the University of Georgia. Why did you create the Dr. Jeffrey W. Smith Undergraduate Scholarship?
A: Dr. Smith was my favorite professor at UGA. He inspired me a lot during my time there. He’s now retired, but I wanted to honor him by creating a scholarship in his name. It was a way to give back and show appreciation for the impact he had on my life. The funny thing is, I didn’t even realize how much of an impact I had on his life until I reconnected with his daughter years later. It was a full-circle moment, and I’m proud that I could do something to honor his legacy.

Q: What keeps you excited about your work today?
A: I’m still excited by the opportunity to solve difficult problems and push the boundaries of technology. Whether it’s working on AI, leading large teams, or creating new systems, I love being at the forefront of innovation. I’m also passionate about applying technology in areas like archaeology, which is one of my hobbies. I’ve been programming for fun — whether it’s automating my home or working on cool tech projects — and I’ll keep doing it as long as I can.

Cassandra Cannon: The Pajama Game

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This story, written by Heather Skyler, was originally published on UGA Today on May 23, 2024.

When Cassandra Cannon was a new mother, she and her friend, Anne Read Lattimore, decided to start a pajama company.

Both women were spending a lot of time at home with their babies, and they wanted something to wear that was more comfortable but also a little nicer looking than the oversized T-shirts and boxer shorts they often wore around the house.

“All of the pajamas we saw were either the traditional, button down, boxy menswear style or lingerie inspired. We wanted something more comfortable and put together,” says Cannon (BS ’08).

Inspiration hit one day when the two women noticed their infants’ clothes were incredibly soft. “We saw that our babies wore mostly Pima cotton, and we realized it is the softest thing ever and we should make pajamas out of this for adults,” says Cannon.

Two years later, after extensive research, Lake Pajamas launched in 2014. The founders’ idea was to make very soft pajamas with a classic American style and a nautical look. Today, the company is thriving, with its headquarters in Savannah and storefronts in Atlanta and Charleston, South Carolina.

Born and raised in Savannah, Cannon attended the University of Georgia where she majored in biology and psychology, with a tentative plan to go to medical school.

But then she had second thoughts.

Back in Savannah she tried a few other options: an anesthesia assistant graduate program and a year of art classes at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Then she did clerical work for her parents’ industrial contracting business.

In her mid-20s, she decided to apply for medical school and was accepted at Mercer University.

At the same time, she began talking to Anne Read about starting a business. Being a new parent made her realize med school wasn’t the best option now. So, she took a leap of faith in her entrepreneurial skills and started a business with Lattimore.

“We had a product, and we knew our audience, and we were making it for them.” — Cassandra Cannon (BS ’08), co-founder of Lake Pajamas

In the beginning, Cannon and Lattimore didn’t really know how to make clothing. “It’s crazy looking back how we made it all happen. We searched online for suppliers, drawing the designs on paper. We were scrappy that way,” says Cannon.

Cannon provides the creative vision for Lake Pajamas, and Lattimore handles the business side, though during the first four years they each did a little bit of everything, working together from home with their kids running around them. Now they have an office in Savannah with close to 70 employees.

One key to the company’s success is being savvy on social media. “Instagram was fairly new when we started, and it allowed us to connect to an audience inexpensively,” Cannon says. Lake Pajamas has worked with a few influencers, and the company’s pajamas have been seen on celebrities including Jennifer Garner and Jenna Bush Hager.

Lake Pajamas has expanded its clothing line to include dresses, pajamas, men’s robes, and clothes for kids. Cannon, who is married to UGA alumnus Pierce Cannon (BSFCS ’06), now has four kids under 10, and she said they wear the pajamas as do some of their friends.

Cannon says filling a specific niche was also a big part of the company’s success. “We had a product, and we knew our audience, and we were making it for them. It grew organically by word of mouth in a way we didn’t expect.”

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Grady’s UGA-alum Writer in Residence has a star-studded resume

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Nick Chiles (MFA ’22) has written more books than any other faculty member in the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, so it is no surprise he is their Writer in Residence. Chiles has written over 20 books chronicling Black culture in America, including multiple celebrity memoirs.

He landed at Grady as the Grady Writing Lab coach. At the same time, he joined the MFA Narrative Nonfiction program in the hopes of gaining a full-time faculty role. While going through the program, Chiles continued to teach a writing course.

“I was kind of split in half,” he said. “Half of me was in the building as a student. Half of me was in the building as a faculty member.”

The MFA program has a heavy focus on reading and writing, Chiles shared. Mentors are the key to student success. Graduate students spend a lot of time with their mentor to get feedback and help on projects.

“[Mentors] make the program,” Chiles said.

He took what he learned during the MFA to inform his own classes. He graduated in 2022 and went straight into his new position.

Even as a full-time faculty member, Chiles continues writing. He is currently working on memoirs for Martin Lawrence and Colin Kaepernick. The process of working with these notable figures requires spending a lot of time with them so Chiles can delve into their lives and background.

“Dredging all that stuff up, I think, is unexpectedly painful and emotional for a lot of them in ways that they weren’t expecting,” he said. “And so, there’s a lot of tears, often when I’m going through their family history. I mean, everybody has some pain in their background, in their story.”

Chiles spends months with the celebrities he writes about.

He is also working on a book to chronicle the history of Black comedy in America. He spent the summer doing research, starting as far back as the 1840s with minstrel performers.

“It’s pretty much the history of comedy in the US, because Black people were so integral in forming the idea of what American comedy would look like,” Chiles said.

Chiles won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992 as part of an investigative reporting team for New York Newsday. He teaches multiple writing classes at Grady, including feature and memoir writing. Before coming to UGA, Chiles earned his BA at Yale University. He spent time teaching at both Princeton and Columbia.

Throughout his career, Chiles was a reporter for New York Newsday, the Dallas Morning News and the Star-Ledger of New Jersey. He also wrote for the magazines Essence and Ebony, The Atlantic and The Christian Science Monitor.

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Alumna joins trailblazing collective to make an impact

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Danelle Faust (BBA ’95) draws on her own UGA experiences to support future generations through a new, women-led initiative.

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Lisa Sarajian is living la vie en rose

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A passion for the arts led Lisa to study abroad. Now, she helps Bulldogs who want to do the same. 

When Lisa Sarajian (BBA ’82) was a student, Athens felt imbued with a certain kind of magic. The city’s music scene was reaching its peak with the emergence of beloved bands like R.E.M., Pylon and the B-52s. As a freshman, Lisa spent her time after classes listening to bands play on Legion Field, exploring the growing downtown area and taking walks through UGA’s beautiful historic North Campus.  

An international business major with a passion for the arts, Lisa loved immersing herself in Athens’ cultural scene. She could frequently be found wandering the galleries of the Georgia Museum of Art and attending free classical music concerts on North Campus. Music was at the center of life in Athens and the sound of live concerts spilled out onto sidewalks everywhere… on campus, downtown and in public parks.  

“I just found there was always something fun to do,” Lisa said. 

Lisa’s favorite Saturday afternoon activity was going to film screenings. A native of Marietta, Georgia, she hadn’t had as much access to the arts as she had wanted to growing up, and the thriving cultural scene she had become a part of was absolutely invigorating for her. Moving out of the suburbs to live in Athens opened up her world. 

“It was my first introduction to foreign and independent films,” she said. “I would take some French classes and go to a French film festival.” 

When Lisa learned about an opportunity to study abroad in France for the summer of 1979, she was thrilled. The trip, which focused on the arts, led her to Normandy, Paris and the Loire Valley.  

  • Lisa (second from left) in Loire with friends on her study abroad trip in 1979.
  • Lisa (second from right) with her host family on her study abroad trip in 1979.
  • Lisa on a trip to Paris in 2004.
  • Lisa took her father, a career naval aviator, on a trip to Normandy in 2007.
  • Lisa (second from left) with her sister and nieces on a trip to Paris in 2010.
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“It was such a transformative experience for me,” she said. “I knew that I wanted to bust out at some point and see the world and broaden my horizons and I would not have had that opportunity otherwise.” 

After graduating from UGA, Lisa went on to her first job, a role in finance she gained with the help of UGA’s career services department, now centralized in the Career Center. She worked in a few different jobs in the finance and advertising industry before moving to New York City to start her job at Standard & Poor’s, where she worked for almost three decades.

Lisa remembers her study abroad trip as one of the most meaningful experiences of her time at UGA, but she also understood firsthand how finances could be an obstacle for students hoping to study abroad. She had been unable to work a summer job that year, which was an important source of support through her time at UGA.  

Lisa wanted to make it possible for more students to have a life-changing experience abroad like she did, so she created a study abroad scholarship. 

“I was drawn to this opportunity as a way to give back and to give other people that opportunity as well, particularly kids who would not otherwise have the means to travel,” she said. 

After her retirement in 2015, Lisa went back to school, earning certificates in gardening through the New York Botanical Garden and studying French. Today, she lives on the Upper West Side of New York City. She is a board member and consultant for various nonprofits in her area, including The Trust for Public Land, and an active member of the West Side Community Garden, where she maintains a plot. She stays connected to her friends from UGA with regular lunch dates, and she returns to France as often as she can.

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UGA alumna opens doors to the arts

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Susan Sherman (ABJ ’82) surrounds herself with beautiful things. She is an art collector, co-founder of the experiential retail startup MERCH and a former classically trained dancer, but one of her favorite ways to experience art is simply by wearing it. 

Susan has loved fashion since her days as a dancer, when she would spend the time before performances exploring the production behind her costumes. She described her entry into fashion as a consumer first–she loved shopping and style, and she often flipped her new clothes inside out after buying them so she could examine their seams and stitching. 

“I was always looking at how things were made,” she said.  

She is the chair and co-founder of the Saint Louis Fashion Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit which seeks to bring back St. Louis’s fashion industry, once second only to New York’s Garment District. The group, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, uplifts young designers and emerging brands and promotes fashion education and outreach in the city. 

The late Vogue editor Andre Leon Talley (seated at left) with Susan Sherman and members of the inaugural class of the Saint Louis Fashion Fund’s Incubator Program, in 2017.

“We have a city that has fashion in its DNA,” Susan said. “It’s all about increasing job opportunities, economic development, recruiting fashion brands to come back and rebuilding the ecosystem we had around the turn of the century.” 

Susan’s role in the Saint Louis Fashion Fund has positioned her to be one of St. Louis’ leading voices in the industry and given her opportunities to connect students and up-and-coming designers with resources they need to succeed.  

Susan has extended her support to UGA students, sponsoring a series of spring break trips for students in the Lamar Dodd School of Art to St. Louis, Dallas and New York. There, they met with people in the fashion, art, and design industries–touring art galleries, studios and museums, visiting Diane von Furstenberg’s atelier and exploring fashion and design incubator programs.  

Susan Sherman with legendary fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg at the Saint Louis Fashion Fund’s 2022 “Speaking of Fashion” talk at Washington University in St. Louis.

Susan not only funds these trips but also actively participates in them to experience the arts alongside UGA students. She and her husband, David, ride along on the bus with students and offer their expertise and insights, getting to know them and arranging access to institutions and people throughout the trip. 

Susan said she loves being around students, especially those interested in fashion and the arts, because she’s energized by their creativity and innovation.  

“There are so many different ways to produce and make and create,” she said. “I learn more from young people than my peers. They’re the ones who really have their ears to the ground of the industry and understand how it’s changing.”  

Susan and a friend pose for a graduation photo in 1982 in front of the Kappa Alpha Theta house on Milledge Ave.

Susan began her career as a public relations associate for the Atlanta Ballet and worked in broadcast journalism in Atlanta, Paris, and St. Louis before fully immersing herself in the world of fashion. As a UGA student studying broadcast journalism, Susan held the highly selective Georgia Lawmakers internship reporting on the state legislature with her classmate Deborah Roberts (ABJ ’82), a current anchor on ABC News.  

Connecting with undergraduate students through sponsoring experiential learning opportunities is just one of the ways that Susan has remained involved with UGA since graduation. She served on the UGA Foundation Board of Trustees, gives to UGA, attends football games and is on a committee for the renovation of her sorority’s house, Kappa Alpha Theta. 

Above all, Susan hopes her personal efforts and active philanthropy can introduce more students to the diverse range of career paths and opportunities available to them in the arts.   

“When you get to be my age, you have a lot of connections and you’re just trying to open doors and opportunities for young people,” she said. “I’ve always liked the underdawgs. D-A-W-G-S, mind you.”

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Alumni Profile: D.J. Shockley – Signal Caller

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