MACON, Ga. — Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) recognized several outstanding graduates and faculty members during its 2026 commencement ceremony, held on May 8 in Hawkins Arena on the Macon campus.
Griffin B. Bell Award for Community Service
The Griffin B. Bell Award for Community Service is Mercer’s highest honor, and this year it was presented to Christian Casteel, M.D. Named for Mercer alumnus and former U.S. Attorney General Griffin B. Bell, the award recognizes graduating students who exemplify extraordinary dedication to serving others.
While a medical student on Mercer School of Medicine’s Columbus campus, Dr. Casteel was recognized for his extensive leadership, mentorship and service on campus and in the broader community. He was selected as a Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Rural Pediatric Scholar, chosen for the School of Medicine’s Summer Scholars program and participated in the 2025 Mercer On Mission program in Honduras. He also held multiple leadership roles, including Columbus student director of the Young Physicians Initiative. He also volunteered through his church and International Friendship Ministries while mentoring fellow students as a peer tutor and Bear Buddy mentor.
After residency, Dr. Casteel plans to practice pediatrics in rural underserved communities in Georgia, where he hopes to reduce barriers to care and serve families with compassion and dedication.
James T. McAfee Jr. Endowed Vision and Leadership Scholarship
School of Medicine Dean Dr. Jean Sumner and Mercer President Dr. Penny L. Elkins present Dr. Carswell Leis and Dr. Sandra Scott Leis the McAfee Scholarship. Photo by Leah Yetter
This year, Carswell Leis, M.D., and Sandra Scott Leis, M.D., received the James T. McAfee Jr. Endowed Vision and Leadership Scholarship. The award recognizes Mercer graduates whose leadership, vision and service have made a meaningful impact on both the University community and the broader region. Through individual accomplishments and collaborative service initiatives, the couple has demonstrated a shared commitment to improving the health and well-being of communities across Georgia.
Dr. Carswell Leis served in leadership roles on MUSM Student Council and Honor Council and as a Medical Association of Georgia student delegate. He also participated in a quality improvement research project at Memorial Health University Medical Center focused on improving care for the geriatric population. His leadership and advocacy have reflected a strong commitment to service and patient-centered care.
Dr. Sandra Scott Leis served as a MUSM peer tutor, chair of the ambassador program and member of the admissions committee. She was selected as a Landings Women’s Golf Association Cancer Summer Research Scholar and is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She also received honors for Outstanding Student in Internal Medicine and Outstanding Student in Population Health, demonstrating excellence in academics, mentorship and service.
Together, the couple created Bear Down for Dinner, a volunteer initiative in partnership with Kids Café of America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia that provides meals for children experiencing food insecurity. The program also included educational nutrition materials developed by the students and helped provide thousands of meals to children across Coastal Georgia. Both graduates will begin internal medicine residencies at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
Arnold P. Gold Foundation Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards
The Arnold P. Gold Foundation Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards recognize graduating medical students and faculty members who demonstrate the highest standard of compassion and sensitivity in their interactions with patients.
Hannah Cabe, M.D., was named the 2026 student recipient for the School of Medicine. Dr. Cabe served as a School of Medicine Ambassador, earned the Distinction in Service to the Community Award and received the Nathan Deal Scholarship for her commitment to practicing in rural Georgia. She will begin an obstetrics and gynecology residency at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and plans to return to rural Georgia to practice medicine.
The Class of 2026 selected Charles Moore, M.D., as the faculty recipient. Dr. Moore, a MUSM graduate and associate professor on the Columbus campus, was recognized for his compassionate patient care and commitment to teaching and mentoring students. He was unable to attend the ceremony due to active military duty.
“While all physicians are expected to be knowledgeable, it is the compassionate and humanistic care of patients that distinguishes the finest physicians,” said Jean Sumner, M.D., MACP, dean of MUSM. “The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award is fitting for Dr. Cabe and Dr. Moore, as they both consistently demonstrate kindness, compassion, empathy and respect toward others.”
Dr. Anna N. Walker Award for Teaching Excellence
Wei-Hsiung Yang, Ph.D., received the 2026 Dr. Anna N. Walker Award for Teaching Excellence, the School of Medicine’s highest faculty honor.
Dr. Yang joined MUSM in 2008 and currently serves as professor of biomedical sciences. In addition to serving as a small-group tutor in the patient-based learning curriculum, he has mentored numerous medical students in research and is known for fostering an engaging and supportive learning environment.
“Dr. Yang is an outstanding educator, mentor and student advocate, and an exceptional leader at the School of Medicine,” said Dr. Sumner. “He has proven himself to be most deserving of the 2026 Anna Walker Award for Teaching Excellence.”
About Mercer University School of Medicine (Macon, Savannah, Columbus and Valdosta)
Mercer University’s School of Medicine was established in 1982 to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and healthcare needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. Today, more than 60% of graduates currently practice in the state of Georgia, and of those, more than 80% are practicing in rural or medically underserved areas of Georgia. Mercer medical students benefit from a problem-based medical education program that provides early patient care experiences. Such an academic environment fosters the early development of clinical problem-solving and instills in each student an awareness of the place of the basic medical sciences in medical practice. The School opened additional four-year M.D. campuses in Savannah in 2008 and in Columbus in 2021, and a clinical campus in Valdosta in 2024. Following their second year, students participate in core clinical clerkships at the School’s primary teaching hospitals: Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center and Piedmont Macon Medical Center in Macon; Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah; Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital and St. Francis Hospital in Columbus; and SGMC Health in Valdosta. The School also offers master’s degrees in preclinical sciences and family therapy and Ph.D.s in biomedical sciences and rural health sciences.
