Augusta University Opens Student Welcome Center Named for Former Provost

Augusta University has unveiled the Dr. Gretchen B. Caughman Student Welcome Center on its Health Sciences Campus. Prospective students and their families now have a dedicated meeting point when they visit.

You'll find it inside the Student Center at 1488 Laney Walker Boulevard. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions runs daily information sessions there.

"The center will give student ambassadors the space to welcome prospective students and their families in a way that reflects who we are," said President Russell T. Keen, per JagWire. "It will help the next generation of Jaguars imagine themselves here, see what's possible, and begin their own journey of changing lives and saving lives."

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions packed up and left Benet House on the Summerville Campus. Staff now work from offices in the new building. The 1828 Ambassadors call it home base. Krisha Patel showed up at the opening.

"The work that we do in 1828 fills me with pride, and I feel honored each time to represent the university at this level," said Patel. "The new resources in the welcome center will allow for an elevated tour experience, and the space now matches the life-changing opportunities Augusta University provides."

Dr. Gretchen B. Caughman sparked the idea back in 2019. Planning dragged on through several stages, and different leaders took charge, with former president Dr. Brooks Keel pushing hard to make it happen.

Ron Booth, vice president of Facilities, helped dream up the design. "I'm very proud of the project team for transforming an area of the building that has had many uses into a space that feels like it has always been used as a student welcome center," said Booth.