A man holds his wife's hand during a ceremony celebrating him. A large group of people clap as he is introduced.
AU President Russell T. Keen and First Lady Karen B. Keen [Michael Holahan/Augusta University]

AU celebrates the investiture of President Russell T. Keen

man with glasses standing in front of blue backgroundMilledge Austin6 min readMay 2, 2025

Augusta University formally celebrated the investiture of President Russell T. Keen as the second president of AU with a series of special events during Inauguration Week, April 21-26. The week included the traditional Investiture Ceremony on Thursday, April 24, and concluded with AU’s annual Alumni Weekend celebrations, marking a perfect opportunity to celebrate the past, present and future of Augusta University.

Coffee, Ice Cream, and Conversation with the President and First Lady

Inauguration Week commenced on Monday, April 21, as university leaders, faculty, staff and students gathered on the Boardman Patio of the J. Harold Harrison, MD Education Commons building for Coffee, Ice Cream and Conversation with the President and First Lady Karen B. Keen. The casual afternoon event offered those in attendance a chance to spend time with the Keens, reflecting on the first nine months of his presidency.

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A large group of college students, faculty, and staff gather on a large lawn between several buildings on a college campus for an event.
Toast at the Fountain

The following evening, the AU community and friends of the university came together outside the Grover C. Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre between the iconic Blanchard Fountain and the grove to celebrate with the traditional Toast at the Fountain.

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The event began with a proclamation from the office of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones delivered by TJ Hudson, field representative program director. Henry Ingram, serving as toastmaster, then offered remarks and invited those in attendance to raise their glass to the Keens.

“Theirs is a journey of compassion for all, dedication to education and a bold vision to guide AU and our entire region forward,” Ingram said. “As a lifelong Augustan, there is no greater honor than to see this fine young man grow, achieve and shape the community that we all love. For as long as I can remember, this gentleman has continued to impress with his graceful style, compassion and leadership. He is perfectly tailored for this role as president of Augusta University. He is the leader that we all need to guide us into the next decade with robust success, despite overwhelming challenges. He’s purposeful and eloquent in his demeanor, and we all benefit from being in his presence.”

Two men and a woman stand in front of a stage during a special event. The man on the left is handing the man on the right a special award.
TJ Hudson, field representative program director for the office of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, presents AU President Russell T. Keen and First Lady Karen B. Keen with an official proclamation. [Michael Holahan/Augusta University]

Following the toast, Keen shared a brief glimpse into his plans for AU moving forward.

“Augusta is not merely my home; it is our home. Together, Karen and I share a belief in the transformative power of this university to drive progress and innovation for our entire region,” Keen said. “At Augusta University, we are steadfast in our commitment to the transformative power of education and discovery. The groundbreaking research and innovation happening every day here serves as a testament to the remarkable strides we are making. But let us not forget that it is the people — the devoted faculty, staff, students, alumni and community of supporters — who form the cornerstone of Augusta University’s excellence. It is through your dedication, perseverance and collective vision that we are propelled forward. I know that together, we will continue to ensure Augusta University remains a powerful force for good in Georgia and beyond.”

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Following the toast, the AU Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Isaac Brinberg, DMA, along with guests from Greenbrier High School, performed a concert titled “Tune In” inside the Maxwell Theatre. The event was punctuated by the final piece performed by Wycliffe Gordon, professor of music and an accomplished musician, who was joined by the Wind Ensemble. Gordon dedicated the song, “Me, We” to the Keens.

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Investiture Ceremony

On April 24, Augusta University faculty, staff and students, as well as alumni, university supporters and dignitaries and officials from across the state and region gathered at the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center in downtown Augusta for the official Investiture Ceremony. In attendance were some of Keen’s closest friends from his time spent in Augusta and Atlanta, Georgia Southern University, the University of Georgia and AU.

Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp sent his congratulations via a video message. Rep. Rick W. Allen, District 12; Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson; Major General Ryan Janovic, U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Eisenhower; and Speaker of the House Jon Burns, R-Newington, were in attendance and offered their support for Keen, all noting he would lead AU with distinction well into the future and would have the full support of those around the CSRA.

A man holds his wife's hand during a ceremony celebrating him. A large group of people clap as he is introduced.
AU President Russell T. Keen and First Lady Karen B. Keen [Michael Holahan/Augusta University]

The platform party also included personal touches in several prominent figures from Keen’s formative educational background, including his first-grade teacher Jackie Wiggins and his eighth-grade teacher Sandy Woods. Keen’s higher education background was highlighted by Bruce Grube, PhD, president emeritus of Georgia Southern University, who was president when Keen was an undergraduate, and Jere W. Morehead, JD, president of the University of Georgia, where Keen earned his EdD degree. Former AU President Brooks Keel, PhD, also returned to speak on Keen’s behalf, both as a mentor and educator.

On behalf of the university and the University System of Georgia, Regent James M. Hull, who chaired the Presidential Search Committee on behalf of the USG Board of Regents, spoke on the qualities that Keen would bring to his presidency. Those sentiments were echoed by Candice Saunders, CEO of Wellstar Health System; John Baker, JD, president of the Augusta University Alumni Association; Susan Nicholson, board chair of the AU Foundation; Charles G. Green Jr., MD, board chair of the MCG Foundation; Tiana Curry-McCoy, PhD, chair of the AU Faculty Senate; Rich Rogers, chair of the AU Staff Council; Jenessa Ducelus, president of AU Student Government Association; ad Puja Punukollu, president of AU Graduate Student Government Association.

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A man in a suit and tie stands at a podium with a microphone and speaks to a large group of people.
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A woman stands at a podium with a microphone and delivers a speech to a large group of people.
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A man wearing full graduation regalia stands and speaks at a podium with a microphone during a large ceremony.
A man wearing full graduation regalia stands and speaks at a podium with a microphone during a large ceremony.
A man wearing full graduation regalia stands and speaks at a podium with a microphone during a large ceremony.

Sonny Perdue, chancellor of USG, was the final member of the platform party to speak before formally investing Keen with the First Lady and their children, Kaleigh and Brinson, by his side.

“It’s a celebration of a new day,” Perdue said. “I think all of us recognize, and certainly the presidents who have been here and others recognize, you don’t do this job by yourself. These are tough jobs, and we’re here today to invest in a time-honored tradition. That means we not just today invest, but continue in investing in his life and the university’s life to make it all that it can be.”

A man wearing full college graduation regalia speaks with another man, also wearing full regalia, while the second man's wife, daughter, and son, look on. They are all standing on a stage in front of a large group of people.
USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue officially invests AU President Russell T. Keen with First Lady Karen B. Keen and their children, Kaleigh and Brinson, by his side. [Michael Holahan/Augusta University]

The ceremony featured musical performances by Emma Kelley, “A Million Dreams,” accompanied by the Summerville Brass Quintet and Robert and Gail Jarrell, music teachers of Keen during middle and high school. Melissa Johnson, vice president of Enrollment Services and Marketing at Gordon State College, sang “Rise Up.”

“I want to thank our students, faculty and staff, the Augusta community, the presidents of the University System of Georgia, our federal delegation and our state leadership for your warm embrace and enthusiastic support of Karen and me as we embark upon this journey together,” Keen said. “When I began on July 1, I spoke to our campus and community from the student center and reflected on the lyrics of the song ‘Break Every Chain,’ and I implored this campus and community to rise up and break the chains that are holding us back.

“We talked about the importance of student success and innovative research to break the chains of diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Keen continued. “I reminded everyone of the profound impact we are having on humanity. I stressed the importance of student success and the importance of helping our students rise up to overcome the obstacles before them. Our team will hold ourselves accountable to higher standards of responsibility and service to our students, faculty, staff, stakeholders and each other. Augusta University is rising up, and we know that together, in tandem, we can move mountains for our community.”

The ceremony was made possible by Presidential Sponsors Mr. Nick and Mrs. Beth Evans; Presenting Sponsors ACC Construction Co., Georgia’s Own Credit Union, Mr. Sam and Mrs. Susan E. Nicholson and Dr. George and Mrs. Roberta Snelling; Gold Sponsors Augusta University Dental Associates, American Audio Visual Services, Inc., Phoenix Printing Group and J&B Construction, McKnight Construction and PCL Construction; and Sponsors The Honorable Jon and Mrs. Dayle Burns, Regent James and Mrs. Karen Hull, Regent Everett and Mrs. Staci Kennedy and Jordan Trotter Commercial Real Estate.

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Alumni Weekend

Inauguration Week was capped by the numerous events of Alumni Weekend, beginning with the President’s Brunch on Saturday morning. Other key events included the AU Alumni Association Awards Banquet to honor the 2025 Distinguished and Outstanding Young Alumni and the Alumni Weekend After-Party.

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Written by
Milledge Austin

Milledge Austin is the manager of external communications for Communications and Marketing at Augusta University. Contact him to schedule an interview on this topic or with one of our experts at miaustin@augusta.edu.

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