New graduate named AU’s Academic Recognition Day representative

Kristin Backer, a cell and molecular biology student in the College of Science and Mathematics, was selected as this year’s Augusta University representative for the University System of Georgia’s Academic Recognition Day.

The Academic Recognition Day award is given out annually to one undergraduate student from each of USG’s 26 institutions, and the tradition dates back almost 40 years to celebrate students’ academic achievements. Selected students have a 4.0 GPA and represent their universities with distinction.

“Receiving the Academic Recognition Day award was a huge honor, but honestly, the best part was meeting the other students being recognized,” Backer said. “Seeing everything they’ve accomplished was so inspiring, and it made me feel even more proud to stand among them as we finish our degrees.”

Backer, a United States Army veteran, was also a recipient of the college’s Academic Excellence in Biological Sciences Award and her most recent publication in the Association of Medical Ultrasound (AIUM) was among the top eight finalists for all submitted abstracts.

“All of these things were very shocking to me,” Backer said. “I was not expecting any of it. It was a lot of information, congratulations … my head was spinning.”

“Kristin exemplifies the best of Augusta University through her scholarship,” said Brad Olson, PhD, chair of the Department of Biological Sciences. “Her dedication is evident through her military service and her devotion to her family and community.”

Joining AU

Backer joined AU as a non-traditional student following her service in the Army.

“I got out of the military in Augusta, and my husband and I were planning on attending medical school,” she said. “We thought it would be a good way to get prepared for the MCAT. We already lived here, we had a family here, so I figured I’d apply.” 

In an even more non-traditional route for a college student, she and her husband, Quentin Kirk, are both in CSM programs. Kirk, a biology student, ended up in many of the same classes as Backer and they both graduated in Spring 2026.

“It was very beneficial because he has strengths that I don’t, and it goes both ways,” Backer said. “We help each other in the areas that we aren’t good at. He also understands my situation because we have a kid, so we can work together really well on all of it.”

Backer was also highly involved with undergraduate research while she was a student. Her initial exposure to research was through the AU Student Training and Research (STAR) Program, where she was assigned to work in the lab of Jessica Faulkner, PhD. The STAR program only lasts for two months, but Backer reached out afterward to join the lab full time.

“She has an immense curiosity, even more that I’ve seen in some graduate students,” Faulkner said.

Backer’s research focus in the Faulkner lab is on maternal health. Her most recent publication is about using echocardiograms to track how postpartum rats’ hearts recover after pregnancy.

“I think one of the reasons that brought her back is that she really loved the work,” Faulkner said. “Kristin has been probably the most reliable undergraduate researcher I have ever seen. She’s genuinely passionate about the work itself.”

Plans for the future

Now that her time as an undergrad has finished, Backer is considering applying to a graduate program or heading into the public sector surrounding healthcare.

“I like the idea of government work because I’ve done it before and it was very fulfilling,” she said. “I also really enjoyed college. Sometimes in lecture, I would actually smile because I enjoyed the information … it was fun.”

While she considers both options, though, Backer plans to take some time off before deciding. In reflecting on her academic career so far, she stresses the importance of pacing and taking breaks, especially in critical moments.

“I’ll take some time off to think,” she said. “If I could go back to tell myself something, it would be to actually take breaks and slow down every once in a while. So, now I am taking some time.”