Image: Colby Ruiz, a former student of Professor Walter Schmidt, was recently included in the 2025 Alumni "40 under 40” class. Ruiz is a 2015 graduate of Morehead Honors College and is a board-certified vascular surgeon dedicated to expanding access to high-quality surgical care in rural Georgia. He is a UGA Presidential Award of Excellence recipient and has been honored with the Kaiser Permanente Excellence in Teaching Award. Now practicing at South Georgia Medical Center, he has introduced advanced surgical and endovascular treatments to the region. Colby also serves as clinical faculty at Mercer University School of Medicine, where he mentors students and contributes to curriculum development. He is leading a hospital-wide initiative to revamp youth and college mentorship programs to address rural health care workforce shortages. Colby remains deeply engaged with UGA through speaking engagements, mentorship, and philanthropic support for the Morehead Honors College, Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences — supporting the next generation of health care leaders. .
