Search alumni
The Alumni Association is proud to announce the new All In Campaign which encourages each class to collectively raise $25,000 from March 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025.
LATEST POST
Remembering Ath ‘AT’ Tuot
By Justin P. Tuot ’18 Remembering Ath ‘AT’ Tuot a Pivotal Part of the Association for Three Decades Ath “AT” Tuot was a fundamental part
Divine Connections: Providence Not Coincidence
Divine Connections: Providence Not Coincidence by Grace W. OEI ’04 “Yen’s adherence to keeping the Sabbath led to his imprisonment, where he contracted Malaria. Even
Building Connections: Paying It Forward Scholarship’s Impact
Building Connections: Paying It Forward Scholarship’s Impact By George Cheng ’87 and Angelina Cheng ’96 George Cheng ’87 and Angelina Cheng ’96 celebrate connections at
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Janet T. Strausbaugh ’78-A
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Janet T. Strausbaugh ’78-A ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Janet T. Strausbaugh ’78-A PEDIATRICS KEY WEST, FLORIDA WHAT WAS YOUR MEDICAL JOURNEY? I grew up in
Life After Medicine Spring 2025
Life After Medicine Spring 2025 By Robert A. Hardesty ’78-A Over the last several years I have been researching how to prepare for retirement. The
2025 ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR: James Gulley ’95
2025 ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR: James Gulley ’95 By Mark E. Reeves ’92 The 2025 Alumnus of the Year Award was conferred on an internationally
UPCOMING EventS
An Evening at the Hollywood Bowl with Earth, Wind & Fire!
Thursday, July 3, 2025 | 3:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Alumni Gathering - Portland, OR
Saturday, July 19, 2025 | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Alumni Gathering - San Diego, CA
Saturday, August 23, 2025 | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Alumni Gathering - Spokane, WA
Saturday, August 30, 2025 | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Alumni Gathering - Chattanooga, TN
Saturday, September 27, 2025 | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. | Collegedale Church
Alumni Gathering - Denver, CO
Sunday, October 19, 2025 | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Japan: From One Longevity City to Another
Friday, October 24, 2025 - Monday, November 3, 2025.
Alumni Aloha Weekend - Oahu, HI
MLK Long Weekend 2026 January 16 – 19, 2026 *More details to come*
The Paying It Forward Scholarship is more than financial support—it’s an invitation to shape the next generation of physicians. This covenant gift covers 50% of tuition and fees ($34,500) for third- or fourth-year students, with donations double matched by the Alumni Association and School of Medicine. Donors also have the chance to mentor a student, creating lasting, personal impact.
George ’87 and Angelina Cheng ’96 have found joy and purpose in this connection— forming a meaningful bond with their Paying It Forward mentees. They enjoy dinners together, celebrate milestones, and engage in stimulating conversations. They feel it is a sacred opportunity to impact the future of medicine in this meaningful way.
Read more about their experience in the Spring 2025 ALUMNI JOURNAL. Link in bio.
#paying it forward #LLUSMAA #LLUSMProud
(1) George Cheng ’87 and Angelina Cheng ’96 celebrate connections at their first dinner with all of their 2024–2025 mentees. (2) The Chengs’ first luncheon with Yeji Kim (’25). (3) The Chengs meet David Ngan (’25) for the first time. (4) The Chengs celebrate the engagement of Hyunsoo Park (’25) and classmate Timothy Ahn (’25).
We are celebrating National Photography Month with photos by Michael Wilson ’91. Wilson received his first camera for Christmas of 1979, a Pentax K1000. It was of course fully manual, forcing him to learn the basics of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO out of necessity. To this day, he still often photographs in Manual Mode.
He enjoys all types of photography: portrait, landscape, macro, and wildlife, and the challenges each brings. Photographing a plane going 120 mph versus a still body of water. A bird versus a quiet canyon. A wedding party versus a horse!
It challenges and compels him to be out in God`s nature.
Captions
1) Michael Wilson ’91 out on a photo adventure.
2) Submarine Spitfire: Redlands Air Show, 2017
3) Scrub Jay: Redlands ,CA
4) Fishing Boats: Oslo Fjord, Norway
5) Icelandic Horse: Northern Iceland
6) Winter Lake Scene: Twin Lakes, Mammoth, CA
7) Grizzly Bear: British Columbia, Canada
8) The Canyon: The Narrows, Zion National Park
The Spring 2025 ALUMNI JOURNAL is here! Our latest issue explores the Power to Connect and highlights the 2025 Annual Postgraduate Convention (APC). Read stories of alumni connecting and the powerful impact these connections have on building community.
Link in bio.
.
.
.
#alumnijournal #connect #apc #llusmproud #llusmaa
Last night, the class of 2027 celebrated their transition to third year at the annual Clinical Commencement Banquet. The class is halfway through medical school and the students are excited to start putting all their training into practice.
#llusmaa #llumed #lomalinda
Selfies, smiles, and new beginnings!
This afternoon, students excitedly visited the Alumni Association to pick up their personalized white coats.
We will be thinking of them as they begin their first clinical rotations next week.
Before leaving they a few checked out the free book section and shared with us this amazing selfie. #llusmaa
Anthony A. Hilliard ’02, FACC, has accepted a leadership role as chief executive officer for Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) hospitals.
A nationally respected cardiologist and chief of cardiology at Loma Linda, Hilliard is a driving force behind LLUH’s renowned cardiovascular program and a champion for patient-centered care.
As CEO, Hilliard is focusing on aligning teams and advancing innovation to keep LLUH at the forefront of healthcare delivery. His leadership is instrumental in maintaining Loma Linda’s commitment to a patient-centered environment while navigating the complexities of healthcare that exist today.
His career path began as he witnessed his family struggle with cardiology conditions, making him aware of how quickly cardiovascular disease can impact a person’s life.
Hilliard has strong ties to Loma Linda, having been born at LLUMC and attending medical school at LLU. He later completed both a residency and a fellowship at Mayo Clinic.
In his spare time he enjoys playing sports and creating music with his wife and two children, and collecting sports memorabilia cards.
Source: news.llu.edu; lluh.org #llusmaa #Leadership #Wholeness #Cardiology #FaithInAction
As Alumni Association president (2025–2026 term) Barbara McKinney ’88, is emphasizing one of her passions—creating and strengthening connections among alumni.
From surgical pathology to global public health, McKinney’s career reflects impact and purpose. A board-certified pathologist with a surgical pathology fellowship, she went on to complete an MPH degree at Johns Hopkins. That pivot led to co-founding two global health initiatives she holds dear: the SLMTA program, which has strengthened over 1,600 laboratories across 56 countries; and LARC, which improves HIV care through expanded viral load testing.
“I have had the good fortune to connect with the AA throughout the years,” she says. As students, she and her husband, J. Mark McKinney ’87, attended their first Annual Postgraduate Convention Gala in 1984 as guests of her in-laws, James Ray McKinney ’59 and Phyllis McKinney.
As sophomore she was published in the ALUMNI JOURNAL after her mentor Bo Ying Wat ’49, encouraged her to write about the challenges of being married to a medical student, and years later as a board member she welcomed her son Caleb Jordan Chase McKinney ’23 and his wife, Lauren, at the AA Freshman Welcome Picnic.
One of McKinney’s most meaningful moments was shared with her husband as they marched at their son’s 2023 graduation and were first to welcome him to the Association.
McKinney recently combined two of her hobbies, cycling and travel, bicycling through Tuscany and the Netherlands.
She’s looking forward to hosting the 2025 AA trip to Japan. When asked what a perfect day outside of work would be, she says: “The perfect day—well, that would most certainly include the trifecta of physical activity, travel, and family time. I very enjoy sharing life with my husband, our two sons, daughters-in-law, and three granddaughters (Joshua, Julie, Joanna, & Joy and Caleb, Lauren & Charlotte).” #llusmaa
Today — Earth Day — is the perfect nudge to step outside and soak up the healing power of nature.
🌞🌳 Roger Seheult, MD ’00 recently shared on the Huberman Lab Podcast that sunlight’s benefits go way beyond vitamin D! Research is showing that spending time in sunlight (especially in green spaces) is closely associated with decreased all-cause mortality.
According to Earthday.org, studies are also revealing that:
Just 120 minutes a week in nature boosts physical and mental wellbeing.
Twenty minutes a day connecting with nature can lower stress hormone (cortisol).
Gardening, hiking, and bird watching are all associated with an increase in feelings of happiness and well-being.
Time with support animals has been known to enhance social engagement, normalize heart rate and blood pressure, reduce depression and increase happiness.
Nature isn’t just beautiful—it’s medicine. Take a break outside and let God’s creation care for you today!
#LLUSMAA #EarthDay2025 #NatureHeals #WellbeingInNature
👣 Walks around the Drayson track. Breakfast chats. Quiet prayer in an office at day’s end.
In the 2000, 70 freshman LLUSM students were matched with faculty through the Physician-Student Christian Mentoring Program—a tradition that began in 1994 to nurture not only knowledge, but faith, resilience, and connection.
Mentors like James McMillan ’86, Mouna Haddad-Wilson ’91, and Ingrid Blomquist ’81 gave their time—and hearts—to guide future physicians.
💬 Who were your mentors in med school? Did you ever join Dr. Haddad-Wilson or Dr. Blomquist for a lap around Drayson Center?
We’d love to hear your memories below! ⬇️
#LLUSMAA #MentorshipMatters #MedicalSchoolMemories
We recently began welcoming students from the class of 2027 to the Alumni Association to pick up their white coats with their names embroidered on them. Thank you to the alumni who so generously supported this project! #llusmaa
When Weston Young applied to help a faculty member reinvent the ophthalmoscope, he had no idea how long, difficult, and ultimately rewarding that journey would be.
#llusmaa #llumed #lomalinda #ophthalmology #inventions
Happy National Siblings Day! Today we’re celebrating the lifelong bond between brothers and sisters—especially those who’ve shared their journeys into medicine.
Here’s to the alumni siblings who’ve walked the same halls, worn the same white coats, and cheered each other on every step of the way. #LLUSMAA #NationalSiblingsDay #AlumniSiblings #LLUFamily
Photo 1: Nehaly Shah Patel ’21 and Neera Shah Demharter ’21.
Photo 2: Joseph K. Killeen ’82Res, James D. Killeen, Jr. ’75, Timothy J. Killeen ’84, Jeffrey L. Killeen, ’86.
Photo 3: Delilah Drew ’27, Zoe Drew ’28, Luke Drew ’27.
Kenneth Choi, class of 2025, has a unique gift—each time he plays an arrangement on the piano, it might come out a bit different. He uses this gift of music to bless others. He plays in churches, at campus events, and even in the hospital for patients. Watch the video to see his story and hear his original arrangement of I Surrender All. Stay tuned to the end for a QR code to stream the song on Spotify.
#llusmaa #llumed #isurrenderall #lomalinda
Loma Linda University School of Medicine’s Epsilon chapter recently hosted the Alpha Omega Alpha Society (AOA) Annual Banquet, celebrating the induction of new members into this prestigious medical honor society!
Founded in 1902, AOA is the national medical honor society. Membership in the society confers lifelong honor and recognition for a physician’s dedication to the profession and art of healing.
Congratulations to the 40 medical students (Class of 2025), 25 resident physicians, and 9 faculty members—including 4 from the School’s AdventHealth Orlando Regional Campus—on this well-deserved recognition! #llusmaa
On March 2 at the APC Gala, James Gulley ’95 was honored as the 2025 Alumnus of the Year. Watch this video to learn about his outstanding career and contributions to medicine.
#llusmaa #llumedschool
Congratulations to our 2025 honored alumni! Each has contributed much to their specialty, their patients, and the mission of the Loma Linda University School of Medicine.
Douglas Deming ’75
Douglas Hegstad ’80-A
Gary Gilbert ’80-A
Monica Reed ’86
William Sandborn ’87
Roger Seheult ’00
Congratulations to our 2025 Alumni in Mission Service awardees for spreading the teaching and healing ministry of Christ in the mission field.
Fekede Gemechu ’70
Ingrid Blomquist ’81
Giglia Ann Parker ’75
Visit the Alumni Association website to learn more about our awardees and to participate in nominating future awardees.
#llusmaa #llumed
Yung R. Lau ’88, was appointed Chair of Pediatrics at Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in March 2025. A nationally recognized expert in pediatric electrophysiology, he is a 30+ year faculty member of UAB and past Division director of pediatric cardiology and vice chair of clinical affairs.
He was instrumental in building the pediatric cardiovascular program at Children’s of Alabama after the inpatient service moved from UAB University Hospital in 2012. The program has become one of the overperforming centers according to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database mortality risk model. For 25 years he was the sole pediatric cardiac electrophysiologist in Alabama.
Some of his clinical patients tell him that they recognize him after having seen his picture at the primate house at the Birmingham Zoo where he was part of the team that implanted the first therapeutic biventricular device in a gorilla to treat congestive heart failure. He is still called upon to perform echocardiograms on primates and treat those experiencing cardiac disease.
He was a cofounder of Alabama LifeStart, a program that has saved lives by placing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in Alabama’s schools. He has also served as medical director for Wired Together, a weekend camp supporting children who have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.
He is professor at University of Alabama at Birmingham and Physician-in-Chief at Children’s of Alabama. He holds the Thomas N. Carruthers Jr., Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiology.
He and Carmen (LLUSN’88) have been married for almost 42 years and have 3 children, Christopher, Carissa (LLUSM ’17), and Sarah. He is a fellow with the American College of Cardiology and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and was named an Honored Alumni by the Alumni Association in 2024.
#llusmaa #lluh #lomalindauniversity #llumedschool #doctor #physician
As National Doctor’s Day approaches we honor the dedication, skill and commitment of physicians tirelessly providing high-quality health care around the world.
“The place with both the knowledge of education and the humility of not knowing is the most secure. Sometimes there’s nothing more gracious than to tell a patient or their loved one, ‘I don’t know,’ and to let the unanswerable questions have a honored place somewhere in the room like artwork on the wall. And sometimes the most healing gesture is presence, accompaniment, or hospitality in a place that has become familiar to us.” —Laura Foster ’12
#nationaldoctorsday #llusmaa
Ja’Neil Humphrey thrives in many fields. She’s an author, a published medical illustrator, a dancer, and a singer. And now she plans to use her artistic skills as a plastic surgeon. Watch the video to see her amazing story.
#llusmaa #lomalinda #llumed
The wait is over — Match Day took place last Friday, March 21! After years of late nights, endless exams, and unwavering dedication, students discovered where they will be going for residency. Congratulations to all the medical students! Your hard work has paid off, and the next chapter begins. #LLUSM #Residency #MatchDay2025 #FutureMD
The Loma Linda campus is lovely as we mark the first day of spring—with the sun shining directly on the equator, creating nearly equal hours of day and night. Is there a favorite photo of campus you took while a student? DM us your favorite photo — we’d love to feature it on our story! #firstdayofspring #llusmaa
APC 2025 was full of connection, education, and worship. We are already looking forward to APC 2026 and we hope all of you will be there.
#llusmaa
As graduation draws closer, members of the class of 2025 are stopping by the Alumni Association office. We’re excited to learn what specialties they will be pursuing and research studies they’ve completed.
This class photo was taken after the 2025 Annual Postgraduate Convention Gala, with the fourth-year students invited through the kindness of alumni donor and department sponsors who wanted to create a memorable evening for the class.
#llusmaa #classof2025
Our new LLUSMAA.ORG website recently added books penned by our alumni. These include various genres, including memoirs and children`s books, and topics including science and religion. Go to our website to view alumni authors and add more alumni author books.
In this historical photo in the surgery theater, Dr. Thomas Evans (left) and Dr. George K. Abbott (right) perform surgery while Dr. A.W. Truman administers anesthesia. Surrounding them are medical students from the classes of 1914 to 1917, observing and learning in the operating room of Loma Linda Sanitarium.
The class of 1914 would graduate the same year the photo was taken, becoming the first graduating class of physicians at the College of Medical Evangelists (now Loma Linda University).
This image captures a pivotal moment in early 20th-century medicine—an era of evolving surgical techniques, the rise of aseptic practices, and the dedication of physicians who paved the way for modern healthcare.
Thanks for attending the 2025 APC. Mark your calendars for February 26-March 2, 2026 for the 94th Annual Postgraduate Convention. We hope you continue to connect with each other and your Alumni Association throughout the year.
@llumedschool
#APC2025 #lluhomecoming #LLUSMProud
Last night’s Gala was a highlight of the weekend, featuring student stories and special music from the graduating class of ’25, presentations, and awards including honored alumni awards presented to Roger D. Seheult ’00, William J. Sandborn ’87, Monica Reed ’86, Gary E. Gilbert ’80-A, Douglas R. Hegstad ’80-A, Douglas D. Deming ’75 along with the Alumnus of the Year Award presented to James L. Gulley ’95. At the Gala, Marilene Beth Wang ’86 passed the gavel to Barbara Chase McKinney ’88 as the new Alumni Association president.
@llumedschool @llusom
#APC2025 #lluhomecoming #LLUSMProud
Sunday kicked off with neurosciences, orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery, and surgery symposiums, along with the plenary sessions. Be sure to check out the posters & exhibitors that opened today.
@llumedschool
#APC2025 #lluhomecoming #LLUSMProud
We had several reunions last night from the 25th to the 50th to the pioneers. Classmates shared stories, laughter, and memories.
@llumedschool
#APC2025 #lluhomecoming #LLUSMProud
Alumni enjoyed APC Sabbath services beginning with the parade of flags, church featuring Randy Roberts, and concluding with the Medical Auxillary Mission vespers held at the Loma Linda University Church, along with a haystack lunch.
@llumedschool
#APC2025 #lluhomecoming #LLUSMProud
This afternoon at the Alumni in Missions (AIMS) Symposium Ingrid K. Blomquist ’81, Gigi A. Parker ’75, and Fekede W. Gemechu ’ 70 were awarded the Alumni Mission Service Global Service Award. Steven W. Hildebrand ’80-A, AIMS Council chair, led the program that also highlighted an update about church-sponsored mission projects, and volunteer medical mission opportunities. Thank you, Drs. Blomquiest, Parker, and Gemechu for your service!
@llumedschool
#APC2025 #lluhomecoming #LLUSMProud
APC/Homecoming attendees enjoyed a wonderful Homecoming Vespers program celebrating the diversity of our family and the service to communities around the world. Here are a few photos.
#APC2025 #lluhomecoming #llusmproud
Access benefits today!
You’re an alumnus for life, and that brings with it a lifetime of rewards.
Make a
difference
You can support students and faculty in a variety of ways and help the University sustain and build on our excellence.
