ALUMNI
Once a Patriot, Always a Patriot!
At MRA, bonds don't end with graduation. Whether you graduated last year or forty-five years ago, MRA alumni are 'Patriots for Life,' and we invite you to stay connected with the Alumni Association.
We Want to Hear From You!
If the MRA Alumni Association can be of any assistance to you, please don't hesitate to contact us at alumni@mrapats.org or explore our Faculty & Staff Directory to connect with someone specifically!
Distinguished Alumni of the Year
Dr. Lee Hilliard, Class of 1982
Congratulations to Dr. Lee Hilliard, our Distinguished Alumna of the Year for 2025!
About Dr. Hilliard
- Started and continues to oversee the pediatric sickle cell stroke screening program at the UAB Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center. This program has decreased strokes by > 90%. (Sickle cell is the leading cause of stroke in childhood.)
- Developed one of the country’s most extensive and comprehensive network of rural clinics for pediatric sickle cell patients. These clinics increased patients seen by a specialist from 50% to 99%.
- Past member, CDC Sickle Cell Advisory Committee
- State of Alabama Sickle Cell Oversight Committee member
- Past member, Alabama Newborn Screening Advisory Committee
- Past Director UAB Pediatric Hemoglobinopathy Lab
- National expert in erythrocytapheresis, a specialized transfusion technique that decreases iron overload for transfused sickle cell patients
- Principle investigator for multiple NIH pediatric sickle cell trials that revolutionized stroke screening and prevention
- Author of multiple papers on pediatric sickle cell disease and reviewer for national hematology journals
- Alpha Omega Alpha member (most prestigious medical honor society)
- Former board member for Central Alabama Sickle Cell Foundation
- Former board member for Wild South, a regional non-profit working to support public land in Alabama and North Carolina
Would you like to nominate the next Distinguished Alumnus of the Year? Follow the link below to complete the nomination form.
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Always Proud to Be a
Patriot!
Class of 2005
MRA is “Home!” MRA is where my education began at 4 years old. It is the place my children now call home and has not only taught them how to challenge themselves, but how to spread the gospel of our Lord and Savior. MRA is truly a family, and no one can replace the moments, memories, and milestones my family has experienced at MRA.
Ashley SoryClass of 1997
Seth Hedglin