Alexa Morse ’15 has been named Emerging Leader of the Year by Georgia Bio. Presented to young individuals who have made a significant impact on the life sciences industry, Morse is a program manager in the Accelerator and Business Development division of the Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI) in Atlanta.

“It’s an absolute honor to be awarded something like this,” Morse said. “There are so many amazing, talented and passionate young professionals that are part of the life sciences ecosystem in Georgia, so it was a very pleasant surprise.”

GCMI is dedicated to the design, creation and commercialization of medical devices. The company works closely with startups and entrepreneurs.

“I am passionate about working with others to build up Atlanta’s health technology community,” Morse said. “I’ve been involved with Georgia Bio and other Atlanta organizations over the past few years who have initiatives aligned with this.”

Morse, a native of Tampa, Florida, was a health sciences major at Furman and a member of the women’s soccer team. After graduation she earned a Master of Public Health in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration from Scheller College of Business at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

She credits Furman Associate Professor of Health Sciences Meghan Slining for helping her discover her passion as an undergraduate.

“She was very impactful to my entire Furman journey,” Morse said. “I think Furman encourages students to experiment and explore