▁Georgia ▁Reg ents ▁University ▁( GR U ), ▁now ▁August a ▁University , ▁in ▁August a , ▁Georgia ▁( Un ited ▁States ), ▁and ▁former ▁chief ▁executive ▁officer ▁of ▁its ▁health ▁system . ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁his ▁current ▁position , ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁then ▁Medical ▁College ▁of ▁Georgia ▁( M CG ) ▁and ▁CE O ▁of ▁its ▁health ▁system ▁beginning ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁The ▁university ▁ ▁was ▁renamed ▁Georgia ▁Health ▁Sciences ▁University ▁( G H SU ) ▁and ▁later ▁cons olid ated ▁with ▁August a ▁State ▁University ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁to ▁form ▁GR U , ▁a ▁transformation ▁he ▁led . ▁ ▁Dr . ▁Az z iz ▁is ▁also ▁an ▁active ▁and ▁well ▁published ▁research er ▁in ▁bi omed ical ▁sciences ▁( with ▁a ▁focus ▁on ▁h orm onal ▁dis orders ▁in ▁women ) ▁ ▁and ▁change ▁management ▁in ▁a cade me ▁( with ▁a ▁focus ▁on ▁mer gers ▁and ▁cons olid ations ). ▁Finally , ▁he ▁is ▁a ▁visual ▁artist ▁and ▁the ▁cre ator ▁of ▁a ▁significant ▁port folio ▁of ▁work , ▁primarily ▁pen - and - ink ▁draw ings ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁the ▁Sur real ist ▁style ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Az z iz ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Monte video , ▁Uruguay , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁His ▁early ▁years ▁were ▁spent ▁in ▁nom adic ▁exc urs ions ▁from ▁Uruguay ▁to ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁to ▁Costa ▁Rica ▁and