The gastroenterologist with a soft spot for UGA physics
Dr. Charles Dasher (BSPY ’68) began his journey to medical school on a different path than his peers.
While other students at the University of Georgia took more predictable routes, such as studying biology or chemistry, Charles chose to pursue a Bachelor of Science in physics, a decision that would eventually lead him to invest in the next generation of UGA students.
“I always felt that chemistry, biology and mathematics were important areas of study, but to me they served as the building blocks of physics, which encompasses all three of those subjects,” said Charles. “I do best when challenged, so I always picked the most difficult courses to keep me on my toes.”
With the UGA School of Medicine still “pie in the sky” during Charles’s time as a student, he was able to receive a highly personalized education in the UGA Department of Physics, with plenty of hands-on help from his professors. When his chosen study field came with extra courses and higher expectations, Charles’s mentors accommodated his demanding schedule by allowing him to take some of his courses at alternative times. This impression was the first step in inspiring Charles to support this department in the future.
A bachelor’s degree and a passion for physics were not the only things Charles found at the university, however. One fateful night — in need of a date to a party with his brothers in the Chi Psi fraternity — Charles was introduced to Susan (BSED ’69), and the pair has been inseparable ever since.
Charles received his medical degree in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia, from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, followed by five years of training at UAB in Gastroenterology. After a two-year stint as a Major in the U.S. Air Force, the Dashers then decided to settle in Birmingham, Alabama, where Charles could practice at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital.
While at Augusta University, Charles attended a lecture featuring Dr. Basil Hirschowitz, inventor of the fiberoptic endoscope and founding director of the UAB Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
“I became interested in gastroenterology fairly early on, but at the time, there weren’t many effective ways to examine the gastrointestinal tract. With the advancements being made by Dr. Hirschowitz and his peers, gastroenterology became a rapidly developing field that I quickly grew interested in,” said Charles.
Though his career ultimately led him to medicine, the analytical thinking and mentorship he found in physics never left him and continues to guide how he and Susan aid students today.
As well as dedicating his time to supporting students on the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Board of Advisors, Charles and Susan have established and contributed to a number of scholarships, fellowships and professorships in the UGA Department of Physics and Astronomy to invest in students who, like Charles, are driven by scientific curiosity. Together, the Dashers are supporting the same department and college that shaped his future.
“Physics is the study of matter, energy, space and time,” Charles said. “In this wonderful universe we live in, what else is there?”
That same sense of wondrous curiosity about the world now fuels his commitment to helping the next generation of Bulldogs explore it.
