Lori Groover, former assistant professor and coordinator of allied health sciences, died earlier this month after a two-month battle with cancer. Groover was diagnosed with cancer in June earlier this year and resigned at the end of the spring semester to become the director of athletic training services at the Medical College of Georgia. Gerard White, department head of allied health sciences, said Groover never had an opportunity to announce her diagnosis to her students.

White said Groover was a big advocate of being a professional in the field of athletic training. Groover was secretary of the Southeast Athletic Trainers’ Association.

Some of Groover’s other professional accomplishments include working as an athletic trainer in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, a member of the Georgia High School Association Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, a member of the Gatorade Athletic Trainers Board and as both president and vice-president of the Georgia Athletic Trainers’ Association.

“She had a very upbeat personality and a positive demeanor,” White said. “She always had a smile on her face.”

A funeral service was held for Groover in Hinesville, Georgia earlier this month, but the University’s allied health department is currently organizing a memorial service for Groover on campus for students to attend. The allied health department is also organizing a student scholarship and a fundraiser in Groover’s name.