His name is trailed by a long line of letters, and his curriculum vitae is thick with accomplishments, yet Mike Kimberly, Dr, PhD, MPH, HCLD, says life is about more than accumulating degrees.

"Everything you accomplish is great," says Kimberly. "But in the end, using that to help people is what matters."

Since graduating from Jacksonville State University in 1964, with a double major in biology and chemistry, Kimberly has done just that. He has spent his life traveling the world offering his medical expertise to poor nations, shaping the minds of students at the University of North Carolina, commanding a MASH hospital during Desert Shield/Desert Storm and working as the Director of Laboratory Services for Tennessee.

Kimberly has also been instrumental in organizing reunions for "The 60s Group," a gathering of JSU alumni that meets yearly. The group has set sail on cruises and trekked to Nashville, Tenn., Calloway Gardens, Ga., Chattanooga, Tenn., and Panama City, Fla.

"We meet up and tell the same stories and the same lies," Kimberly says with a laugh.

He is proud of the way the group of alumni and their spouses has united and become close-knit. Their purpose is more than just fun, though. They have also managed to raise $10,000 to give to the university who brought them together.

Kimberly fondly remembers being a young alum, still fresh from his time at JSU, and applying for a grant from UNC at Chapel Hill. He was one of just four recipients of the grant that year, and he went on to earn a master's degree — and then a doctorate — in infectious diseases. He went on to teach courses for Florida Atlantic University, Palm Beach Junior College, Austin Peay State University and UNC at Chapel Hill.

His proudest moments came when he was given opportunities to use his knowledge of infectious diseases and public health issues to make a difference worldwide. He has been to Zimbabwe, Africa, where he established health clinics, performed consultations, and helped the new clinics apply for money from the World Health Organization (WHO).

"In Africa, the need is great," he says. Kimberly has also assisted on projects for Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Tanzania and other countries in Africa.

In 2001, Kimberly's travels took him to Chennai, India on a trip sponsored by the WHO and the Center for Disease Control. There, he worked in a prenatal ward for HIV-infected babies.

"Seeing babies that are nothing but skin and bones affects you down deep," Kimberly says. "Their world isn't like ours."

His trip to India brought laughs too. When sitting in the Indian Minister of Health's office in New Delhi, Kimberly was caught off guard by a monkey that lunged in through an open window and landed in his lap.

In December of 2008, Kimberly traveled to Vietnam, a country he describes as having big crowds full of friendly people buzzing about on motor scooters. "Once you try to cross the street, you better not stop," he says. While in Vietnam on the WHO-sponsored trip, Kimberly's goal was to devise a strategic plan for developing a nationwide health system.

Although his work took him from JSU to all over the world, Kimberly and his wife of 44 years, Brenda, reside right here in our community in Anniston. They have one adult son and a new grandchild — who they love to spoil.

Bethany Harbison, a freelance writer for the Office of Marketing and Communications, contributed to this article.