Dr. Wayne H. Finley’s prestigious career as a medical educator began over 60 years ago, upon graduating from Jacksonville State University in 1948. He stepped into academia in 1949, as a science teacher in a Tuscaloosa, Alabama, high school. Dr. Finley is the recipient of two master’s degrees from the University of Alabama: a Master of Arts in 1950 and a Master of Science in 1955. He furthered his education at Alabama by obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy in 1958 and a Doctor of Medicine in 1960. He also completed postgraduate coursework at the University of Uppsala in Sweden.

Certified in clinical cytogenetics by the American Board of Medical Genetics, Dr. Finley has been professor emeritus at the University of Alabama School of Medicine since 1996. Beginning in 1960, he served the school in several roles, including director of the faculty council, professor of epidemiology and public health, director of the medical genetics graduate program, assistant professor of physiology and biophysics, assistant professor of biochemistry, and associate professor of pediatrics. Outside of the classroom, Dr. Finley has served on the committee and member boards of industry-related organizations, such as the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame, U.S. Public Health Service, the University of Alabama Systems Board of Trustees, the Southeastern Regional Genetics Group, Reynolds-Finley Historical Library Associates and the National Institutes of Health.

Before establishing his career in medicine, Dr. Finley served his country as a member of the U.S. Army Infantry in Germany in 1946 and later in the Army Chemical Corps, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserves. Using his knowledge and experience in his field, Dr. Finley is the author of “University of Alabama Medical Alumni Association, 1859-2003,” a book relating to the history of the medical center in Birmingham.

For his contributions and using his expertise of genetics to better the lives of others, Dr. Finley has been listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Education, Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare, Who’s Who in Science and Engineering, and Who’s Who in the South and Southwest.

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