Dr. Gary J. Sheppard, BA '87
Alumnus of the Year

Awarded to a graduate or graduates who have demonstrated remarkable achievement in the previous year.
Dr. Gary J. Sheppard, BA ’87, is an internal medicine physician in private practice in Southwest Houston. Sheppard has lived a life of service to others in his career as a physician and as a community volunteer, a participant in numerous professional medical organizations and an active member of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, where he serves on the Board of Trustees, the Courtesy Corps (for more than 40 years) and as director of the Handbell Choir.
After earning his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Sheppard served as a Medical Resident at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. In 1994, he joined Southwest Memorial Physician Associates and today is a partner in the practice.
Throughout his career, Sheppard has been a strong advocate for the healthcare needs of underserved populations with an emphasis on hypertension and diabetes. He previously served on the trustee board of the National Medical Association, including serving as chair, and the MDACC Center for Research on Minority Health. While serving as Chief of Staff at Memorial Hermann Southwest, he also served on the Memorial Hermann Hospital System board of directors. Sheppard currently serves as the president of the Harris County Medical Society, the largest county medical society in the nation.
Facing the COVID-19 pandemic and patient fears about visiting a physician office in 2020, Sheppard worked to keep his clinic open, keep his staff employed and remain available to patients who needed their care. He is an often-quoted advocate for healthcare in Houston and in 2020 was a trusted source for the Houston Chronicle, where he shared insights on the state of healthcare and importance of partnering with your physician in the midst of the pandemic.
