Congratulations to our 24 graduating residents of the Class of 2020, who were honored during two virtual celebrations this year, and our 16 graduating fellows, who received sendoffs in small groups.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented a traditional in-person graduation celebration, was among many challenges that the Class of 2020 faced, said Tim Morey, MD, Chair of the Department.
He noted the numerous changes as a result of clinical growth over the past four years, including the opening of the new Children’s Surgical Center, HVN tower, and UF Health Springhill. Several personal tragedies, hurricanes, and national events posed further challenges.
The accomplishment of graduation is a testament to the graduates’ resilience to change, adversity, and the challenges of growth, Dr. Morey said.
“It’s a real tribute to the faculty who got them to where they are today,” he said.
Awards for graduates and faculty were presented during two Friday morning conferences held on Zoom, with a small number of attendees in person. Timothy Martin, MD, MBA, Professor of Anesthesiology, presented the awards and honored each graduate while discussing their achievements and future plans.
“We really are going to miss this class,” Dr. Martin said.
Thanks to the generosity of faculty and alumni, the department was able to provide graduates with a meaningful celebratory gift: Each well-deserving graduate received a Florida Gators duffle bag, diploma frame, and some libations.
“The education office staff worked very hard on the event and assembling all the resident graduation gifts,” Dr. Martin said. “The nicely framed and matted residency certificates are actually a very big hit with the residents and have been very well-received so far. Every resident that has picked up his or her framed certificate on their way out have actually teared up (guys included), become quite emotional, and remarked how beautiful they are.”
Chair’s Awards
Best Faculty Member
Albert R. Robinson, III, MD
Chair’s Quality Award
Joshua W. Sappenfield, MD
Chair’s Research Award
Rene Przkora, MD, PhD
Chair’s Anesthetist Award
Taja Fricker, CRNA
Unsung Hero
Yong G. Peng, MD, PhD
Best Resident
Julia Eidelman, DO
Outstanding Resident Awards
These awards were selected by faculty and anesthetists.
Outstanding Senior Resident
Katie Dietrich, MD
Outstanding Junior Resident
Shauna Wrazidlo, DO
Anesthetists’ Choice Resident of the Year
Katie Dietrich, MD
Resident & Anesthetist Awards
These awards were selected by the residents.
Exceptional Resident of the Year
Matt Gunst, MD
Distinguished Team Player
Tim Feldheim, MD
Anesthetist of the Year
Rocky Lupi, CAA
Division Awards
Acute Pain CA1
David Hutchinson, MD
Acute pain Ca2
Lauren Smajdor, MD
Acute Pain CA3
Alberto Bursian, MD
Ambulatory Anesthesia
Geoffrey Panjeton, MD
CArdiothoracic Anesthesia
Shauna Wrazidlo, DO
Critical Care Medicine
Nicole Premo, MD
Liver & Transplant
Pete Billas, MD
Multispecialty Anesthesia
Alex Buttermore, DO
Neuroanesthesia
Anastasia Jones, MD
Obstetric Anesthesia
Kevin Voisin, DO
Pain Medicine
Keith Jenkins, MD
Pediatric ANesthesia
Katie Dietrich, MD
Perioperative Anesthesia
Nicole Premo, MD
Perioperative Anesthesia
Bill Mallett, MD
Transition to Practice
James Barger, MD
VA
Matt Gunst, MD
Teaching Awards
T.W. Anderson Teacher of the Year
Josh W. Sappenfield, MD
Haven M. Perkins Lifetime Teaching Award
Jeffrey D. White, MD
Congratulations to all of the graduates as they embark on their next adventures!
Residents
James Barger, MD, MSE: Emory University for a Critical Care Medicine Fellowship
Peter Billas, MD: Trident Anesthesia Group, Charleston, SC
Jordan Brewer, MD: Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship at UF
Alberto Bursian, MD: Pain Management Fellowship at Baylor Scott & White
Alex Buttermore, DO: Private practice group at Ocala Regional Medical Center
Jonathan (Nicky) Cates, MD: Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at UF
Adrian Ching, MD: Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship at UF
Tyler Craig, MD: Multidisciplinary Pain Fellowship at UF
Catherine Dietrich, MD: Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship at Stanford University
Charles Doyle, MD: APS Fellowship at Vanderbilt University
Timothy Feldheim, MD: Pain Fellowship at Case Western
Lisa Gu, MD: APS Fellowship at UF
Matthew Gunst, MD: Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship at UF
Taylor Johnson, MD: Northside Hospital, Atlanta
Matthew Judd, MD, MS: Trinity Anesthesia, Dallas
Tyler Kabes, MD: Multidisciplinary Pain Fellowship at UF
Alex Knight, DO: Millcreek Anesthesia, Salt Lake City, UT
Isaac Luria, MD: Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at UF
Peter Nguyen, MD: Staff of Sutter Healthcare, Sacramento, CA
Geoffrey Panjeton, MD: Multidisciplinary Pain Fellowship at UF
Soleil Schutte, MD: APS Fellowship at UF
Richa Sutaria, MD: Pain Fellowship, Cleveland Clinic, OH
Kevin Voisin, DO: Mountain West Anesthesia, Sandy, UT
Irieon Walker, MD: Private practice
Fellows
Kolawole Akinduro, DO: Private practice, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, MN
Samantha Arzillo, MD: Private practice, Envision (Westside Regional Medical Center), Plantation, FL
Lucas Bannister, MD: Private practice, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Atlanta, GA
David Bowen, MD: Private practice, Azalea Orthopedics, Tyler, Texas
Trey Creech, MD: Private practice, WakeMed, Raleigh, NC
Aneel Deshmukh, MD: Valley Anesthesia Consultants, Phoenix, AZ
Jennifer Harris, MD: Academic, MedStar Univion Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD
Matthew Hearn-Hoover, MD: Private practice, North Florida Regional Medical Center, Gainesville
Janet Jira, MD: Private practice, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY
Jeffrey Kedrowski, DO: Private practice, The Orthopaedic Institute, Gainesville, FL
Michael Lucente, MD: VA Pain Clinic North Florida/South Georgia VA, Gainesville, FL
Adrian Maurer, MD: Faculty, UF
Matthew Meroney, MD: Faculty, UF
Sindhuja Nimma, MD: Private practice, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
Sandra Victor, MD: Faculty, UF
Joseph Wray, MD: Military, Wright-Patterson Medical Center, OH