Chair’s Awards
Selected by Gregory Janelle, M.D., FASE, FASA, for outstanding service to the department.
- Chair’s Quality Award
- Unsung Hero Award
- Chair’s Research Award
- Chair’s CRNA Award
- Chair’s CAA Award
- Chair’s Education Award
- Best Resident Award
- Best Faculty Member Award
CRNA and CAA Choice Award
- Resident of the Year
Outstanding Resident Awards
Selected by departmental faculty and presented by Timothy W. Martin, M.D., MBA, FASA, FAAP.
- Outstanding Senior Resident
- Outstanding Junior Resident
- Michael A. Fowler, M.D., Anesthesiology Resident Award
Division Awards
Selected by the faculty of each division.
- Outstanding Achievement in Transition to Practice
- Outstanding Achievement in Multispecialty Anesthesiology
- Outstanding Achievement in Critical Care Medicine
- Outstanding Achievement in Acute Pain Medicine
- Outstanding Achievement in Neuroanesthesiology
- Outstanding VA Residents
- Outstanding Achievement in Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology
- Outstanding Achievement in NORA
- Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Medicine
- Outstanding Achievement in Multidisciplinary Pain Medicine
- Outstanding Achievement in Obstetric Anesthesiology
- Outstanding Achievement in Liver & Transplant Anesthesiology
- Outstanding Achievement in Pediatric Anesthesiology
Certificates of Completion for the Longitudinal RasT Program
Residents’ Awards
Selected by residents and presented by the 2026-27 chief residents: Victor Adepoju, M.D., Rachel Baker, M.D., and Jonah Whiteside, M.D.
- Exceptional CRNA or CAA of the Year
- Distinguished Team Player
- Michael E. Mahla Exceptional Resident of the Year
Teaching Awards
Selected by the senior residents and presented by the 2025-26 chief residents: Kyle Chan, M.D., Kellen Creech, D.O., and Allyson Tragesser, M.D.
T.W. Andersen Teacher of the Year
Torkhild W. Andersen, M.D., was the department’s very first faculty member. As a pioneering anesthesiologist in Denmark, Dr. Andersen made significant contributions by demonstrating the effectiveness of artificially supporting ventilation in patients with acute poliomyelitis. This approach helped many patients regain their ability to breathe independently. Dr. Andersen also collaborated with Dr. Bernard Briggs to establish the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the first in the country. Dr. Andersen’s work has earned him international recognition. He joined the UF Department of Anesthesiology at its founding in 1958 and was recognized by our residents with the Outstanding Teacher Award every year from 1958-1978. The award was renamed the T.W. Andersen Teacher of the Year in 1995, and Drs. Nik Gravenstein and Kayser Enneking were the first joint recipients.
Haven M. Perkins Lifetime Teaching Award
Haven M. Perkins, M.D., was the department’s first resident. Before becoming an anesthesiology resident, he was a board-certified general and cardiac surgeon. In his late thirties, Dr. Perkins developed an allergy to pHysoHex, which is used exclusively to scrub one’s hands prior to surgery, and decided to try his hand at anesthesiology. After his residency, Dr. Perkins remained on faculty until he was 77 years old. Fondly known as “Perk,” he was famous for his original West Virginia philosophical sayings, known as “Perkisms.”
Anesthesiology Resident Graduates
Program Director: Timothy W. Martin, M.D., MBA, FASA, FAAP
Assistant Program Directors: Anthony Barrios, M.D., Timothy Feldheim, M.D., Amanda Frantz, M.D., and Karisa Walker, M.D.
- Steven Ayala, M.D.
- Dr. Ayala will join Good Samaritan in West Palm Beach, FL.
- Akosua Ayesu-Offei, M.D.
- Dr. Ayesu-Offei will join the University of Alabama.
- Michael Berentzen, M.D.
- Dr. Berentzen will remain at UF for Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship.
- Andrew Burchak, M.D.
- Dr. Burchak will join Naval Medical Center in San Diego, CA.
- Christopher Cavazos, M.D.
- Dr. Cavazos will join US Anesthesia Partners in Arlington, TX.
- Kyle Chan, M.D.
- Dr. Chan will remain at UF as a faculty member.
- Kellen Creech, D.O.
- Dr. Creech will remain at UF for Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship.
- Camila Gonzalez, D.O.
- Dr. Gonzalez will join Imperial Point Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
- Taylor Gowen, M.D.
- Dr. Gowen will join Alta Anesthesia Associates in Brunswick, GA.
- Zeerak Khan, M.D.
- Dr. Khan will join University of Alabama in Birmingham.
- Megan Koenig, M.D.
- Dr. Koenig will join Providence Anesthesiology Associates in Hickory, NC.
- Jessica Mandel, M.D.
- Dr. Mandel will join Physician Anesthesiology Services in Denver, CO.
- Kevin Marfiak, D.O.
- Dr. Marfiak will join UF Health – Halifax Health in Daytona Beach, FL.
- Elizabeth Miller, M.D.
- Dr. Miller will remain at UF for Adult Combined Cardiothoracic Critical Care Fellowship.
- Cameron Myers, M.D.
- Dr. Myers will join Orlando Health Wiregrass Ranch Hospital in Wesley Chapel, FL.
- Sneha Raola, M.D.
- Dr. Raola will join Buena Vista Anesthesia Medical Group in Pasadena, CA.
- Abigail Schirmer, M.D.
- Dr. Schirmer will remain at UF for Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship.
- Jarrett Schmidt, D.O.
- Dr. Schmidt will join Advent Health in Tampa, FL.
- Dylan Schoo, M.D.
- Dr. Schoo will join Naval Medical Center in Camp Lejeune, NC.
- Ahmed Shoola, M.D.
- Dr. Shoola will join Uniontown Hospital in Uniontown, PA.
- Casey Taylor, D.O.
- Dr. Taylor will join the United States Air Force.
- Allyson Tragesser, M.D.
- Dr. Tragesser will remain at UF for Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship.
- Jon Vardanyan, M.D.
- Dr. Vardanyan will join Seven Hills Anesthesia in Cincinnati, OH.
- Eduardo Walker, M.D.
- Dr. Walker will pursue his pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital.
- Chengcheng Zheng, M.D.
- Dr. Zheng will remain at UF for Critical Care Medicine Fellowship.
Acknowledgements
Our residency and fellowship programs would not be as successful as they are today without the tireless efforts of our faculty.
We are grateful for the unwavering support of Dr. Janelle and the department’s leadership team, which enables our programs to deliver exceptional training.
We are grateful to our administrative staff for their conscientiousness and support of our trainees.
We are indebted to our chief residents, Kyle Chan, M.D., Kellen Creech, D.O., and Allyson Tragesser, M.D., who led our residents over the past academic year. Their contributions to the residency program will be felt for many years to come.
Through the ever-changing landscape of hospital, departmental, and program priorities, the staff members of our education office remain steadfast in their dedication to supporting our residents and fellows as they become leaders in their field.
Thank you.