Graduation ceremonies for the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at WashU Medicine were held June 26 at the Knight Center on the Danforth campus.
The evening’s festivities celebrated graduating chief residents Andrew Charap, MD, David Lee, MD, MSCI, Joseph Roh, MD, and Theresa Tharakan, MD, MSCI. Lee and Tharakan were also recognized for their additional years of research fellowship.
Lindburg Professor and Chair Sid Puram, MD, acknowledged each of the graduates, noting specific clinical and research accomplishments for the audience of faculty, residents, family and friends, which included Ogura guest lecturer Cliff Megerian, MD, and former chair, Richard A. Chole, MD, PhD.
Fellowship directors Ryan Jackson, MD, Patrik Pipkorn, MD, and Emily Spataro, MD, celebrated graduating fellows who spent the past year in advanced specialized surgical training. Those graduates included Zoe Fullerton, MD, MBE, Morgan Sandelski, MD, and Mariel Watkins, MD.
Read more about our graduates here:
Next steps for graduating chief residents
Graduating Fellows Share Next Steps
Awards for excellence in teaching, as voted by all the residents, were also presented at the dinner. David Lee, MD, received the resident teaching award, presented by Director, Resident Education Judith Lieu, MD, MSPH. Nyssa Farrell, MD, received the faculty teaching award, presented by graduating chief Andrew Charap, MD.
Jason Rich, MD, presented the Joseph M. Chole Humanitarian Award to graduating chief resident David S. Lee, MD. The award recognizes excellence in regard for others, humility of spirit, and devotion to convictions.
Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs Allison Ogden, MD, recognized several faculty for their service. Receiving Faculty Service Awards were Dorina Kallogjeri, MD, MPH, Judith Lieu, MD, MSPH, and Jason Rich, MD.
Retiring faculty members Gregory Branham, MD, and Mark Warchol, PhD, were also celebrated. Colleagues Lavinia Sheets, PhD, and Emily Spataro, MD, shared highlights of the retirees’ careers, each of which spanned several decades at WashU Medicine.