Congratulations, 2024 Graduates

By Jamie Botta
Left to right: Thomas J. Cummings, MD, James M. Crawford, MD, PhD, Fred Sanfilippo, MD, PhD, Jiaoti Huang, MD, PhD
Left to right: Thomas J. Cummings, MD, James M. Crawford, MD, PhD, Fred Sanfilippo, MD, PhD, Jiaoti Huang, MD, PhD

We enjoyed coming together for our Residents' and Fellows' Graduation and Awards Ceremony at the JB Duke Hotel on Fri., June 7th, 2024. Johnston-West Endowed Department Chair of Pathology Jiaoti Huang, MD, PhD, and Residency Program Director Thomas J. Cummings, MD, opened with a warm welcome and introduced our keynote speaker, James M. Crawford, MD, PhD, professor and chair emeritus, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Northwell Health and the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Earlier that day, Crawford presented a Duke Pathology Grand Rounds talk titled “The Role of the Clinical Laboratory in Population Health and Value-Based Healthcare.”

Crawford congratulated the outstanding group of graduates and fellows and applauded them for committing to use their knowledge as pathologists to help others. He urged them to work together with their colleagues, to consistently seek feedback and to become authorities who help advance the frontier of knowledge in their field. 

After Crawford’s presentation, Cummings led the awards ceremony. He invited mentors of the graduating residents to share backgrounds and kudos of their students, which was followed by a farewell presentation to fellows by their specialty’s fellowship directors. The graduating class then came to the stage to recognize and honor various faculty members. Cummings closed out the evening by praising the graduates’ many accomplishments and delivering a light-hearted roast of Huang.

He also praised the behind-the-scenes efforts of those who put everything together for the evening ceremony and support our programs, recognizing Chief Department Administrator Amy Orange; Director of Administrative Operations Pamela Harris; Residency Program Staff Specialist Ginger Griffin; Graduate Medical Education (GME) Program Coordinator Jawanna Bell, CEAP; and Fellowship Program Coordinator Brittany Harris.

Cummings presented the following awards:

  • The Edward H. Bossen Team Player Award is presented to the Resident or Fellow who has distinguished themselves in their commitment, values, work ethic, and contribution to team morale.  Recipients are chosen by votes from their peers and faculty. This year’s winners are:  Drs. Natalya Ramirez and Meg Lee, who received the award last year as well.
  • The William D. Bradford Resident Teaching Award recognizes that Pathology Resident or Fellow who in the opinion of the Pathology Residents has distinguished themselves in teaching effort and ability.  This year’s winner is Dr. Meg Lee. who received the award last year as well.
  • The Bernard F. Fetter Faculty Teaching Award in honor of this skillful Pathologist and Master Teacher, the Pathology Residents recognize that Faculty member whose skills, knowledge and attitudes have been most influential in their education.  This year’s winners are: Drs. Luis Carrillo and  Eric Carlsen, who won the award last year as well.
  • The Christine Hulette Award for Teaching Excellence in the Duke School of Medicine recognizes the Pathology Resident who in the opinion of the Pathology teaching faculty have distinguished themselves in teaching effort and ability in the Foundations of Patient Care course.  This year’s winner is Dr. Meg Lee,
  • The Fred and Janet Sanfilippo Resident Research Award recognizes the Pathology Resident or Fellow who has distinguished themselves in research effort and ability, either from a basic science or clinical research-related project or publication.  Recipients are chosen by votes from residents, fellows and faculty. The Sanfilippos were present at the ceremony to congratulate this year’s winner, Dr. Bangchen Wang, who won the award last year as well.
Graduation 2024 row of Signed Photos
Colleagues signed photos gifted to the graduating class

Congratulations to the entire graduating class, which includes the following doctors:

Residents:
  • Meg Lee, MD
  • Kristen Logan, MD
  • Kasey McCollum, MD
  • Bangchen Wang, MD, PhD
Fellows:
  • Greg Chamberlin, MD – Neuropathology
  • Richard Davis, MD – Informatics
  • Lu Francescatto,  PhD – Laboratory Genetics and Genomics
  • Natasha Iranzad,  MD – Surgical Pathology
  • Evelyna Kliassov, MD – Surgical Pathology
  • Rayan Saade, MD – Dermatopathology
  • Vanessa Smith, MD – Molecular Genetics
  • Gina Sotolongo, MD – Hematopathology
  • Catherine Tucker, MD – Hematopathology
  • Jeremy Ward, MD – GI Surgical Pathology

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