The 14th annual Department of Medicine faculty dinner and awards ceremony was held on Wednesday, October 2, 2019, at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. 

The yearly event brings faculty and staff together to welcome new chief residents and faculty, recognize promotions, celebrate achievements and present departmental honorary awards. 

Presiding over the evening was Elizabeth (Betsy) Trowbridge, MD, Phillip August and Sarah Neely Herrmann Professor in General Internal Medicine and interim chair, Department of Medicine. 

Dr. Trowbridge began her remarks with reflections on anticipation, new beginnings and the role of creativity in navigating change.

“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way,” she said, quoting Edward De Bono, an English psychologist and physician who also coined the term “lateral thinking.”

Recognizing that the academic mission is about using creativity, intelligence and new ideas to innovate and discover, Dr. Trowbridge charged attendees to embrace change, be creative and make the department an even better place.

Sharing a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, she said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

During the awards ceremony, Dr. Trowbridge welcomed four new chief residents and 35 new faculty members, recognized 24 faculty promotions occurring in the past year, and presented 13 awards for outstanding achievement.

Awardees and promotions are listed below. 

2019 Faculty Awards

Graham-Meyer Teaching Award

Awarded to a member of the Medicine faculty who has excelled in educating residents and fellows in an ambulatory setting.

• Subarna Dhital, MD, clinical assistant professor, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Evans-Glassroth Teaching Award

Awarded to a member of the Medicine faculty who has excelled in educating residents and fellows in an acute care setting.

• Elizabeth Chapman, MD, clinical assistant professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology

Schilling-Harkness Teaching Award

Awarded to a member of the Medicine faculty who has excelled in educating medical students.

• Sara Johnson, MD, assistant professor (CHS), Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care

Rankin Research Award

Awarded to a senior member of the Medicine faculty who has made a significant research contribution toward advancing the field of medicine.

• Brad Astor, PhD, MPH, professor, Nephrology

Puestow Research Award

Awarded to a junior member of the Medicine faculty who has made a significant research contribution toward advancing the field of medicine.

• Kara Goss, MD, assistant professor, Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
• Dudley Lamming, PhD, assistant professor, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Dickie Research Award

Awarded to a Medicine fellow who has made a significant research contribution toward advancing the field of medicine.

• Jeremy Kratz, MD, postdoctoral trainee, Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care/Geriatrics and Gerontology

Clinical Excellence Award 

Awarded to a Medicine physician who exemplifies characteristics that would lead you to send a loved one to them.

• Steven Ewer, MD, associate professor (CHS), Cardiovascular Medicine
• Briana Jelenc, MD, clinical assistant professor, General Internal Medicine 

Mentoring Excellence Award 

Awarded to a member of the Medicine faculty who has excelled in mentoring physicians or physician scientists.

• David Andes, MD, professor, Infectious Disease

Extra Mile Award

Awarded to a UW Health faculty member, outside of the Department of Medicine, who has made significant contributions to the Department of Medicine.

• Weixiong Zhong, MD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Page-Grossman Professionalism Award 

Awarded to a Medicine faculty member who displays the highest standards of professionalism and compassion in our missions and represents the Department of Medicine with energy, honor and humility.

• Mark Regan, MD, associate professor (CHS), Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Chair’s Exceeding Excellence Award (new in 2019)

Awarded to a Medicine faculty or staff member in recognition of outstanding performance, extraordinary efforts and dedication to the Department of Medicine.

• Sheri Lawrence, MBA, CMPE, administrator, Department of Medicine

Faculty promotions

Tenure track

• Mark Albertini, MD, professor, Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care
• Brad Astor, PhD, MPH, professor, Nephrology
• Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS, professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology
• Loren Denlinger, MD, PhD, professor, Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
• Mihaela Teodorescu, MD, MS, professor, Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
• Christine Bartels, MD, MS, associate professor, Rheumatology
• Dustin Deming, MD, associate professor, Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care
• Lixin Rui, PhD, associate professor, Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care
• Jennifer Weiss, MD, MS, associate professor, Gastroenterology and Hepatology

CHS track

• Micah Chan, MD, MPH, professor (CHS), Nephrology
• Parul Agarwal, MD, associate professor (CHS), Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• Justine Bruce, MD, associate professor (CHS), Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care
• Julie Chang, MD, associate professor (CHS), Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care
• Ravi Dhingra, MD, MPH, associate professor (CHS), Cardiovascular Medicine
• Roy Jhagroo, MD, associate professor (CHS), Nephrology
• Vaishalee Kenkre, MD, associate professor (CHS), Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care
• Laura Maursetter, DO, associate professor (CHS), Nephrology
• David Sonetti, MD, associate professor (CHS), Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Clinician-Teacher track

• Bartho Caponi, MD, clinical professor, Hospital Medicine 
• Kristin Lewicki, MD, clinical professor, General Internal Medicine 
• Jason Dambach, MD, clinical associate professor, General Internal Medicine
• Kelly Herold, MD, clinical associate professor, General Internal Medicine
• Sean O’Neill, MD, clinical associate professor, Hospital Medicine
• Jennifer Wright, MD, clinical associate professor, Cardiovascular Medicine

Banner: Department of Medicine faculty and staff received awards during a ceremony on October 2, 2019. Front row, left to right: Dr. Steven Ewer, Dr. Subarna Dhital, Dr. Weixiong Zhong, Dr. Sara Johnson, Dr. Brad Astor, Dr. Dudley Lamming, Dr. Betsy Trowbridge. Back row, left to right: Dr. Elizabeth Chapman, Dr. Briana Jelenc, Sheri Lawrence, Dr. Jeremy Kratz, Dr. Kara Goss.