MD: VUSM CLASS • HO: HOUSE OFFICER • FE: FELLOW • FAC: FACULTY • BA/BS: VU CLASS

1960s

Richard (Dick) Johnston Jr., BA’57, MD’61, HO’63, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at University of Colorado School of Medicine and National Jewish Health, VMAA Distinguished Alumni 2008, Vanderbilt Distinguished Alumni 2016, and his collaborators Sir Nick Wald, DSc, and the late Godfrey Oakley, MD, MSPM, were recognized by Research!America with a Building the Foundation Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Award. The award recognizes individuals whose basic research discoveries have played a pivotal role in advancing public health.  

1970s

Robert Mahley, MD’70, HO’70, PhD’70, is Chair of the Maryville College Advisory Council in Maryville, Tennessee, which is advising the academic and program development of the Alexander Institute for Conservation Leadership and the Sciences. 

Gary Stiles, MD’75, HO’75, has released a new book “A Prelude to Immortality: Churchill’s ‘My Early Life.’” It tells the story of how Winston Churchill wrote an autobiography employing prose Stiles compares to lyric poetry to reinvent his public persona.  

1980s

Agnes Borge Fogo, MD’81, HO’82, FAC, the John L. Shapiro Chair of Pathology and a leading expert in kidney disease at Vanderbilt Health, has received the 2026 Robert H. Heptinstall Lifetime Achievement Award from the Renal Pathology Society. She is a Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Medicine, and Pediatrics at Vanderbilt Health and the author of two books on renal pathology. 

Hugh Francis III, BS’80, MD’84, was selected as an inaugural Memphis Medical Society Hall of Fame honoree. He is a vascular and general surgeon with Memphis Surgery Associates with more than three decades of service to the Memphis, Tennessee, community. 

Edith Colbert, BS’81, MD’88, and Dennis Colbert, MD, HO’84, celebrated the wedding of their son Dennis Colbert, BE’12, to Molly Pochedly at Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago on Sept. 20, 2025. 

Robert Ivy II, MD’88, HO’88, has retired after 31 years as a hand surgeon. He also served many years as President of the Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic. He was selected by his peers for “Best Doctors in America” recognition and was consistently voted a Cityview magazine “Top Doc” by the community he served.  

1990s 

Jeffrey Balser, MD’90, PhD’90, will retire Dec. 31, after nearly two decades serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of Vanderbilt Health and Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. In 2008, he became the 12th Dean of VUSM since the school’s founding in 1875.  

John Layher Jr., HO’91, has joined Morgan Medical Center as a cardiologist. 

Robert (Rob) Steele, MD’93, MBA, has been named the fifth President and CEO at Dayton Children’s Hospital, effective July 1.  

Peter Mathern, MD, HO’93 & ‘95, has joined the American Oncology Network Partner Practice, Cancer, and Blood Specialists of Arizona located in Flagstaff.

Anna Tanner, MD’95, HO’98, has published a book with the American Academy of Pediatrics: “Pediatric Eating Disorders: The Medical Care of Children and Adolescents.”  

Dipen J. Parekh, MD, HO’98, FE’99, has been named the inaugural Magnier Endowed Chair in Urology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.  

Brian Moore, MD, HO’99, has been named Chief Physician Executive and President of Ochsner Clinic at Ochsner Health, effective Jan. 1, 2027. He has been a physician with Ochsner for more than 15 years and has held multiple senior leadership positions. 

Carl Schmidt, MD, HO’99, MCI’04, Professor of Surgery, has been named Chair of the West Virginia University School of Medicine Department of Surgery, effective July 1. 

2000s

Marwan Khalifeh, MD’00, has been recognized as a 2026 Top Doctor by Northern Virginia Magazine, marking his fourth consecutive year to earn this peer-nominated honor.  

Jesse Taylor, MD’00, has been selected as the new Surgeon-in-Chief and Chair of the Department of Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, effective July 1. Taylor also holds the Peter Randall Endowed Chair in Plastic Surgery and serves as a Professor in the Division of Plastic Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Yasmine S. Ali, BA’97, MD’01, HO’04, MSCI’07, FE’08, FAC, has published her second book, “The View from the Cliffs: A Novel.” Known as “The Positive Cardiologist,” she also hosts the podcast, “Positive Vibes: On the Sunny Side with Yasmine S. Ali, MD.” 

Samir M. Parikh, MD’01, has been named Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He also holds the Donald W. Seldin Distinguished Chair in Internal Medicine and the Ruth W. and Milton P. Levy Sr. Chair in Molecular Nephrology. 

Joshua Denny, BS’98, MD’03, HO’03, MS’07, has been presented the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Vanderbilt Medical Alumni Association. 

Jeffrey (Jeff) Venstrom, BS’99, MD’04, has been named Chief Medical Officer at ClearNote Health, a privately held company dedicated to improving early detection of some of the deadliest forms of cancer.  

Ruth Ann Vleugels, MD’04, MPH, MBA, has been named Chair of the Department of Dermatology at Penn Medicine, effective Sept. 1. 

Uchechukwu Sampson, FE’05, MS’14, has joined Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, North Carolina, as a cardiologist. Sampson has a broad background in cardiovascular medicine, research and academic leadership. 

Kelly Stratton, MD, HO’07, has been named the new Associate Dean for Veterans Affairs at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.  

Courtney Reynolds Schadt, MD’07, HO’07, FE’08, FAC, has returned to Vanderbilt Health as Associate Professor of Dermatology and Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Dermatology. She spent 15 years as faculty at the University of Louisville.  

Erin Janai Coomes, AuD’08, has been named Associate Director for Resources at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System. In this role, she helps guide resource stewardship, infrastructure modernization and operational alignment. 

Jonathan (Jon) Kropski, MD’08, HO’08, FE’11, FAC, Professor of Medicine, has been appointed Director of the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt Health. He holds the Elsa S. Hanigan Chair in Pulmonary Medicine.  

Sara Nicole Horst, MD, FE’09, MPH’11, FAC, has been appointed Vice Chair for Clinical Informatics and Care Transformation in the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt Health, a newly created position.  

2010s

Katherine Alisa Kudyba Morone, MD’13, HO’15, has joined the Williamson Health Medical Group as an inpatient neurologist. Her addition strengthens access to high-quality neurological, internal medicine and primary care services for patients throughout Williamson County and Middle Tennessee.

Daniel Tilden, MD’14, HO’14, MPH’22, has joined the Newman Regional Health Medical Partners as a telehealth endocrinology specialist.  

Trisha Pasricha, MD’16, released her book, “You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong: How to Make Your Bowel Movements a Joy,” a playful title with a serious message about the gut-brain connection. 

Jourdan Holder, AuD’16, PhD’21, has joined Hearts for Hearing in Oklahoma City as Senior Director of Audiology and Research.  

Claude Pirtle, MD’19, HO’19, FE’19, is the President and CEO of the Heartland Whole Health Institute. Pirtle was a leader expert in the keynote discussion during Google Health’s 2026 “The Check Up.” 

Faculty Notes

Billy Hudson, PhD, FAC, Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Matrix Biology and the Elliott V. Newman Professor of Medicine, was awarded a 2026 Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the Ellis Island Honors Society. The honor was in recognition of his pioneering contributions to matrix biology and transformative discoveries in type IV collagen research. 

David Parra, MD, FAC, Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine, and Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Director of Pediatric Noninvasive Imaging Services and Director of Advanced Cardiac Imaging, has been named Associate Director of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at Vanderbilt Health. 

Susannah Rose, PhD, FAC, Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Health Policy, has been named Director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt Health. Rose also serves as Vice Chair of the Artificial Intelligence Committee at Vanderbilt Health and Executive Director of the AI Discovery and Vigilance to Accelerate Innovation and Clinical Excellence (ADVANCE) Center in the Department of Biomedical Informatics. 

Russell Rothman, MD, MPP, FAC, the Ingram Professor of Integrative and Population Health, Senior Vice President for Population and Public Health, and Director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Population and Public Health, has been honored with the 2026-2027 George Eastman Visiting Professorship at Oxford University. His one-year appointment begins in September.  

Rick W. Wright, MD, HO’88, MMHC’23, FAC, has been named President of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. Wright serves as the Dan Spengler, MD Professor, Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President for Clinical Affairs.

Losses

Henry Baggett, BA’79, MD, HO’84, died March 14. He was 68. Dr. Baggett is survived by his wife of 42 years, Lina; three children; and his siblings. 

Thomas Hieatt Baker Jr., BA’53, MD’56, HO’59, died April 29. He was 94. Dr. Baker is survived by his wife of 69 years, Toby Lee; six children; 16 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren. 

Robley Dunglison Bates III, MD, HO’73, died April 6. He was 83. Dr. Bates is survived by his three children; four grandchildren; and his beloved English setter, Doc. 

Robert Verlin Beeler Jr., MD’49, died April 7. He was 101 years old. He is missed by all who knew him, particularly his neighbors and friends. 

Stephen Beeman, MD’81, HO’81 & ‘82, died June 7. He was 70. Dr. Beeman is survived by his wife, Lynne Strickland; four children; two stepchildren; and several grandchildren. 

Michael Wilbur Bertz, MD, HO’69 & ‘70, died May 29. He was nearly 90. Dr. Bertz is survived by his wife of 62 years, Carol; two children; and three granddaughters.  

Willard J. (Willie) Blankenship, MD’59, HO’59, FE’64, died March 31. He was 91. Dr. Blankenship is survived by his former wife, Judi Williams; two children; and four grandchildren. 

Susan Ann Buhrow, MD, FE’83, PhD’83, died Nov. 15, 2025. She was 69. Dr. Buhrow is survived by her husband of 35 years, Dr. Sidney Waldo (Wally) Whiteheart; two siblings; two children; and six nieces and nephews. 

Robert John (Bob) Burckardt, MD’74, HO’74, died June 6. He was 78. Dr. Burckardt is survived by his wife, Sharon; four children; three stepchildren; seven grandchildren; and two siblings.  

Captain Stephen Allen Butler, MD, HO’67 & ‘71, died Jan. 11. He was 84. Dr. Butler is survived by five children and 12 grandchildren. 

Laura Nelle Connor, BS’75, MD’79, FE’79, died Feb. 22. She was 73. Dr. Connor is survived by her husband of 48 years, Dan; two sons; one daughter; and seven grandchildren, as well as three siblings. 

Guy Nelson Copeland Jr., MD, HO’60, died Dec. 6, 2025. He was 89. Dr. Copeland is survived by his two children; five grandchildren; and two sisters-in-law. 

Peyton A. Eggleston, MD, HO’65, died Jan. 7. He was 86. Dr. Eggleston is survived by his wife, Elaine; two children and two stepchildren; five grandchildren; and one brother. 

Norman Bruce Frankel, MD, HO’65, died May 4. He was 85. Dr. Frankel is survived by his wife of 61 years, Barbara; three sons; and two grandchildren.  

Edward G. Goldfarb, MD’58, died March 7. He was 91. Dr. Goldfarb is survived by three children; two stepsons; numerous grandchildren; and his longtime partner, Merilee Elliott. 

Phillip Gorden, BA’57, MD’61, Director Emeritus of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and 1990 recipient of Vanderbilt Medical Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus award, died June 23. He was 91. Dr. Gorden is survived by his sons, Lee Gorden, MD’90 (Joan Gorden, MD), and Jed Gorden, MD’97 (Sara Manetti), and grandchildren, Isaac, Eliana and Satchel.  

Daryl Granner, MD, MS, former Chair of the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and former Director of the Vanderbilt Diabetes Center, died April 17. He was 89. Dr. Granner is survived by his wife of 67 years, Nancy; two children; one brother; and four grandchildren. 

Carroll McWilliams (Mac) Harmon, MD’83, HO’83, PhD’92, died Feb. 11. He was 68. Dr. Harmon is survived by two daughters and one son. 

Louis Eugene Haun Jr., MD, HO’65, died Feb. 13. He was 85. Dr. Haun is survived by his wife of 62 years, Katharine (Kay); two sons; seven grandchildren; and his sister, Caroline Haun Nowell. 

Charles Milligan Holman Jr., MD, HO’71, died April 13. He was 81. Dr. Holman is survived by his wife, Juanita Jean Becker Holman; five children; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. 

Ellen Elizabeth Hrabovsky, BS’65, MD’69, HO’70, died April 9. She was 82. Dr. Hrabovsky endowed the Ellen E. Hrabovsky Scholarship at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. In her later years, she transitioned out of medicine to obtain a master’s degree in wood science and became an avid naturalist. Dr. Hrabovsky is survived by four siblings. 

Farris Jackson Jr., MD’82, died June 4. He was 70. Dr. Jackson is survived by his wife, Nancy; four children; one grandson; and many nieces and nephews. 

Charles John McAllister, MD, FE’76, died April 30. He was 79. Dr. McAllister is survived by his wife of almost 56 years, Diane; three children; seven grandchildren; and one sister. 

Guat Siew Lee McKee, MD, HO’76, died June 16. She was 94. Dr. McKee is survived by her husband, Lonnie Clifford McKee Jr., MD; her daughter; two grandchildren; and extended family. 

Michael McNalley, MD, HO’53, died May 16. He was 96. Dr. McNalley is survived by his wife, Iris; two children; two stepchildren; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

Steven Richard Nyquist, MD, HO’77, died May 30. He was 78. Dr. Nyquist is survived by his wife of nearly 46 years, Mary Anne; two children; and one grandson. 

Clarence Leon Partain, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, former Chair of Radiology and Director of the Center for Imaging Research at Vanderbilt University, died Jan. 28. He was 85. Dr. Partain is survived by his wife of 62 years, Judy; three children; one brother; one brother-in-law; seven grandchildren; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. 

Louise Green (Weezie) Patikas, MD’65, HO’65, died May 10. She was 86. Dr. Patikas is survived by two children; four grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. 

James (Jimmy) Pirkle Jr., MD, FE’07, died April 8. He was 48. Dr. Pirkle is survived by his wife of 24 years, Stephanie; three sons; and three siblings.  

Joseph Albert Pryor, MD, HO’65, died Feb. 13. He was 89. Dr. Pryor is survived by his wife of 69 years, Carol Ann Collins; two daughters; five grandchildren; and two siblings. 

Jack Louis Sapolsky, HO’68, FE’69, died Dec. 19, 2025. He was 86. Dr. Sapolsky is survived by his husband of 46 years, Richard Bordeaux; and his niece, Tiby Weinstein. 

Robert G. Satterfield, MD, HO’70, died May 20. He was 80. Dr. Satterfield is survived by his wife, Pauline; a nephew and niece; as well as his extensive stepfamily. 

William M. Schreiber, MD, HO’63, died May 13. He was 90. Dr. Schreiber is survived by his wife of 62 years, Sandra; two children; two grandchildren; and one brother. 

Aristides (Ari) Sismanis, MD, FE’79, died March 20. He was 76. Dr. Sismanis is survived by his wife, Anna Rozaki-Sismanis, MD; three children; a sister; four grandchildren; and his large, extended family in Greece. 

William Garrison (Gary) Strickland Sr., MD’84, PhD’84, HO’85 & ‘86, died Feb. 28. He was 69. Dr. Strickland is survived by his wife of 32 years, Joann; his mother, Jean Strickand; two daughters; a daughter-in-law; seven grandchildren; two siblings; and many nieces and nephews. 

Rodney Allan Teasley, MD, HO’19, died Jan. 9. He was 57. Dr. Teasley is survived by his wife, Margaret; three children; his mother, Vivian S. Teasley; two siblings; three nephews; and one niece. 

Jane Leslie Tyler, MD, HO’81, died Dec. 12, 2025. She was 73. Dr. Tyler is survived by four children; two grandchildren; two brothers; and five nieces and nephews. 

Colonel Eric Turner Vaughn, MD, HO’91, died March 28. He was 65. Col. Vaughn is survived by his wife, Jennifer; two children; several nieces and nephews; and a large extended family. 

Linton Burnside West Jr., MD’62, HO’62, died June 12. He was 89. Dr. West is survived by his wife, Marsha Ann Duffy; two children; two stepchildren; and several grandchildren.  

Benjamin Conrad Wouters, MD’87, HO’87, FE’93 & ‘94, PhD’96, died March 9. He was 64. Dr. Wouters is survived by his wife, Lisa; three daughters, nine grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.