The inaugural UK College of Medicine Faculty Impact and Recognition Event (FIRE) took place last month. Organized by the Office for Faculty Affairs and Development, in partnership with UK Philanthropy, the event highlighted the achievements and impact of College of Medicine faculty.
FIRE was created out of a desire to bring a vast array of faculty achievements happening across the college into a common venue for recognition and celebration across disciplines. In addition to celebrating excellence, this event is intentionally designed to bring faculty together across departments, helping to break down silos and foster greater connection around our shared work and mission. Recognitions may reflect excellence in areas such as leadership, service, education, scholarship and research, and mentorship.
Nearly 275 faculty members were recognized during the event at the UK Art Museum in the Singletary Center for over 370 recognitions.
View our Internal Medicine award recipients below:
- Alan Hall, MD – Medical Student Curriculum Committee (Service Award)
- Angela Webb, MD, FACP – Office of Well Being Special Mentions (Service Award)
- Anil Gopinath, MD, MBA – Most Outstanding Teacher in the ICU (Education Award)
- Anthony Gerber, MD – Margaret Logan Colvin Chair in Lung Diseases Research (Leadership Award)
- Anthony Lile Jr., MD – Faculty Council (Service Award)
- Armaghan-e-Rehman Mansoor, MBBS – SHAE’s Research Committee for a 3-year term (Education Award)
- Ashish Maskey, MD – Outstanding Mentor in Pulmonary Medicine (Education Award)
- Ashish Maskey, MD – The Fellow’s Choice Award for the GOAT (Education Award)
- Bin Huang, PhD – UKHC Grow/Advance/Excel (Leadership Award)
- Peter Sawaya, MD – Robert G. Luke, M.D. Research Chair of Nephrology (Leadership Award)
- Dale Toney, MD – Samuel R. Scott, M.D. Chair in General Internal Medicine (Leadership Award)
- Dale Toney, MD – UKHC Grow/Advance/Excel (Leadership Award)
- Dorothy Maes, MD – Outstanding Educator in Pulmonary Medicine (Education Award)
- Eric Durbin, DrPH, MS – Elected President of North America Association of Central Cancer Registries (Leadership Award)
- Evelyn Villacorta Cari, MD – Faculty Form F/Overload Committee (Service Award)
- Fevzi Yalniz, MD – Faculty Research Award: June 19, 2025 (Education Award)
- Girish Nair, MD – Boehringer Ingelheim Pulmonary Endowed Research Professorship (Leadership Award)
- Hirotaka Kato, MD – Medical Student Curriculum Committee (Service Award)
- Jagriti Chadha, MD – College of Medicine Admissions Committee (Service Award)
- Jason Ballengee, DO – Most Outstanding Teacher in Pulmonary Management (Education Award)
- John Kotter, MD – Distinguished Teaching Award | Core Principles Phase (faculty) (Education Award)
- John Ragsdale, MD, MS – Medical Student Curriculum Committee (Service Award)
- John Romond, MD – Distinguished Teaching Award | Application Phase (faculty) (Education Award)
- John Stewart, MD – Practice Plan Committee (Service Award)
- Katherine McKinney, MD, MS – ELAM/ELH (Leadership Award)
- Katherine Wimberly, MD – Student Progress and Promotion Committee (Service Award)
- Katie Twist, MD, FACP – Distinguished Teaching Award | Core Principles Phase (faculty) (Education Award)
- Katie Twist, MD, FACP – Medical Student Curriculum Committee (Service Award)
- Ken Campbell, PhD – Trainees in Research Advisory Committee (Service Award)
- Ketan Buch, MD – Excellence in the Ambulatory Setting (Education Award)
- Ketan Buch, MD – Outstanding Educator in Clinical Medicine (Education Award)
- Kristen E. Fletcher, MD – Academy of Medical Educators Excellence in Medical Education Award 2026 (Education Award)
- Kristen E. Fletcher, MD – Dr. Emily Wilson Cunningham Award for Innovation in Medical Education (Education Award)
- Kristy Deep, MD, MA, FACP – Faculty Council (Service Award)
- Kristy Deep, MD, MA, FACP – Student Progress and Promotion Committee (Service Award)
- Lakshmi Naidu, MD, CWSP – UKHC PELP (Leadership Award)
- Lanla F. Conteh, MD, MPH, MBA – University of Kentucky Department of Internal Medicine Professorship(s) Fund (Leadership Award)
- Lowell Anthony, MD – NANETS Lifetime Achievement Award (Professionalism Award)
- Mara Chambers, MD – College of Medicine Admissions Committee (Service Award)
- Meagan Schaeffner, MD – Student Progress and Promotion Committee (Service Award)
- Mikel Smith, MD - Academy of Medical Educators Excellence in Medical Education Award 2026 (Education Award)
- Nicholas Van Sickels, MD – Belinda Mason Carden and Paul Mason Professorship in HIV/AIDS Research (Leadership Award)
- Patricia Santos, MD, MBA – Distinguished Teaching Award | Application Phase (faculty) (Education Award)
- Patricia Santos, MD, MBA – UKHC Grow/Advance/Excel (Leadership Award)
- Pierluigi Porcu, MD – Ewa Marciniak, MD Chair in Medicine (Leadership Award)
- Reema Patel, MD – Edward Romond Teaching Award: June 19, 2025 (Education Award)
- Ritu Chakravarti, PhD – Katherine M. Young Arthritis Research Professorship (Leadership Award)
- Sanjay Dhar, MD, FACP, FCCP – Excellence in Bedside Teaching (Education Award)
- Sanjay Dhar, MD, FACP, FCCP – Leadership Academy (Leadership Award)
- Savannah Walker, MD – Medical Student Curriculum Committee (Service Award)
- Steve Leung, MD, FACC, FASE, FSCCT, FSCMR – Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee (Service Award)
- Susanne Arnold, MD – Hematology/Oncology Faculty Mentorship Award: June 19, 2025 (Education Award)
- Susanne Arnold, MD – William R. Willard Dean’s Recognition Award (Service Award)
- Takaaki Kobayashi, MD, PhD, MPH – 2025 ASHE Reviewer Award in August 2025 (Education Award)
- Zack Roy, MD – Faculty Council (Service Award)
- Zhonglin Hao, MD, PhD – Donna and William Shively Professorship in Translational Clinical Oncology (Leadership Award)
- Zin Myint, MD – NCI Early Career Investigator Award (Scholarship Award)