July

Main Content
Skyline of UMMC with title Promotions and Tenure

2024-2025 UMMC Promotions and Tenure

Published on Monday, July 7, 2025

More than 60 current Medical Center faculty will begin the new academic year with a promotion in rank, newly granted tenure, or both. Faculty are listed alphabetically, by school, in rank order of professor with tenure, associate professor with tenure, professor, and associate professor.

School of Dentistry
Sara Jane McCrary 2023
 Sara Jane McCrary
Promotion to Associate Professor of Pediatric Dentistry
Ignacio Velasco Martinez 2025
 Ignacio Velasco Martinez
Promotion to Associate Professor of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Scott Phillips 2020
 Scott Phillips
Promotion to Professor of Care Planning and Restorative Sciences
Nathan Beavers 2007
 Nathan Beavers
Promotion to Associate Professor of Pediatric Dentistry
George May 2020
 George May
Promotion to Associate Professor of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
School of Health Related Professions
Driscoll DeVaul 2021
Driscoll DeVaul
Promotion to Associate Professor of Health Sciences
Zack Gray 2024
Zack Gray
Promotion to Associate Professor of Radiologic Sciences
Molly Ratcliff
Molly Ratcliff
Promotion to Associate Professor of Health Sciences
Chelsea Stephens
Chelsea Stephens

Promotion to Associate Professor of Radiologic Sciences
Asher Street Beam
Asher Street Beam

Promotion to Professor of Radiologic Sciences
Robin Parish 2020
Robin Parish
Promotion to Professor of Occupational Therapy
Megan Ladner
Megan Ladner
Promotion to Professor of Occupational Therapy

 

School of Medicine
Claudio Cesar Do Nascimento 2020
Claudio do Nascimento
Promotion to Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
Oscar Alam Mendez 2019
Oscar Alberto Alam Mendez
Promotion to Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
Patricia Amolenda 2019
Patricia Amolenda
Promotion to Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
Forrest Duncan 2019
Forrest Duncan
Promotion to Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
Jenner Tiscareno 2017
Jenner Tiscareno

Promotion to Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine
Stephanie Depaepe 2018
Stephanie Depaepe

Promotion to Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine
James Bensler
James Bensler

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine
Joydeep Chakraborty
Joydeep Chakraborty

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine
Bradley Deere
Bradley Deere

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine
Elizabeth Fryoux
Elizabeth Fryoux

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine
Zerelda Esquer Garrigos
Zerelda Esquer Garrigos

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine
Zackary Knott
Zackary Knott

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine
Jessie Lavender
Jessie Lavender

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine
Rola Abi Saleh
Rola Abi Saleh

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine
Laura Smart
Laura Smart

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine
Prakhar Vijayvargiya
Prakhar Vijayvargiya

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine
Yousaf Zafar
Yousaf Zafar
Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine
Allison Strickland
Allison Strickland

Promotion to Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
Hyung Kim
Hyung Kim
Promotion to Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
Matthias Krenn
Matthias Krenn

Promotion to Associate Professor of Neurosurgery with Tenure
Janice Scaggs
Janice Scaggs

Promotion to Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Izuchukwu Ibe
Izuchukwu Ibe

Promotion to Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery
Anne Kane
Anne Kane

Promotion to Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Beth King
Beth King

Promotion to Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Venkat Mannam
Venkat Mannam

Promotion to Associate Professor of Pathology
Ameze Ero 
Ameze Ero

Promotion to Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Erin Jackson
Erin Jackson

Promotion to Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Gabrielle Banks
Gabrielle Gipson Banks

Promotion to Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Ira Holla
Ira Holla

Promotion to Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Jenna Dear
Jenna Dear

Promotion to Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Tanja Seifen
Tanja 
Seifen
Promotion to Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Human Behavior
Daniel Kennedy 
Daniel Kennedy

Promotion to Associate Professor of Radiology
Charlotte Taylor
Charlotte Taylor

Promotion to Associate Professor of Radiology
Kelly Brister
Kelly Brister

Promotion to Associate Professor of Surgery
Mouayyad ZaZa
Mouayyad Zaza

Promotion to Associate Professor of Surgery
Brian Akerley
Brian Akerley

Promotion to Professor of Cell & Molecular Biology with Tenure
Jorge Vidal
Jorge Vidal

Promotion to Professor of Cell & Molecular Biology with Tenure
Ben Brock
Ben Brock

Promotion to Professor of Medicine
Saurabh Chandra 
Saurabh Chandra

Promotion to Professor of Medicine
Amanda Clark 
Amanda Clark

Promotion to Professor of Medicine
Carter Milner
Carter Milner

Promotion to Professor of Medicine
Elizabeth Paine 
Elizabeth Paine
Promotion to Professor of Medicine
Vishnu Garla 
Vishnu Garla

Promotion to Professor of Medicine
Elizabeth Lutz
Elizabeth Lutz

Promotion to Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Rachael Morris
Rachael Morris

Promotion to Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Ashish Anand
Ashish Anand

Promotion to Professor of Orthopedic Surgery
David Gilliam
David Gilliam

Promotion to Professor of Pediatrics
Anju Sukumaran 
Anju Sukumaran

Promotion to Professor of Pediatrics
Billy Mink 
Billy Mink

Promotion to Professor of Pediatrics
Susie Phillips 
Susie Phillips

Promotion to Professor of Pediatrics
Sydney Murphy
Sydney Murphy

Promotion to Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology
Jussara do Carmo
Jussara do Carmo

Promotion to Professor of Physiology & Biophysics
Anson Thaggard 
Anson Thaggard

Promotion to Professor of Radiology
Felicitas Koller 
Felicitas Koller

Promotion to Professor of Surgery
Vinayak Nahar
Vinayak Nahar

Associate Professor of Dermatology with Tenure
John Morellato 
John Morellato
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery with Tenure
Kellie Leitch
Kellie Leitch

Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery with Tenure
Marc Walker
Marc Walker

Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery with Tenure
Xiu Liu 
Xiu Liu

Professor of Pathology with Tenure
Charalampos Harry Pantazopoulos 2022
Charalampos Pantazopoulos

Associate Professor of Psychiatry with Tenure
School of Nursing
Tina Ferrell 2023
Christina Ferrell
Promotion to Associate Professor of Instruction
Sharon McElwain 2021
Sharon McElwain
Promotion to Professor of Instruction
Kathleen Rhodes 2025
Kathleen Rhodes
Promotion to Professor of Instruction
Angela Duck 2024
Angela Duck
Promotion to Professor of Instruction
Carolann Risley 2015
Carolann Risley
Promotion to Professor of Instruction
School of Population Health
William Hillegass 2024
 William Hillegass
Professor of Data Science with Tenure
Yunxi Zhang 2019
Yunxi Zhang
Promotion to Associate Professor of Data Science
Caroline Compretta 2023
Caroline Compretta
Promotion to Professor of Population Health Science
Bernadette Grayson 2021
 Bernadette Grayson
Promotion to Professor of Population Health Science with Tenure