Resident and Fellow Graduation 2026
The graduation ceremonies for our residents and fellows took place at the Two Museums downtown on Saturday, June 13. Everyone enjoyed a cocktail hour with delicious hor d’oeuvres followed by dinner and presentation of the diplomas. The graduating residents and fellows provided numerous photos that were compiled and watched as a slideshow while everyone enjoyed dinner. The following lists graduating residents and fellows as well as the award recipients from the ceremony:
Residents and their Future Plans:
1. Trevan Anderson, D.O.—Private Practice Anesthesiology in Mobile, Alabama
2. Dulcinea Anuel Martinez, M.D.—Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship at UMMC
3. William Thomas Brown Blum, M.D.—Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship at University of Cincinnati
4. Luke Burnham, D.O.—Chronic Pain Fellowship at UMMC
5. John Woodson Marshall Collins, D.O.—Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship at Emory University
6. Hardip Singh Gill, M.D.—Private Practice Anesthesiology in Fresno, California
7. Brandon Isaac Grayson, M.D.—Private Practice Anesthesiology at Hattiesburg Clinic in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
8. Rachelle Denise Palmieri-McBride, M.D.—Chronic Pain Fellowship at University of Southern California
9. Hunter Leland Roth, M.D.—Private Practice Anesthesiology in Oxford, Mississippi with Tupelo Anesthesia Group
10. Mahmoodreza Torkaman, M.D.—Chronic Pain Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Fellows and their Future Plans:
1. Charles Eric Carruth, M.D.—Private Practice Pain Management
2. Josh Dwight Irby, M.D.—Adult Cardiac Anesthesia Faculty at UMMC
3. Patrick Murray Klar, M.D.—Private Practice Pain Management at Mississippi Pain Institute
4. Joseph Coker Pongetti, M.D.—Private Practice Pain Management in Huntsville, Alabama
5. Henry Justin Sioufi, M.D.—Private Practice Pain Management in Toronto, Canada
6. Jack Greggory Tharp, M.D.—Private Practice Pain Management in Meridian, Mississippi
7. Daniel Valente, M.D.—Pediatric Anesthesia Faculty at UMMC
Resident / Fellow Awards:
• Residency Chief Resident Awards: Will Blum and Marshall Collins
• Fellowship Chief Resident Award: Jack Tharp
• Resident Citizenship Award: Luke Burnham
• Resident Colleague of the Year Award: Will Blum
• Residency Highest ITE Awards:
o PGY1—Julie Cunningham, Allie Kerby, and Sumner Thomas
o CA-1—Kirby Thomas
o CA-2—Brandon McDaniel
o CA-3—Will Blum
• Fellowship Highest ITE Awards: Joseph Pongetti
• Resident of the Year Award: Will Blum
• Claude D. Brunson 2025 Distinguished Service Award: Marshall Collins
Faculty Awards:
• Faculty Honor Roll: Keith Carter, Cesar Claudio do Nascimento, Joe Durfey, Bassam Farhat, Hess Robertson, Adriana Martini, Mahesh Mehta, Patrick Newman, Gloria Rodriguez, and Caroline Walker
• Resident Teacher of the Year Award: Luiz Lima and Oscar Alam Mendez
• Pain Fellowship Teacher of the Year Award: Anesh Rugnath
• Faculty Professionalism Award: Lakshmi Kurnutala and Duane Williamson
• Resident Advocate Award: Luiz Lima
Congratulations to all our graduating residents and fellows!
