Each year, a spotlight is put on the work of medical students, staff and faculty during A Grand Affair, a formal celebration that also gives students the opportunity to show appreciation to their educators and mentors.

This year, numerous KU School of Medicine-Wichita faculty members, resident physicians, staff and alumni received awards during the celebration last month at the Kansas City Convention Center.

Laura Tatpati, M.D., one of the Outstanding Lecturer award recipients, said she’s deeply grateful “to those who taught me medicine and for the opportunity to pass on what I’ve learned to the next generation.” 

“I love the moment when you can ‘see it click’ for someone,” said Tatpati, professor in Obstetrics & Gynecology at KU School of Medicine-Wichita, and associate dean for undergraduate medical education. “It’s truly rewarding to share my knowledge with so many learners, ensuring they are well-prepared to care for their future patients.”

Outstanding Attending award recipient Susanna Ciccolari Micaldi, M.D., M.A., assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, shared why she loves teaching.

“It is a great opportunity to open the eyes of our learners to new horizons and fields of medicine they have barely or never explored before, with the hope to engage and spark interest in them,” she said. 

Donna Sweet, M.D., AAHIVS, MACP, who also earned the Outstanding Attending award, said teaching, “especially at bedside, challenges me to stay current in medical knowledge and to stay connected with patients.”

Mary Fischer, M.D., a third-year family medicine resident physician who earned an Outstanding Resident award, called it “a privilege to work with intelligent student physicians and to help guide them in transforming their classroom knowledge to clinical care.”

“It’s been such a blessing to work with my friends every day of residency,” she said.

Brian Pate, M.D., professor and chair in the Department of Pediatrics, earned the Outstanding Attending award and said it was "an honor to be trusted by learners and my institution to help develop the next generation of caregivers."

Award recipients included the following: 

Outstanding Lecturer

• Laura Tatpati, M.D., professor, OB-GYN, associate dean for undergraduate medical education
• Laurel Witt, M.D., student alumna

Mighty Punch Award

• Brad Daily, M.D., student alumnus, resident alumnus, clinical assistant professor, Orthopaedics

Outstanding Attending

• Donna Sweet, M.D., student alumna, resident alumna, professor, Internal Medicine
• Brett Grizzell, M.D., student alumnus, resident alumnus, volunteer clinical associate professor, Surgery
• Joseph Baalmann, M.D., student alumnus, resident alumnus, volunteer clinical assistant professor, Family & Community Medicine
• Amanda Rhyne, M.D., student alumna, resident alumna, volunteer clinical assistant professor, Family & Community Medicine
• Christopher Graber, M.D., student alumnus, resident alumnus, OB-GYN
• Claire Groskurth, M.D., resident alumnus, OB-GYN
• Pedro Vivar Cruz, M.D., volunteer clinical assistant professor, Internal Medicine
• Kourtney Bettinger, M.D., student alumna
• Brian Pate, M.D., student alumnus, professor and chair, Pediatrics
• William Unsderfer, M.D., student alumnus, resident alumnus, Pediatrics
• Susanna Ciccolari Micaldi, M.D., clinical assistant professor, Psychiatry
• Shreeja Kumar, M.D., resident alumna, Psychiatry

Outstanding Resident

• Mahmoud Mahdi, M.D., Internal Medicine (PGY3)
• Nathan Maginnis, M.D., Surgery (PGY2)
• Mary Fischer, M.D., Family & Community Medicine (PGY3)
• Peyton Harjo, M.D., resident alumna, OB-GYN, 2024 grad
• Hiba Abualama, M.D., Psychiatry (PGY3)

Most Outstanding Clerkship Administrator

• Ronda Magness, medical student education coordinator, Psychiatry

View the program from this year’s A Grand Affair for more information.