2026 Resident Awards Recognize Excellence in Research, Leadership, and Patient Care

The Departments of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery recently celebrated the outstanding accomplishments of residents and trainees during the 2026 Resident Awards ceremony. The annual event recognizes excellence across research, clinical performance, technical skill, leadership, education, and patient care, highlighting the exceptional contributions made by residents throughout the academic year.

Research Day Awards

The annual Research Day Awards recognize exceptional scholarly achievement and innovation by residents and medical students.

• Resident Research Award – Basic Science (1st Place): Rachel Bordelon, MD
• Resident Research Award – Clinical/Health Services Research (1st Place): Jeannette Joly, MD
• Medical Student Research Award (1st Place): Jasie Williams-Roberts

Golden Chopsticks Award
Presented by the Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery, the Golden Chopsticks Award recognizes the chief resident who demonstrates exceptional technical skill in minimally invasive surgery.
Recipient: Syed Shiraz Naqvi, MD

Lazarus Award
Presented by the Trauma Surgery service, the Lazarus Award honors a chief resident whose exceptional clinical judgment and decisive action helped save the life of a critically injured trauma patient.
Recipient: Areeba Saif, MD

LBJ Service Awards
The LBJ Surgery service recognizes residents for excellence in operative performance and technical achievement.

• Fastest Gallbladder Award: Syed Shiraz Naqvi, MD
• Most Careful Gallbladder Award: Syed Shiraz Naqvi, MD
• Golden Gallbladder Award: Presented to the PGY-3 resident who performed the highest number of laparoscopic cholecystectomies during the year.
  • Recipient: Kylie Holden, MD

Outstanding Pediatric Surgery Chief Resident
Presented by the Department of Pediatric Surgery, this award recognizes a chief resident for outstanding performance, compassion, and dedication while rotating on the Pediatric Surgery service.
Recipient: Kelly Sanders, MD

Excellence in Hernia Care Award
New this year, the Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Service introduced the Excellence in Hernia Care Award. The award recognizes a chief resident who demonstrated exceptional patient ownership, sound surgical judgment, technical excellence, and dedication to abdominal wall reconstruction.
Inaugural Recipient: James Klugh, MD

Residency Program Awards
Selected by faculty and residents, these awards recognize outstanding leadership, service, and contributions to the residency program.

• Chief of the Year: Menghan Zhao, MD
• Intern of the Year: Julia Dansby, MD

Congratulations to all of this year’s award recipients for their outstanding achievements and dedication to advancing surgical education, research, and patient care. The Departments of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery are proud to recognize these exceptional residents and trainees and wish them continued success in the years ahead.

---