On June 24 the Department of Radiology hosted the annual graduation ceremony outside in the courtyard of the Worcester Art Museum. Unlike past years, the guest list was limited to fellows, residents graduates and their families, the program directors and administrators. Diplomas, certificates and awards were presented during the special evening.

We are excited to welcome the new first year radiology residents and fellows for 2021 along with the PGY6 IR Residents!

The Department of Radiology established a new research award in 2021 honoring Professor Michael A King, PhD, a long-time researcher and educator in the department. The first annual Michael A King, PhD Research Award was presented this year to Robert M. King, PhD, during the radiology graduation ceremonies on June 24. This inaugural award was presented to Robert M. King, PhD, son of Mike and Summer King.

Three faculty members from the Translational Anatomy Division were honored with the Educational Achievement (Star) Award during the annual Academic Awards Ceremony in May. Lela Giannaris, PhD, Alexandra Wink, PhD, and Amanda Collins, MPH were recognized for their team efforts to create the Anatomy Dissection Bootcamp Weeks.

Congratulations to four faculty members who recently graduated from the 2020-2021 UMMS Junior Faculty Developement Program. This year two radiology faculty, past graduates of the JFDP, served as mentors for the year-long program. Graduates Maria F. Barile MD, David Gerson MD MBA, Anna Luisa Kuhn MD PhD and Steven J. Sherry MD.

The department welcomed Dr. Jeffrey S. Klein, as the 14th Annual Edward Smith Lecturer on 10 June 2021 via Zoom. Dr. Klein is the A. Bradley Soule and John P. Tampas Green and Gold Professor of Radiology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. A renowned expert in lung cancer staging and detection, Dr. Klein served as editor of RadioGraphics 2012-2021. Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Thoracic Imaging from 2000 to 2005, Dr. Klein has longtime devotion to educational and scientific publishing in radiology, with a particular interest in developing new presentation formats for educational material.

Each year the radiology residents select - by vote - the Teacher of the Year. This year the residents chose to honor Ryan Tai, MD as Teacher of the Year. Dr. Tai is an associate division chief of the musculoskeletal imaging division. Congratulations Dr. Tai!

The 2021 Annual Jerry Balikian "Go The Extra Mile" Award was presented to Derek Chicarilli MD. The award is presented to one resident per year who continually goes the "extra mile" in their job. Attending physicians and residents vote for the person who best deserves this honor and the Education Committee makes the final decision. The Award is a plaque and $1000. Congratulations Derek!

In May 2020, the Education Committee created a new Resident Teacher of the Award that recognizes residents displaying excellence in teaching medical students in the clinical setting. The award is voted on by the Radiology Hands On and Diagnostic Radiology elective medical students that rotate throughout the academic year. This year the students selected to honor Alex Newbury, MD as Radiology Resident Teacher of the Year.

Professor Sarwat Hussain, MD was honored with the 2020 Global Humanitarian Award by the American College of Radiology^® Foundation (ACRF). The award honors individuals who have had a positive global impact on radiology services. The ACRF presented both its 2020 and 2021 Global Humanitarian Awards at the American College of Radiology (ACR) 2021 virtual meeting, held May 15–19. The presentation of the 2020 Global Humanitarian Awards was postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Sumeda Nandadasa, PhD is a 2021 recipient of a Worcester Foundation Research Grant, which is supported by gifts to the Hudson Hoagland Society. The award was announced at the 36th Annual Meeting of the Hudson Hoagland Society held virtually on May 20.

The subject of Dr. Nandadasa's grant is Development of a novel model of the ciliopathies Meckel syndrome, nephronophthisis and Joubert Syndrome.

On May 1, 2021, the Department of Radiology completed a six-month long process of transitioning its professional billing operations from APS Medical Billing to UMass Memorial Health physician billing. Max Rosen, Randa Mowlood, Steve Beaudoin and Hao Lo presented the Department of Radiology on the project Steering Committee. With this change, Radiology joins all other UMass Memorial Health clinical departments in its professional billing operations, facilitating alignment with organizational financial goals. Added benefits include more comprehensive charge capture for interventional radiology services, improved native EPIC billing and administrative dashboard functionality and increased continuity between clinical and billing operations.

Two retirements from the University campus were recently celebrated; Cynthia Carelli, RT(R) Diagnostic and Flouro and Tom O'Malley, RT(R) Diagnostic. Cindie Carelli retired in the Covid period 2020 and Thomas O’ Malley retired May 2021.

A recent article in Clinical Imaging, focuses on the unique Museum Nights art observation program created for department residents by Dr. Andrew Singer starting in 2016. A commentary about the article and program was published in Diagnostic Imaging in June.

Benjamin Auer, PhD was delighted to be recognized as ‘Ones to Watch’ for 2021 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). It is such an honor! Congratulations Benjamin!

Dianne Miranda recently sent a letter to her Marlborough colleagues. "I would like to thank our team of Sonographers and Mammographers for their high quality imaging and compassionate care they deliver to our patients every day and our wonderful clerical staff for their help and support. Thank you to our Radiologists we work hand and hand with."

Sughra Raza, MD, FACR, presented her first international lecture as a UMass faculty member after joining the division of breast imaging this spring.Dr. Raza presented at the opening lecture at the 18th Asian Breast Diseases Association (ABDA) Annual Scientific Meeting 2021 on 19 June 2021, Hong Kong Time, as an online webinar. Her talk was titled: Imaging Assessment of TNBC - update on recent advances

Radiology resident Joelle Wazen, MD moderated a Health4TheWorld (H4TW) international grand rounds on June 18. The lecture titled Breast Imaging Common Case was presented by Dr. Katerina Dodelzon from Weill Cornell. H4TW hosts lectures that are then posted on their website as part of a free academy for anyone to view and learn.