February 2026
Deans Message
Mark Your Calendars: Virginia Tech's Annual Giving Day is Almost Here!
Get ready to show the world what the VTCSOM community can do! Virginia Tech Giving Day 2026 is right around the corner. This 24-hour celebration of philanthropy runs from noon to noon, Wednesday, February 18, through Thursday, February 19.
This year, VTCSOM has a goal to reach 176 unique donors. Whether you are a student, faculty member, alum, or friend of the school, your participation is what drives our mission forward and sustains our community.
We aren't just educating students; we are cultivating the future of healthcare. Giving back is a powerful investment in the people who will lead the next generation of medical discovery and patient care. Your contributions directly impact our students by providing the scholarships that make a medical degree accessible. With federal loan caps creating new financial hurdles, your support ensures that the brightest minds can pursue their calling regardless of their financial circumstances.
Furthermore, your generosity empowers our faculty and strengthens our programs. Your gifts help us attract and retain educators and researchers who provide the vital mentorship our students need to excel. From innovative clinical rotations to community outreach initiatives, donor support sustains the unique "VTCSOM experience" that sets our graduates apart. Ultimately, our generosity ensures that our culture of service and spirit of excellence remain the bedrock of our school. Every gift is a vote of confidence in our shared future.
We have two incredible opportunities to unlock additional funding through our Giving Day challenges. Your gift could be the one that tips the scales! Through the Docs for Morgan Challenge, if at least 50 donors give to the Morgan Dana Harrington Memorial Scholarship Fund, Dr. Dan and Mrs. Gil Harrington will generously make $20,000 available to the fund. Additionally, we are hosting the Dean’s Alumni Challenge. If we can get 50 VTCSOM alums to give, Dean Learman and Mrs. Beverly Learman will donate $10,000 to the Henrietta Lacks Excellence in Medicine Scholarship.
Keep an eye on your email! In the coming weeks, we'll be sending out more details on how and when to make your gift! Let's come together to reach our 176-donor goal and prove that the Hokie spirit, especially at VTCSOM, is stronger than ever!
Social Media
- At the most recent GWIMs meeting, a group of Trailblazers were invited to tell their stories about being the first in their field to challenge norms and chase success in their own ways.
- Twelve of our VTCSOM alumni and their spouses were able to join us and celebrate returning to Roanoke to practice!
- Dan and Gil Harrington stopped by to get the trophies ready for next weeks' game!
Events
Humanism
Filmmaker Drew Simms delivers a breathtaking portrait of Yellowstone National Park at the height of winter.
With temperatures plunging to –37°F (–38°C), the film captures frost-covered bison, clever coyotes, watchful mountain goats, and the park’s iconic hot springs billowing steam into the frozen air. Shot in stunning slow motion and bathed in natural light filtering through the winter haze, the footage reveals nature not just enduring, but thriving in the deep freeze. Take a moment to experience the remarkable video below, showcasing Yellowstone’s raw winter splendor.
Publishing
Rebecca Gates, class of 2019, worked with Kristin McCoy, assistant professor, and Daniel Tershak, associate professor, both from the Department of Surgery, Jonathan Stewart, associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, Andrew Behnke, associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Adegbenga Bankole, chief, Rheumatology and professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, and Michael Nussbaum, professor and chair in the Department of Surgery, along with another colleague on "Use of a Best Practice Advisory to Increase the Detection Rate of Hyperparathyroidism," published in Surgery.
Paul Yeaton, professor in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Radiology, collaborated with an international team of experts on "International Expert Delphi Consensus on EUS Guided Portosystemic Pressure Gradient: Best Practices and Future Directions," published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Donna Boyd, professor in the Department of Basic Science Education, worked with colleagues on "Recognizing and Mitigating the Effects of Occupational Exposure to Traumatic Death in Forensic Anthropology," published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences.
Yassine Sassi, assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, and mentee Shestruma Parajuli, class of 2027, worked with colleagues on "Extracellular-cAMP Suppresses Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension-Induced Ventricular Arrhythmias," published in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology.
Sarah Harendt, assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and education and faculty development manager for TEACH, Hannah Karp, class of 2026, Mariah Rudd, assistant professor of practice in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and director of TEACH, Paul Skolnik, interim associate dean of research, chair and professor in the Department of Basic Science Education, and Rebecca Pauly, vice dean, professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, published "Virtual Team-Based Mentorship: Fostering Knowledge Acquisition, Career Advancement, and Connectedness" in MedEdPublish.
Mariana Phillips, associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, worked with colleagues on "Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in the Management of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma," a review published in Skin Therapy Letter.
Justin Weppner, associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, published "Discriminative Validity of the Interprofessional Collaborator Assessment Rubric" in the Journal of Interprofessional Care.
Michael Wilson, associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, worked with research partners on "Are Observation Codes Underused for Emergency Psychiatric Patients With an Extended Length of Stay? A Retrospective Commercial Claims Analysis From 2016 to 2022," published in General Hospital Psychiatry.
Haseeb Goheer, class of 2025, Liam Cleary, class of 2024, and Scott Semelsberger, class of 2028, worked with mentor Jonathan Carmouche, interim chair and professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and resident Alexander Garcia on "Thrombocytosis Increases the Risk for Medical Complications and Extended Length of Hospital Stay Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion," published in Clinical Spine Surgery.
Ghassan Al-Qaysi, rheumatology fellow in the Department of Internal Medicine, worked with Viswaja Kaja, resident graduate in the Department of Internal Medicine, Rishitha Anumola, class of 2026, and Adegbenga Bankole on "A Twist in the Tale: The Unmasking of Listeria in a PMR Case," published in Clinical Case Reports.
Grace Casado, class of 2026, Eileen Xu, class of 2025, and Maedot Haymete, class of 2026, collaborated with Douglas Grider, associate professor in the Department of Basic Science Education, and another colleague on "What the Eyelid Can Tell You: The Unexpected Initial Presentation of De Novo Stage IV Breast Carcinoma," published in the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology.
Morgan Parker, class of 2028, worked with Grider and a dermatology resident graduate on "Vulvar Nocardiosis in the Setting of dVIN: A High-Risk Infection," published in the American Journal of Dermatopathology.
Spotlight on Giving
Join Us for the "Giving Grind" at RND Coffee
Fuel up for the home stretch of Giving Day! We are thrilled to partner with RND Coffee for The Giving Grind. The event will take place on Thursday, February 19, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at RND Coffee in Riverside 2. For a $15 registration fee, you’ll receive a specialty coffee, a pastry, and a $5 gift designated to the VTCSOM Annual Fund. This is a drop-in event, so feel free to swing by for a quick caffeine fix on your way to class or the office, or stay for the entire two hours to enjoy games, prizes, and Hokie giveaways.
Alumni Update
Take Note
Unfortunately the annual Docs for Morgan fundraiser basketball game had to be postponed due to ongoing inclement weather. Organizers are working with Patrick Henry High School to schedule a future date to play this fun and meaningful game. We will share details as soon as they are available.
In the meantime, you can still support this great cause. Please consider donating to the Docs for Morgan Challenge! If 50 people give to the Morgan Dana Harrington Memorial Scholarship between now and noon on February 19, Dr. Dan and Mrs. Gil Harrington will make an additional $20,000 available to the fund in honor of Giving Day!
To donate