Office of Primary Care and Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program

(Photo: David Seaver)

Five endowed Green and Gold Professorships were conferred this month upon members of the UVM Larner College of Medicine community. Endowed positions, which are among the highest academic honors that UVM can bestow on a faculty member, recognize and celebrate academic achievement, further encourage scholarship, service, and clinical excellence, and help recruit and retain the most creative researchers, effective teachers, and finest clinicians and leaders.

On October 4, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology William “Gabe” Tharp, M.D., Ph.D., was invested as the inaugural holder of the Michael O’Reilly, M.D., M.S., Green and Gold Professorship in Anesthesiology.

Tharp has published extensively in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals, including The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, and has presented at both national and international meetings. His innovative research focuses on improving intraoperative ventilatory care and reducing disparities in the treatment of adults with obesity. His work is integral to driving fundamental changes in clinical practice within this area.

“Dr. Tharp is an impeccable mentor, as well as an amazing researcher,” stated Rebecca Aslakson, M.D., chair of the Department of Anesthesiology.

The professorship was established by O’Reilly, who received his M.D. and M.S. degrees at UVM and has taught at such premier medical institutions as the University of California–Irvine and the University of Michigan. For the past few years, O’Reilly has been a professor of anesthesiology at Stanford University while also working for Apple on medical technology and health-related special projects.

Robert H. Millay, M.D., professor of surgery in the Division of Ophthalmology, was invested on October 7 as the inaugural holder of the Green and Gold Professorship of Ophthalmology.

Millay is an accomplished ophthalmologist with over 44 years of experience in the field. Throughout his distinguished career, he has mentored countless medical students, fellows, and residents. His expertise has garnered recognition within the industry, leading to invitations to participate in numerous studies sponsored by industry leaders focusing on anti-vasal proliferative agents.

“Dr. Millay is an outstanding clinician specializing in diseases of the retina, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and inflammatory diseases of the eye,” stated professor and Stanley S. Fieber Chair of Surgery Mitchell Norotsky. “He is personally responsible for bringing modern technique of vitrectomy surgery to Vermont.”

In 2013, the Department of Surgery’s faculty collectively established Green and Gold Professorships in each of their divisions to invest in faculty leaders and demonstrate their commitment to the department’s future.

Associate Professor of Surgery Patrick Forgione M.D., was invested on October 10 as the inaugural holder of the Green and Gold Professorship of General Surgery. Forgione is also the director of surgery student education at Larner.

Forgione is an esteemed surgeon specializing in laparoscopic general, metabolic, and bariatric surgery. He made history as the first surgeon to perform laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in Vermont. In addition to his surgical expertise, he is a member of 10 professional medical societies, including the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons and the New England Surgical Society.

“His team has led to our institution getting the designation of a Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery,” said Norotsky. “And even more impressively, they have not had a single mortality in over greater than 1,000 bariatric cases … and for those of us who have seen bariatric patients and cared for them, that is truly impressive.”

This endowed professorship was established in 2013 through the generosity of the faculty in the Department of Surgery, who collectively established Green and Gold professorships in each of their divisions.

On October 14, Michelle M. Sowden, D.O., associate professor of surgical oncology, was invested as the inaugural holder of the Green and Gold Professorship of Surgical Oncology. Sowden is also the clinical director of surgical oncology at the UVM Medical Center.

She is an exceptional mentor, guiding dozens of medical students, residents, and undergraduate students. She has received numerous research awards and grants, most recently serving as a co-investigator on an NCI-funded R01 grant to develop a risk prediction model for the upgrade of high-risk benign breast lesions diagnosed via needle biopsy. Throughout her career, Sowden has been a member of nearly 20 professional organizations and medical societies.

"It is through her devotion to breast cancer research and care that Dr. Sowden and all the faculty and staff affiliated with the Department of Surgery embody the mission of the Larner College of Medicine," stated Interim President of UVM Patricia Prelock, Ph.D. "I am grateful for their vision and their acknowledgement of academic excellence."

In 2013, the Department of Surgery’s faculty collectively established Green and Gold Professorships in each of their divivions.

Donald R. Laub, M.D., M.S., professor of surgery, was invested on October 14 as the inaugural holder of the Linda A. and David W. Leitner Green and Gold Professorship of Plastic Surgery.

Laub has been a member of over 15 professional organizations and societies throughout his career. He has served as a reviewer for esteemed publications in his field, including Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Pediatrics, and the Journal of Surgical Research. He has volunteered in such countries as Honduras, Brazil, Guatemala, Bhutan, Vietnam, and Ecuador, providing specialized surgical care to communities in need. Closer to home, he is an active member of the Vermont Emergency Response Volunteers Program. His research has been featured in textbooks, including ASSH Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and Congenital Anomalies of the Upper Extremity: Causes and Treatment.

"Dr. Laub is being recognized for his exceptional record of service to medicine, specifically in cleft palate surgery, that he brings to this university and to the medical community," stated Prelock. "As Vermont’s only pediatric plastic surgeon, one of Dr. Laub’s most important works includes the transition and reorganization of the cleft palate/craniofacial multidisciplinary clinic from the Vermont Department of Health to the UVM Health Network."

The Green and Gold Professorship in Plastic Surgery, established in 2014 with a gift from the Department of Surgery, was renamed the Linda A. Leitner and David W. Leitner, M.D., Professorship in Plastic Surgery in 2017, following an additional gift by David W. Leitner, M.D. (1948–2024), and his wife of 48 years, Linda. Leitner joined the University of Vermont’s Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 1984, retiring in 2015. He twice served as chair of the division and founded the UVM Medical Center Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery and Replantation Service.