Linking the Malawian Diaspora to the Development of Malawi”
Malawi
Malawi (/məˈlɔːwi,məˈlɑːwi/; Chichewa pronunciation:[maláβi]; Tumbuka: Malaŵi), officially the Republic of Malawi and formerly known as Nyasaland, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south and southwest. Malawi spans over 118,484 km2 (45,747 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 19,431,566 (as of January 2021). Malawi’s capital and largest city is Lilongwe. Its second-largest is Blantyre, its third-largest is Mzuzu and its fourth-largest is its former capital, Zomba.
Waddey Acheson, a new law firm based in Nashville, has been launched with a focus on intellectual property, artificial intelligence and high-stakes litigation.
Jack Waddey, a registered patent attorney, brings over 50 years of experience to the firm. He has secured hundreds of patents and trademarks for clients and served as a mediator since 1998, the firm reports.
The Georgetown Law School graduate was previously a partner at Willis & White, Hooker & Waddey, Waddey Lundin & Newport and Waller Landsen Dortch Davis. He also was founding partner at Waddey-Patterson, an associate with Arent Fox and senior affiliate counsel at Holland Knight.
Chanelle Acheson, also a founding partner of Waddey Acheson, has a background in high-stakes litigation and experience as a Marine Corps officer. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado, the University of Sussex in Brighton, England, and Harvard Law School.
Bradley’s Bahou chairs Tennessee Bar’s AI task force
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Nashville partner A.J. Bahou has been appointed to serve as chair of the Tennessee Bar Association’s newly established artificial intelligence task force.
Bahou, an experienced technology and AI attorney, will lead the task force’s efforts to explore the intersection of AI and the legal profession by driving initiatives to ensure that Tennessee attorneys are well-equipped to navigate the evolving landscape of AI technology.
Bahou helped form Bradley’s AI team in 2023, drawing on his background and practice focused on the relationship between law and technology. His practice includes intellectual property, data privacy and cybersecurity.
EO Nashville announces new class of members
EO Nashville, which marks 30 years of serving and championing Nashville’s entrepreneur community in 2024, has 19 new members. They are:
• Carey Bringle, Peg Leg Porker
• Garrison Coley, Home and Office Transitions
• Brian Eby, Think LLP
• Robert Erickson, Massive Mission
• Brian Fuente, Aero Build, LLC & The Aero Bar, LLC
• Amy Goldstein, Nashville Psych
• James Jamieson, EvidenceCare, Inc.
• Jessica Loseke, Midwest Barrel Co.
• Justin Lowe, Centric Architecture Inc.
• Tina McGill, MMAS CPA P.C.
• Scarlett Mulligan, Novus Behavioral Health
• Leslie Murphy, Murphy Maude Interiors
• Julie Podewitz, Grow Your Occupancy
• Chad Polk, CDP Architecture, LLC
• William Powell, Office Furniture and Related Services
• Ke Qin, Paros Group
• Samahria Richie, Two Sisters Maid to Clean
• Phillip Steen, Nashville Sports League
• Mark Stoner, Ashbusters Chimney Service
EO Nashville is the largest EO chapter in the country and the third-largest in the world with 355 members averaging $12.2 million in sales and employing over 15,000 individuals. The Nashville chapter was recognized at the EO Global Leadership Conference for having the most members added in 2023 and is the second-highest in new membership of female entrepreneurs.
CFMT names Marchetti Karim, vice presidents
Adnan Karim joins the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee as vice president of community impact, and Katie Marchetti has joined as vice president of philanthropic services.
Karim brings a background spanning over 14 years in the social impact sector. His journey began in New York City, where he dedicated himself to improving educational outcomes for some of the nation’s most marginalized communities. As a vital member of City Year, and later as a program manager, Karim spearheaded initiatives that enhanced literacy and math skills among at-risk students while cultivating environments rich in social and emotional learning and service.
His commitment to service learning and community empowerment continued at buildOn, where he led transformative programs across 16 high schools in New York City’s South Bronx and Brooklyn as program director. He eventually served as the organization’s inaugural director of foundation relations and later as chief program officer in the United States.
His leadership helped extend educational programs nationwide and supported the construction of schools in economically challenged regions worldwide, including Nepal and Malawi. Karim most recently served as managing director of human rights education at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.
He is a Nashville native and a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and New York University.
Marchetti, who has more than two decades of expertise in international finance and law, played significant roles in global financial hubs across the US and Europe, culminating in a 15-year tenure in London. Her most recent role was as managing director and chief growth officer at a Nashville-based private equity startup.
In addition to her professional endeavors, Marchetti’s holds board memberships at Fisk University and Think Tennessee. She also co-founding Voices for a Safer Tennessee and works with Reshma Saujani’s Moms First initiative.
Fair joins leadership at Nashville General
Nashville General Hospital has added Alecia Malin Fair, DrPH, to the executive team as chief population health and research officer. Malin Fair, who has more than 30 years of experience working in health education and promotion within diverse communities, will focus on patient-centered wellness programs that reach underserved communities.
Malin Fair’s experience includes evaluating AIDS education programs in Western New York adolescents, community-engaged childhood obesity prevention in rural South Carolina middle school students, psychosocial health beliefs and health disparity factors impeding medically underserved women in Nashville and resolving abnormal mammograms. Recently, she led a national precision medicine project engaging a cohort of diverse study participants underrepresented in research to support the design, implementation and governance of the program.
Malin Fair will also oversee NGH’s Congregational Health & Education Network, which launched in 2017, is a 501(c)(3) faith-based initiative with a primary focus on reducing health disparities among Nashville’s African American community through education attainment, access to health care and health literacy. By partnering community health workers with churches to reach people where they are, CHEN seeks to address social determinants of health that disproportionately affect communities of color.
Java Medical Group adds to executive team
Java Medical Group, which partners with rural hospitals nationwide to ensure quality patient care and improve financial performance, has added Ray Burns as chief compliance officer and Alison Morris as chief administrative officer.
Burns leads the implementation and oversight of compliance programs, bringing more than three decades of health care and compliance experience to the company. He previously served as director of compliance for Emergency Care Partners, LLC in Pensacola, Florida. Burns earned his master’s degree in health care administration from St. Joseph’s University and bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Morris oversees the administrative functions and streamlines and optimizes the company’s operations. Morris also leads the strategic implementation of technology to drive value and efficiency for the company. She holds a degree in business administration from Aquinas College.
Forbes honors Alexander of KraftCPAs as top CPA
Forbes has chosen Vic Alexander of KraftCPAs PLLC for its inaugural America’s Top 200 CPAs list.
Alexander, who has been chief manager of the firm since 1993, was one of two from Tennessee chosen for the Top 200 CPAs list and the only one from Middle Tennessee.
Forbes compiled its list through independent nominations. Nominees were rated on criteria such as expertise, innovation, thought leadership, experience, and service to the community and to their profession, as well as responses to selected questions.
REED promotes Binner to agency president
REED, a full-service public relations and marketing agency, has promoted Macey Cleary Binner, longtime employee and business development lead, from vice president to the newly created role of president.
Collaborating closely with CEO Lauren Reed Williams and the leadership team, Binner will guide all aspects of the organization’s growth to advance the agency’s commitment to being a data-driven PR agency with long-term clients.
Binner, a graduate of Auburn University, joined REED in 2016. After holding coordinator, manager and supervisor positions, Binner was promoted to a leadership role in 2022 as an agency vice president. Her duties included managing new business leads and REED’s growth trajectory. She secured nearly two dozen new clients in 2023, including one of the firm’s biggest accounts to date. As a result, REED experienced a 40% growth in revenue for 2023.
Binner was named a 2023 Rising Star by PRNEWS.
LDA Engineering names Daniel president
LDA Engineering has announced that Zack Daniel, PE, has joined as its new president.
Daniel is joining LDA from his leadership position at national engineering firm, CDM Smith, where he held various positions including client service leader for the firm servicing clients throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Arkansas. He rose through the ranks of shareholder, advancing from associate to principal to vice president.
Daniel’s deep industry involvement extends to his recent recognition as the alumnus of the year for the Herff College of Engineering Civil Engineering Department at his alma mater, the University of Memphis.
He is past chair of the Kentucky Tennessee American Water Works Association and recipient of its highest honor, the George Warren Fuller Award.
The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) held the U.S.-Africa business summit in Dallas, Texas, on May 6-9 with the theme “U.S.-Africa Business: Partnering for Sustainable Success” that gathered a number of African leaders, senior U.S. and African government officials, and corporate business executives to review performance, discuss existing challenges and chart future pathways into the commercial spheres across Africa.
While it aims at forging strategic partnerships and exploring investment opportunities, the participants gain important insights from industry experts and business thought leaders. Principally the Texas summit hosted the largest African diaspora population of any state in the United States. And Dallas, as the location of headquarters and major business operations for a large number of Fortune 1000 firms, was the ideal location to facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies that will shape the future of U.S.-Africa business relations and private sector-led economic growth both in the United States and on the African continent.
Speeches and discussions were delivered successfully. Among the African leaders who delivered speeches included President Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi of the Republic of Botswana, President Faure Gnassingbé of the Republic of Togo, and Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera of the Republic of Malawi. The presence of large numbers of African leaders and representatives, in fact, underscored the importance of the summit as a platform for high-level discussions and economic partnerships between the United States and Africa.
Dr. Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana, has made a strong case for Botswana as a top investment destination, citing the country’s stability, progressive policies, and strategic initiatives promoting economic growth and sustainability.
The Botswana leader spoke during the ‘Doing Business in Botswana’ session in Dallas, Texas. Addressing a strong audience of potential investors, and summit attendees, President Masisi outlined Botswana’s strategic priorities under the ‘Reset Agenda,’ which aims for significant post-pandemic recovery and sustainable development. He emphasized vital areas such as digitization, value-chain development, and green energy, highlighting the country’s commitment to digital innovation and boosting key economic sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and mining.
President Masisi also called for enhanced women’s role in trade during the summit’s panel session, organized by the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) in partnership with the United States Department of Commerce Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP), the Africa Women and Youth Empowerment Group (AWYEG), and the Corporate Council on Africa.
President Masisi pointed out women’s significant economic contributions, particularly through informal cross-border trade valued at $17.6 billion. In spite of their contributions, women frequently face exploitation and violence, with little protection. To address these challenges, Botswana’s head of state emphasized the importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is expected to boost Africa’s income by $450 billion by 2035 and significantly increase intra-African exports.
Standard Bank, the leading bank and financial services group in Africa, championed the vital role of global trade, economic development and robust partnerships at the opening of a power-packed U.S.-Africa business summit. With Texas as an international business hub and home of a large and vibrant African diaspora community, the event carries significant weight for Dallas, a gateway to global markets and cross-cultural connections.
“Trade and investment are economic lifelines, and this meeting links immense potential in Africa with the powerhouse market of the United States,” said Anne Aliker, Standard Bank’s Group Head, Corporate and Investment Banking, Client Coverage. “Both offer abundant growth opportunities, leveraging Africa’s markets and resources while providing avenues for U.S. businesses to diversify.”
African countries’ effective participation in the ever-evolving international trade landscape is central to boosting the continent’s development. While African exports of goods and services have registered faster growth in the past decade, the volumes remain low, stagnant and heavily skewed toward primary goods.
Aliker said the policymakers must broaden their perspective beyond conventional methods to engage actively in today’s broad markets. Although Africa has about 18% of the world’s population, it has only about 2.9% of global GDP and only 2.2% of world exports. Africa exported $38.1 billion worth of goods to the U.S. and imported U.S. goods worth $28.6 billion in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“Trade is deeply rooted in Africa’s history and essential for its future development. We’re committed to using our position, presence and insight to inform and grow the continent’s trade ecosystem,” she said.
Discussions over the reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a cornerstone of U.S. efforts to cultivate deeper economic relations with sub-Saharan Africa, allowing countries there export certain products to the U.S. duty-free. Last July, the Biden administration reported facilitating more than 900 deals across 47 African countries since 2021, for an estimated $22 billion in two-way trade and investment. Also, the U.S. private sector sealed investment deals exceeding $8.6 billion.
Fielding questions on the sidelines, Jonathan Stember says the growth potential in Africa is considerable and it is imperative for the US to rethink its business mindset and strategy towards Africa. As prominent figure in both political and corporate campaigns on a global scale for over 25 years, Jonathan Stember says there are broad areas of win-win partnerships and cooperation between US firms and entities and Africa.
Creating a reliable partnership, whether in Africa or globally, mirrors the challenges inherent in any business endeavor—it demands dedication and perseverance. Mutual trust is key for success among all parties involved. Communication, a fundamental aspect of human interaction, plays a crucial role in nurturing these partnerships. Our efforts have resulted in the establishment of bridges that facilitate connections between Africa and the U.S., fostering mutual growth and understanding. Africa presents an array of prospects spanning technology, youth empowerment, food security, trade and commerce, and the establishment of sustainable economies.
During the business sessions, CCA was proud to partner with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to celebrate its 20th anniversary and highlight MCC’s $10.4 billion U.S. government investment in infrastructure across more than 24 African countries. From power projects to roads, ports, education, ICT, health and more —MCC’s 42 country-driven development programs address binding constraints to economic growth. A high-level event celebrating MCC’s 20th anniversary featured the distinguished guests, including President George W. Bush and other notable U.S. government and African leaders.
MCC has worked side-by-side with partner countries to deliver on priorities that promote entrepreneurialism, private sector business investment and job creation for two decades. MCC’s anniversary event promises to set the tone for the summit, showcasing government and private sector commitment to partnership, U.S.-Africa trade, investment, business, and sustainable economic development.
U.S.-Africa business summit served as a platform for African and U.S. private sector and government representatives to engage at the highest levels on a range of issues impacting the U.S.-Africa economic relationship. The sessions focused on key sectors including agribusiness, energy, health, infrastructure, security, trade facilitation, ICT, creative industries, and finance.
The participants networked with key private sector and government officials, explored new business opportunities, interacted with potential business partners, and forged new business deals. In addition, the gathering also served as an opportunity to shape and advocate for effective U.S.-Africa trade and investment policies. Over the last 30 years, CCA has hosted more than 50 U.S. and African Heads of State and over 15,000 participants at its summits.
One distinguishing feature in U.S.-African relations is the Global Development Alliance (GDA) is USAID’s premier model for public-private partnerships. Its connectivity and support for the African-American diaspora in immeasurable. According to World Bank Statistics, remittance inflows to sub-Saharan Africa soared from $49 billion in 2021 to an estimated $68 billion. Beyond remittances, Africa stands to benefit largely from the input of its diaspora considered as progressive in the United States.
Over the years, African leaders have been engaging with their diaspora, especially those excelling in sports, academia, business, science, technology, engineering and other significant fields that the continent needs to optimize its diverse potentials and to meet development priorities. These professionals primarily leverage into various sectors, act as bridges between the United States and Africa. President Joe Biden has created the African Diaspora Advisory Council as part of the presidency. It has been working closely together to deepen and fortify America’s strategic partnerships with African diaspora, and in the interests of sustaining a meaningful stability between Africa and the United States.
Until today, the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) continues to run various educational and training programs including short professional courses, conferences and seminars for Africans. It has a number of other economic development programs, like the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program. Now, since its inception in 2019, this program has provided more than 5,400 women throughout Africa with the training and networks that they need to start and to scale small businesses.
The United States is not only the undisputed leader of the free world, but also home to the most dynamic African diaspora. The African diaspora ranks amongst the most educated immigrant group and is found excelling and making invaluable contributions in all sectors of life-business, medicine, healthcare, engineering, transportation and more. The contribution of the African diaspora is not negligible, we see more of them appointed to senior government positions by President Joe Biden.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai also told the gathering there about the necessity to establish more investment, in addition to market access. The duty-free access for nearly 40 African countries has boosted development, fostered more equitable and sustainable growth in Africa. The AGOA offered promise as a “stepping stone to address regional and global challenges” with Africa’s young and entrepreneurial population. The future is Africa, and engaging with this continent is the key to prosperity for all of us, according to Katherine Tai.
The last 2023 business summit was a tremendous success which took place in Botswana. The participants – most importantly – private sector corporate executives looked at Africa and the United States engaging in strategic dialogue on the key issues and opportunities driving U.S.-Africa trade, investment, and commercial engagement. “The pace of engagement with Africa by President Biden and his Cabinet Secretaries is unprecedented, especially the strong focus on supporting private sector trade and investment deals. There can be no mistaking the strength of President Biden and his Administration’s commitment to and engagement with Africa,” says Corporate Council on Africa chairperson Florie Liser.
The Texas business summit was organized by the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) in conjunction with the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which is an independent U.S. Government agency that partners with developing countries to reduce poverty through economic growth. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency and Foreign Affairs’ Africa Department offered its full-fledged support.
The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) is the leading U.S. business association focused solely on connecting business interests in Africa. According its reports, the CCA was established in 1993, and has been pivotal in promoting business and investment between Africa and the United States, serving as a trusted intermediary for over three decades. Its primary mission is to strengthen commercial relations between Africa and the United States of America.
Twenty exceptional faculty members were honored with the 2024 Dean’s Excellence Awards for their outstanding contributions across service, teaching, research, diversity enhancement, and mentorship within the School of Medicine. New to the awards this year is the Regional Site Award, which honors faculty from Heersink regional campuses for outstanding work in any of the five award categories.
This year, the selection committee saw a significant uptick in nominations, resulting in the strongest year to date for nomination volume.
The Dean’s Excellence Awards recipients are selected through a peer-review process facilitated by a member of the dean’s leadership team. Each honoree has been acknowledged for their outstanding accomplishments in crucial mission areas and has displayed an immense influence on both the Heersink School of Medicine and beyond.
This year, the selection committee saw a significant uptick in nominations, resulting in the strongest year to date for nomination volume. “I was thrilled to see a record number of nominations for this year’s Dean’s Excellence Awards for Faculty,” said Anupam Agarwal, M.D., dean of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.“Our faculty are extremely talented and dedicated, and this year’s volume of nominations is a testament to those qualities. Additionally, I am proud to expand the categories this year to include a new award for our regional campuses. This new category will highlight the outstanding work of our faculty members across the entire state of Alabama. Overall, the 2024 award winners exemplify the excellence of Heersink School of Medicine, and I congratulate each of them for being named a 2024 Dean’s Excellence Award winner.”
The 2024 winners of the Dean’s Excellence Awards are:
Tracey Wilson, M.D., FACS, professor in the Department of Urology, has been selected as the senior faculty winner for the Dean’s Excellence Award in Diversity and Enhancement. Wilson also serves as chair for the DEI Committee within the UAB Department of Urology.
Recognizing the importance of a broader perspective beyond her own experiences as a URiM physician, she enrolled in Cornell University’s Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program. Under her guidance, the committee has undergone a profound transformation, diligently ensuring that all departmental policies and procedures are approached with inclusivity in mind. This includes implementing an active protocol to address any micro or macroaggressions encountered by department members, restructuring the Clinical Competency Committee to better reflect the diverse resident population it evaluates, and facilitating role-playing and case-based learning sessions for faculty, residents, and staff to explore unconscious biases.
As the director of the Reproductive Organ Module (MS2), Wilson has significantly enhanced the medical education experience by integrating lectures on sexual health and transgender care. Notably, she presents a lecture on the contentious history of Urogynecology in Alabama in a non-confrontational manner. Her efforts have garnered recognition, as evidenced by her invitation to speak at next year’s annual George Yang Endowed Lectureship in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
“Dr. Tracey Wilson naturally exudes leadership in advancing representation and inclusivity in urology and medicine at large,” stated Soroush Rais-Bahrami, M.D., MBA, interim chair for the Department of Urology and close colleague of Wilson. “One would even say that the intentional process of promoting these elements is what Tracey embodies. Her efforts have helped shape and enrich our Heersink School of Medicine, university, region, and national landscape in medicine. As the first Black female faculty member across all surgical departments at UAB to be promoted to tenured professor, Dr. Wilson has broken the proverbial glass ceiling and educates others to see no bounds for their potential.”
Wilson ardently advocates for marginalized populations and their access to healthcare. She serves as the sole adult urologist providing maintenance care to adults with Spina Bifida in the nationally renowned Adult Spina Bifida Clinic. At a national level, she co-chairs the DEI Task Force of the Society of Urodynamics Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU). Through her leadership, she presented 10 recommendations to the Executive Committee, resulting in the adoption of six proposed bylaw changes aimed at fostering a more inclusive agenda and mission.
Andrea Gillis, M.D.
Andrea Gillis, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Surgery’s Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, is the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award for Faculty in Diversity Enhancement. She co-directs the Pre-College Research Internship for Students from Minority Backgrounds (PRISM) to help support and encourage students from underrepresented communities to pursue careers in healthcare and research.
Gillis received her medical degree from Columbia University and completed her surgical residency at Albany Medical Center in New York. She then joined the University of Alabama at Birmingham to complete her clinical fellowship in endocrine surgery. During her fellowship, Gillis was able to secure funding through the highly competitive National Cancer Institute Early Stage Surgeon-Scientist Program from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), becoming the first Black female academic endocrine surgeon to obtain NIH research funding.
Her dedication to research is driven by her desire to reduce healthcare disparities, especially among those from minority or socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, which is particularly important given the diverse patient population at UAB.
Gillis is a member of the Neuroendocrine Cancer Research Laboratory at UAB and excels in both clinical and translational research. Her current research interests focus on studying the role of epigenetic variations in pancreatic cancer. In addition to her research, Gillis is also an advocate for students from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds.
“The successes in her career not only impact clinical outcomes to reduce health disparities in diverse patient populations, but additionally contribute to equity and inclusion among future generations of surgeon-scientists. Dr. Gillis’s dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion has a far-reaching influence on patient outcomes and producing future researchers from widely diverse backgrounds,” said Herbert Chen, M.D., FACS, chair of the Department of Surgery.
Namasivayam Ambalavanan, M.D.
Namasivayam Ambalavanan, M.D., professor in the Department of Pediatrics’ Division of Neonatology, is the senior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Mentoring.
Ambalavanan serves as a mentor through many of his leadership roles including co-division director for the Division of Neonatology, program director for the Neonatology Fellowship Program, director of the Division of Neonatal Research, and director of the Translational Research in Normal and Disordered Development (TReNDD) Program. He has provided mentorship and training for many junior or mid-career faculty, fellows, post-doctoral students, residents, and medical students during his time at UAB.
Expanding his mentorship out of the Division of Neonatology, Ambalavanan created the TReNDD Program to provide mentorship across the Department of Pediatrics. Through his leadership and guidance, many of his mentees have received recent/current grant funding including the following grants, R01, R21, K08, K23, American Heart Association (AHA) Career Development Grant, AHA Health Equity Research Network Grant, R44, U34, UG1, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant, and Thrasher Research Fund.
“Dr. Ambal is an extraordinary asset to UAB and a valuable leader in educating the next generation of physician-scientists,” said Wally Carlo, M.D., co-director of the Division of Neonatology. “He is a superb director, mentor, and professor, and he deserves recognition for his continued mentoring excellence.”
Lynn Matthews, M.D.
Lynn Matthews, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, is the senior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Mentoring.
Matthews mentors undergraduate and graduate students, post-docs, and faculty in Alabama, Massachusetts, Uganda, and South Africa while also holding leadership positions at UAB focused on mentorship. Nearly all her mentees come from groups that are traditionally disadvantaged in medicine. Her mentees have published over 40 first-authored manuscripts and secured NIH and foundation funding. Her mentoring skills were evaluated as high impact by a panel of external reviewers.
Matthews served as the inaugural Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Developmental Core associate director. This inaugural year was incredibly successful, with 12 investigators meeting in person monthly to discuss often-undiscussed research topics and creating a safe space for peer networking and advising.
Matthews is also the associate director for the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health, in which she directs monthly research sessions, oversees pilot grants, and directs a seminar series. She mentors doctoral and post-doctoral fellows conducting patient-oriented research for the INSIGHT Fogarty D43 Training Program, between UAB, Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to this role, Matthews chairs the DREAM council for the Department of Medicine, awarding funds to support and recognize trainee research and organizing the Trainee Research Symposium.
“Dr. Matthews embodies the absolute spirit of mentoring,” said Renee Heffron, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and UAB Center for AIDS Research director, who nominated Jones for the honor. “She embodies that spirit with her trainees locally and globally, with a commitment to excellence, high quality, and innovation.”
Lily Gutnik, M.D.
Lily Gutnik, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Surgery’s Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, has been named the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Awards for Faculty in Mentoring. Gutnik also serves as the assistant professor of health policy and organization in UAB’s School of Public Health, assistant program director for the UAB General Surgery Residency in global surgery, and associate vice chair of global surgery. Through her many roles, she has demonstrated tremendous dedication to mentoring medical students and trainees at all levels, from undergraduates through fellows, across continents, including mentees in East Africa, and laying the foundation for their ongoing success.
Gutnik mentors undergraduates in summer research through the Surgery Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) and the UAB Cancer Research Immersion Program (CRISP). Nominated by her trainee in CRISP, Gutnik received the 2022 Excellence in Mentoring Award from the UAB Minority Health and Health Equity Research Center in recognition of her dedication to go above and beyond to help guide young investigators in the field of health disparities research.
The success of Gutnik’s mentoring can be measured in her mentees’ accomplishments, who have collectively presented more than 30 abstracts and posters at local, national, and international conferences and produced 19 manuscripts.
“Dr. Gutnik is emerging as an international leader and recognized mentor in breast cancer surgery, cancer prevention and control, and health disparities research,” said Herbert Chen, M.D., FACS, chair of the Department of Surgery. “Her mentees greatly benefit from her diligent dedication to mentoring at all levels of medical education and training.”
Sherell Hicks, M.D.
Sherell Hicks, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, is the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Mentoring.
Hicks joined the Department of Emergency Medicine in 2016 as a resident after completing medical school at the University of Tennessee. Following graduation in 2019, Hicks joined the department as faculty and soon became an Assistant Residency Program Director to pour back into the program that taught and trained her. In addition to her role in the program, Hicks serves pre-medical undergraduate students on their journey to apply to medical school through the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) at both UAB and on the national level. She also is the lead faculty member of the Lyons Learning Community, where she regularly leads students in discussions on culturally relevant topics such as physician wellness in the field, medical ethics, and elements of patient autonomy.
“Dr. Hicks has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to mentoring medical students and residents and has fostered a culture of growth in our department and in the Heersink School of Medicine. Her steadfast dedication to mentorship, characterized by compassion, insight, and unwavering support, has enriched the professional journeys of countless learners. It’s so great to see her outstanding contributions recognized,” said Charles Khoury, M.D., MSHA, associate professor and Residency Program director for the Department of Emergency Medicine.
Within the Department of Emergency Medicine, Hicks serves as the director of the Mentorship Program. She has fostered a family-like community among residents and faculty by forming groups that will extend through their time in the residency program and beyond. These groups gather on a regular basis and focus not only on professional development but also on supporting one another in the often intense yet fulfilling field of emergency medicine. More specifically, she created a mentorship group bringing together the females of the department, cleverly referred to as FEMinEM (females in emergency medicine).
“Dr. Hicks’ character, integrity, and commitment to her patients has been the basis from which she derives her philosophy for teaching and mentoring,” said Marie-Carmelle Elie, professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine. “She devotes her personal and professional energy to cultivate meaningful inclusive experiences for all of her students. She has made a significant impact on countless learners across the trajectory of our teaching curriculum at UAB. We are thrilled, proud, and not the least surprised that she has been honored for her testament to excellence.”
Pankaj Arora, M.D.
Pankaj Arora, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Cardiovascular Disease, is the senior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Research.
Arora’s interest in cardiovascular genetics led him to collaborate with NHLBI TOPMed co-investigators to lead the largest-ever investigation to discover the genomic determinants of natriuretic peptides. His passion for cardiovascular genetics led him to establish the UAB Cardiogenomics Clinic, one of only two such centers in the Southeast. In line with his clinical role as the director of the UAB Cardiogenomics Clinic, he recently identified that the amyloidogenic TTR V122I that disproportionately impacts African Americans is associated with heart failure and mortality. This landmark contribution led to the classification of TTR as a secondary finding reportable gene by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, which has landmark implications for over a million African Americans carrying the pathogenic TTR V122I.
Arora’s multidisciplinary, translational research program has now accumulated $13 million in extramural support, a testament to his efficiency, diligence, and leadership. His translational research program has made several seminal contributions toward understanding the mechanistic insights of NP-deficient populations such as obese individuals, individuals of African ancestry, and those with genetic variations. His contributions to advancing cardiovascular genomics and natriuretic peptide biology were nationally through his recent election to the American Society of Clinical Investigation.
“Dr. Arora is a stellar physician-scientist who has in a very short time established himself as an internationally recognized leader in cardiovascular genetics and natriuretic peptide physiology,” said Palaniappan Sethu, Ph.D., professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, who nominated Arora for the honor. “His research accomplishments include high-impact publications, substantial research funding, and patented therapeutic strategies.”
Gang Liu, M.D., Ph.D.
Gang Liu, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, is the senior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Research.
Liu has made significant strides in research on inflammasomes in lung inflammation and injury. This pioneering work garnered support from prestigious grants, including a NIAID R01 in 2023, demonstrating the novelty and importance of his research endeavors. His contributions to the field extend beyond inflammasome studies, with major advancements in ncRNA studies in lung diseases, as reflected in high-impact publications such as the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and JCI Insight.
Liu’s work in cellular metabolism in lung diseases, published in top journals including the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the Journal of Immunology, and the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, has similarly made a significant impact.
Liu has demonstrated his commitment to advancing scholarly discourse within respiratory research. He has authored over 100 manuscripts that have collectively amassed over 11,000 citations, reflecting the substantial impact of his work. His h-index of 62 in 2024 is a testament to the enduring significance and influence of his contributions to the scientific community. Liu’s expertise is acknowledged at a national level, as evidenced by his role in chairing multiple symposia at the annual meetings of the American Thoracic Society, including in 2023 and 2024.
“Gang Liu’s extraordinary accomplishments, leadership in the academic community, and groundbreaking research make him an exceptional researcher,” said Mark Dransfield, M.D., professor and director in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, who nominated Jones for the honor. “I believe that recognizing his achievements will not only honor Dr. Liu but also serve as an inspiration to the broader academic community.”
Romi Gupta, Ph.D.
Romi Gupta, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, is the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Research.
“We are fortunate to have Dr. Gupta in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. She’s a great scientist and a strong departmental citizen. Most importantly, she provides a great example of the quality of our faculty at UAB,” said David Bedwell, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics.
Gupta completed her graduate work in protein translation at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in 2009 before embarking on her postdoctoral training at Yale University. In 2019, she established her independent research group in the UAB Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. Her current research focuses on identifying new molecules and pathways, studying their role in tumor initiation and progression, and developing more effective and durable cancer therapies.
“Cancer ranks as one of the top causes of death globally. Cancer research has been transforming and saving innumerable lives every year. Any progress in the field of cancer therapy provides fresh hope to the cancer patients,” Gupta said.
Gupta is responsible for major breakthroughs related to novel genetic and epigenetic dependencies in different cancer types, as well as identifying new therapeutic targets and work from her group has been featured in several notable publications. Her expertise in both basic and translational research has earned her several awards from federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute and the Department of Defense.
Emily Wong, Ph.D.
Emily Wong, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, is the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Research.
Wong’s pioneering work in understanding the pathogenesis of tuberculosis (TB), identifying imaging and laboratory signatures, and enhancing immunity mechanisms in human hosts has significantly advanced our understanding of this global health challenge.
Wong’s research endeavors, conducted primarily in South Africa, have been instrumental in unraveling the complexities of TB and TB/HIV co-infection. Her focus on identifying relevant states along the TB spectrum and enhancing natural immunity to control disease progression has the potential to transform TB prevention and treatment strategies, particularly in high-burden settings.
One of Wong’s notable achievements is her success in securing external funding to support her research efforts. Her grant from the Burroughs-Wellcome Foundation to study subclinical tuberculosis underscores the significance and impact of her work in addressing critical gaps in TB research.
With over 60 manuscripts published in high-impact journals such as Nature and Nature Medicine, Wong made substantial contributions to the scientific literature on TB research. Her publications both contribute to academic discourse and inform policy and practice.
Wong’s impact extends to her invited lectures and presentations. She has been invited to speak on her research at 35 different venues, most of which occurred in the past three years alone. Her ability to effectively communicate complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences further amplifies the significance and relevance of her research on a global scale.
“Emily Wong’s exceptional contributions to TB research demonstrated through her innovative studies, successful grant funding, prolific publication record, and extensive dissemination efforts, make her an exemplary colleague.,” said J. Martin Rodriguez, M.D., professor, and interim director of the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases, who nominated Wong for the honor. “Her dedication to advancing scientific knowledge and addressing pressing global health challenges is commendable and deserving of recognition.”
John Fanning, M.D.
John E. Fanning, M.D., assistant professor and regional chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at the UAB Huntsville Regional Medical Campus, is the winner of the Dean’s Excellence Regional Site Award in Service.
With more than 25 years of experience as a community UAB faculty member prior to transitioning to a full-time faculty member in 2019, Fanning has made significant contributions to patient care, education, and administration.
“He has proven to be a true servant leader who strives to support his faculty in whatever way possible,” said Roger Smalligan, M.D., MPH, regional dean of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Huntsville Regional Medical Center. “Dr. Fanning is always available to his faculty and to me. The chairs of other departments look to him for wise advice as issues arise on our campus.”
Under his leadership, department meetings are collegial, and he celebrates the unique talents of each faculty member. His IT expertise, gained from serving as a physician-IT liaison at Huntsville Hospital, has been invaluable for advising on electronic medical record (EMR) issues. Fanning’s community engagement includes supervising hospice work, providing services at the Huntsville Community Free Clinic, and coordinating an inpatient geriatric consult service.
Fanning’s commitment to service goes beyond the clinic and hospital walls. After speaking at a national meeting of the Flying Physician Association—an organization dedicated to educational and safety efforts—he was entrusted with organizing their next scientific meeting and chairing their continuing medical education efforts. His involvement in academic public service includes serving as the department chair and contributing to various committees.
In addition to his professional commitments, Fanning engages with the community through podcasts hosted by the American College of Physicians Alabama/Mississippi Chapter. He also occasionally provides news interviews when called upon. His demeanor reflects the utmost respect and professionalism in all aspects of his work.
“His dedication exemplifies excellence and positively impacts both patients and colleagues,” Smalligan said.
Quince Gibson, M.D.
Quince Gibson, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Surgery’s Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, has been named the winner of the Dean’s Excellence Regional Site Award in Service. He is currently dedicating his services to UAB General Surgery at Whitfield Regional Hospital (WRH) in Demopolis, Alabama. Over the past three years, Gibson has shown significant commitment toward Central Alabama, including Marengo, Sumter, Greene, Hale, Perry, and Choctaw counties.
Gibson began his journey at the Medical School of Loma Linda University and continued with his general surgery residency at UAB. During his residency, he took the initiative to organize his own international rotation in Malawi, Africa. This is a testament to his proactive approach to addressing global health disparities.
Gibson shares his experiences and insights with residents, inspiring them with the benefits of global surgery. When the opportunity to serve the people of rural Alabama arose, he saw it as a natural progression in his mission to help underserved and underrepresented communities. He excelled at bringing these communities surgical options and care previously not available.
Gibson has played a crucial role in improving the medical facilities at Whitfield Regional Hospital. Thanks to his efforts, medical students and residents were brought in, and modern equipment was made available to the hospital. As a result, patients in the local area now have access to advanced medical services such as robotic surgery, minimally invasive bariatric surgery, and lifestyle medicine services. Additionally, elective procedures can now be scheduled with shorter wait times.
“Dr. Gibson’s passion for impacting the health of international and underserved communities started before medical school in inner city Baltimore where he saw the impact of health illiteracy and socioeconomic barriers on those in his community,” said Herbert Chen, M.D., FACS, chair of the Department of Surgery. “His dedication is quite extraordinary. Dr. Gibson’s commitment to service to rural and underserved populations within our state is truly an inspiration and incredible role model to all.”
Jeffrey Blount, M.D.
Jeffrey P. Blount, M.D., MPH, professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and director of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, has been awarded the senior faculty Dean’s Excellence Award for Service.
After earning his medical degree at the University of Rochester, Blount successfully completed his neurosurgical residency at the University of Minnesota before dedicating three years to providing care in the U.S. Navy at the Naval Medical Center San Diego. To further his expertise in pediatric neurosurgery, Blount completed a fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Blount has devoted his career to improving lifelong care for individuals with spina bifida, and advocates tirelessly for spina bifida prevention, intervention and education.
Blount serves as medical director for the Comprehensive Spina Bifida Program at Children’s of Alabama, where he led the development of a pre-natal spina bifida clinic and was instrumental in establishing the UAB Transitional Spina Bifida Clinic.
As co-founder of the Global Alliance for Prevention of Spina Bifida (GAPSBiF), Blount’s efforts were transformative in the organization’s successful petition of the World Health Organization to adopt resolution 76.19, which calls for countries to implement large scale food fortification to combat micronutrient deficiencies that lead to neural tube defects, like spina bifida. His work advocating for folic acid supplementation has the potential to positively impact the lives of 250,000 babies each year, globally.
Blount remains committed to patient care, student mentorship, resident and fellow training, research, and institutional service.
“This is a well-deserved award for Dr. Blount, who has put so much of his time and energy in caring for patients with spina bifida as a neurosurgeon, but also in the interest of public health and prevention of the disease itself,” says James Markert, M.D., MPH, James Garber Galbraith Endowed Chair of Neurosurgery and Department of Neurosurgery professor. “It’s unusual for a neurosurgeon to have such potential global impact, in addition to the day-to-day impact Jeff makes on individual patients and their families’ lives. We are very proud of his perseverance and dedication to this patient population.”
Helen Krontiras, M.D.
Helen Krontiras, M.D., is a professor of surgery and chief of the Department of Surgery’s Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery. She also serves as the medical director of the UAB Multidisciplinary Breast Clinic and the co-director of the Breast Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment Clinic.
“As one of the most senior surgeons in the Department of Surgery at UAB, she has served as an exemplar and mentor to many women surgeons and to those who aspire to a career in surgery. She gives willingly of her time to mentor trainees,” said Herbert Chen, M.D., FACS, chair of the Department of Surgery.
Krontiras attended medical school and surgical residency at UAB. After completing a breast surgery clinical fellowship at Northwestern University, she returned to UAB as a faculty member.
Krontiras is a strong advocate for quality improvement and assurance in healthcare. Her involvement includes analyzing and reviewing ambulatory quality outcomes regularly to deliver high-quality, cost-effective care. In 2018, she became the first female in the Department of Surgery at UAB to receive an endowed professorship, the Kirby I. Bland, M.D., Endowed Professorship.
Krontiras has pioneered several key strategic initiatives that were novel at the time and are now common at academic cancer centers. These include the establishment of an interdisciplinary breast clinic and the incorporation of nurse practitioners into the breast health program to increase access. In recognition of her work, she was nominated for the Women Who Shape the State of Alabama award, which recognizes women who have made long-lasting contributions to the state.
“Dr. Krontiras’s significant contributions as a breast surgical oncologist, quality leader, and mentor epitomize the Dean Excellence Award in Service,” said Chen.
Kara Huls, M.D.
Kara Huls, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics’ Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, is the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Service.
Since joining UAB in 2018, Huls has served as the medical director of the Children’s of Alabama Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program and the Children’s of Alabama Sunrise Clinic for human trafficking survivors. In this unique niche in pediatrics, she has created a safe clinical space in the Sunrise Clinic and brings empathy and advocacy to survivors of sexual assault and commercial exploitation.
Huls received the Inaugural Outstanding Victim Protection in Countering Human Trafficking Award from the US Department of Homeland Security last year. Nationally, she is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Child Abuse and Neglect Section on Urgent Care Medicine and the Section on Early Career Pediatrician. Locally, she is a member of End It Alabama, a project of the Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Trauma-Informed Care Task Force at Children’s of Alabama.
“Dr. Huls is a true leader who has changed the landscape locally and nationally for care of human trafficking,” said Kathy Monroe, M.D., director of the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine. “She is an outstanding academic physician that has the utmost compassion and the highest level of integrity. She has been an inspiration to countless patients, families, faculty, and staff. She is a game-changer and a hero.”
Patrick Hussey, M.D.
Patrick Hussey, M.D., FASE, assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, is the junior faculty member winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Service.
Hussey joined the department in 2020 after completing his residency at Columbia University and cardiothoracic anesthesia fellowship at UAB. Since joining UAB, he has worked with all members of the anesthesia care team to restructure departmental organization for improved operations and was recently appointed director of faculty scheduling.
“Dr. Hussey always focuses on how he can contribute to the department’s mission,” says Dan. E. Berkowitz, M.D., Alfred Habeeb Professor and Chair. “This altruism is best reflected in what one might say is the most ambitious, complex, and controversial role.”
In addition to his leadership in operational advancements, Hussey boasts 14 original publications and is recognized as an outstanding teacher by anesthesiology residents and fellows. He is also currently pursuing a Master of Science in Health Administration from UAB.
“While Dr. Hussey’s tenure is relatively short, he has been able to make profound changes in the operational structure and functioning of our department,” Berkowitz says. “He continually invests in himself, his leadership, and his future in serving his peers to enhance our practice. Dr. Hussey’s enthusiasm to better himself and those around him is the truest act of service and exemplifies his tireless commitment to UAB.”
James Hwang, M.D.
James Hwang, M.D, associate professor in the Department of Surgery’s Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, director of UAB’s Burn Center, and chief of the Burn Service at UAB, has been selected as the senior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Awards for Teaching. He currently serves as UAB’s only burn surgeon.
Since 2019, Hwang has taught advanced surgical skills for exposure in trauma courses to residents and faculty. As assistant residency program director for Surgical Technical Skill Development, he identified a gap in surgical technical teaching—a lack of a structured curriculum emphasizing technique with feedback built into the process. In response, Hwang developed and launched a 12-week series designed for junior interns (PGY-1s and PGY-2s). The resident response was significant—80% of participants said the courses were “very beneficial” to their residency training. This course will now be annual and mandatory and will be introduced during orientation.
Additionally, last year, Hwang’s rotation in the Burn Center was voted as the Most Outstanding PGY-1 Rotation, proving that residents recognize Hwang’s commitment to their future success as surgeons.
“Dr. Hwang has demonstrated a passion for educating the next generation of surgeons,” said Herbert Chen, M.D., FACS, chair of the Department of Surgery. “Given Dr. Hwang’s dedication to the training of the next generation of surgeons, he clearly shares UAB Medicine’s mission to set ‘the highest standards for medical innovation and education.’”
Hwang is extremely clinically active, generating between 20,000 and 22,000 work RVUS each year—about 2.5 times what is considered full-time for a surgeon, in addition to overseeing complex wound management cases.
He is an instructor for the Advanced Trauma Life Support and Advanced Burn Life Support courses, providing knowledge for the immediate care of burn patients.
In the fall of 2023, Hwang and his burn team co-hosted the Southern Region Burn Conference with the Southern Medical Association, bringing nearly 300 burn medical professionals to Birmingham to learn about current interventions, protocols, treatment modalities, research, and critical pathways to advance patient care.
Ryan Kraemer, M.D.
Ryan Kraemer, M.D., professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of General Internal Medicine, is the senior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Teaching.
Kraemer is the program director of the largest UAB residency—Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program—which trains roughly 120 internal medicine physicians each year. During his work with this program, Kraemer’s medical students and residents consistently rate him as an excellent teacher.
Kraemer created innovative curricula that impacted hundreds of residents and students, such as the “Medical Education Elective” and “Creating Effective Resident Teachers,” which led to the development of the Clinician Educator Track. He developed evidence-based programs that save lives, avoid harm, and improve teaching in the clinic.
Kraemer is a sought-after speaker in medical education, locally and nationally. He translates scholarship education into educational practice, with 18 peer-reviewed publications, including the Journal of the American Medicine Association Internal Medicine, the Journal of General Internal Medicine, and Circulation. Nationally, Kraemer influences medical education policy and advocacy through the American College of Physicians (ACP). Within ACP, he served as chair of the Council of Early Career Physicians, several Education and Publication committees, and has also served on the Board of Governors and the Board of Regents.
“Dr. Kraemer has solidified UAB’s national reputation in education,” said Carlie Stein Somerville, M.D., associate professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, who nominated Kraemer for the honor. “He is a selfless leader, trusted mentor, and dedicated educator who continues to impact the future of medicine through his commitment to medical education.”
Jessica Fazendin, M.D.
Jessica Fazendin, assistant professor and director of medical student surgery clerkships for the Department of Surgery, has been named the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Awards in Teaching.
Fazendin is a highly respected educator, as evidenced by her receipt of the 2022 and 2023 Argus Award in Clinical Education and her current nomination for the 2024 President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at UAB.
Heavily involved in educational service at UAB and nationally, Fazendin currently is a member of the Department of Surgery’s Residency Advisory Faculty Team (RAFT) Committee and Residency Screening and Residency Selection Committees, the Heersink Medical Education Committee, and Short-Term Research Experiences Advancing Medical Students (STREAMS) Selection Committee.
“Dr. Fazendin devotes a tremendous amount of time and effort to working with approximately one quarter of the medical students currently at UAB. This undertaking alone is indicative of her passion for teaching,” said Herbert Chen, M.D., FACS, chair of the Department of Surgery. “Dr. Fazendin truly has an innate ability for teaching and training that makes her not only quite effective but also a student favor consistently year after year.”
Nationally, she is a member of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons Education Readiness Task Force, the Education Committee, and the Entrustable Professional Activities Committee for Fellowship Education.
Fazendin also serves as deputy chief of surgery and residency site director at the Birmingham Veterans Administration Medical Center and lead learning community mentor of the Kirklin Learning Community at the Heersink School of Medicine. She is also a Consultant for the American Board of Surgery and a member of the Student and Resident Scholars (STARS) Committee of the American Journal of Surgery. She has authored two publications for the Surgical Council on Resident Education (SCORE) General Surgery Resident Curriculum.
Jeremey Walker, M.D.
Jeremey Walker, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, is the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Teaching.
Walker is deeply dedicated to UAB, completing his medical school, residency, chief resident year, and fellowship at this university. Walker has received many awards as recently as 2023, when he received an Argus Award for Best Educator, an Argus Award for Best Block Leader, the Cobbs/Rutsky Award for Clinical Excellence, and the Top 10 Overall Teaching Excellence Award in the Department of Medicine.
Walker is the co-director of the Longitudinal Microbiology Curriculum, as well as co-director of the Medicine Clerkship for MS-3 students. At the national level, Walker is a member of the American Society of Transplantation Infectious Diseases Community of Practice Education Sub-Group and has participated in the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Medical Education workgroups. He also serves on the HSF Medical Education Grant Review Committee and is a member of various medical education task forces for the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.
Walker’s innovations in medical education are best exemplified by his leadership in developing and implementing digital education tools locally, nationally, and internationally. His Infectious Diseases (ID) Fellows Cup-Kaizen program has been popular among ID trainees and specialists, reaching nearly 1,700 unique learners, and fostering 160,482 teaching moments. His work as an educator was recognized by the IDSA naming him the Featured Educator of the Month.
“Dr. Walker’s impact on medical education at all levels makes him an outstanding faculty member,” said J. Martin Rodriguez, M.D., professor and interim director of the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases, who nominated Walker for the honor. “I anticipate he will continue to be a star in medical education and look forward to his continued success.”
And body language expert Judi James says that the Duchess of Sussex has been combining her experience of both celebrity and royalty defining her as ‘a host’ throughout the tour.
Speaking to The Sun, Judi explains: “Meghan unfurls into a body language state here that defines her as a host and a leader at this event.
“Her arrival body language in Nigeria did put Harry in a slightly more ‘leading man’ role, but it was still Meghan excelling at the stardust-strewn waves, smiles and touch rituals like this sweet over-the-one-hunched-shoulder red carpet-style wave and self-diminishing shrug.”
“At the leadership event though she appears solo and in fully gracious, regal-looking form,” she says.
“Straight-backed and with her shoulders and arms held back she glides into the room with a much more elegant, Duchess-like social smile.
“When she poses for photos it is her arm around the other guest’s shoulders as she turns to face-check, chatting while showing high levels of confidence.
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“She is more tempered here though, steering others and indicating with one hand for another guest to sit, she even performs a less tactile greeting ritual on her stage host, holding out one arm in an initiating announcement gesture before leaning in for a cheek kiss, but turning her head and keeping a slight gap between them as they kiss to take the lead in terms of making it a more formal ritual.
“The leadership event is the perfect audience for Meghan and signals of confidence ooze from her here as she clutches the mic with her shoulders angles and a wide, beaming, symmetric smile of genuine pleasure.”
Meghan calls Nigeria ‘my country’ after arriving HOUR late to talk as pals reveal Harry ‘deeply stung’ by King snub
The Sussexes are on the third of a three day “faux Royal” tour of the African nation – having visited a warzone, played volleyball and even stood up for God Save The King.
Speaking at the even in the capital Abuja on Saturday, Meghan said: “I want to start by saying thank you very much for just how gracious you’ve all been in welcoming my husband and I to this country… my country.
“I am just flattered and honored and inspired. It has been a whirlwind 24 hours since we arrived.
“And I very quickly got the memo that I need to wear more colour, so I can fit in with all of you and your incredible fashion.”
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Judi says Meghan has been ‘oozing confidence’ during the tourCredit: Reuters
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Judi says that Meghan has also been showcasing a more formal body languageCredit: AP
Meghan has spoken about her love of “beige” in past interviews, telling a 2022 Netflix documentary: “When I was in the UK I rarely wore colour.
“I wore a lot of muted tones… I also wore it so I could just blend in.”
The Duchess of Sussex recently discovered she was 43 percent Nigerian, according to a genealogy test.
After finding out her ancestry, she said she rang her mum “because I wanted to know if she had any awareness of it”.
She said the discovery was “exciting for both of us” because being African-American “is really not knowing so much about your lineage or background, where you come from specifically”.
The 42-year-old explained: “It’s been really eye-opening and humbling to be able to know more about my heritage and to be able to know this is just the beginning of that discovery.”
It comes as pals revealed Harry made a request to King Charles to stay at a Royal residence while in the UK this week.
But for unknown reasons, the Duke of Sussex ended up staying in a hotel, and the missed opportunity to see his dad “deeply stung”.
A friend told The Sunday Times: “It surprises me a lot. I was fully expecting them to meet.
“I know that’s what he wanted to happen and I don’t know when he’s next back.”
Staying in a royal residence would have made seeing the King logistically easier for Harry – who were less than 3 miles away from each other on Wednesday.
Meghan & Harry’s links to Africa
Harry has had a long relationship with Africa, even taking his now-wife Meghan to Botswana for a camping trip as one of their early dates.
Meghan is said to want to “explore her ancestry and lineage” while thereafter revealing she was “43% Nigerian”.
In 2019 the couple embarked on a tour of southern Africa.
During the time apart Meghan told journalists she was struggling to cope with them being apart.
The Duke has also established a charity to help African orphans, Sentebale, with Prince Seeiso from Lesotho.
The Sussexes touched down in the capital Abuja on Friday morning to promote the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada.
The event – which sees injured servicemen and women compete in a range of athletics events – was founded by Prince Harry and is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
The Sussexes began their “faux-Royal tour” with a visit to Lightway Academy, a primary and secondary school in the capital.
On Saturday, Harry showed off his competitive side at an Invictus Games sitting volleyball event – just days after Prince William also tried his hand at the sport.
At a charity event that night, Harry and Meghan were pictured standing for God Save The King.
The region has seen horrific fighting between nomadic Fulani herdsman and farmers, as well as an insurgency by Boko Haram Islamists.
While at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, the Duke shook hands with around 50 wounded soldiers and asked one bed-ridden hero if he’d named his prosthetic leg.
While holding the hand of another man, Harry asked: “Are they helping you? Are you feeling better?”
The 39-year-old was given a “big gown” and hula cap as a going home present from Kaduna governor Uba Sani.
The Duke and Duchess were welcomed to Lagos, Nigeria early on Sunday as they began their third day of their visit.
Harry and Meghan, in a Caroline Herrera button down and a Nigerian skirt gifted to her, arrived to a typically noisy and acrobatic dance performance.
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One move even saw a young boy being thrown between two dancers. The couple gasped and clapped as the dancers were hoisted up and created human towers.
After arriving at Lagos airport from Abuja they headed to a city school to take part in an event with non-profit Giants of Africa.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on a three-day tour of NigeriaCredit: Getty
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Judi says that Harry took the lead over Meghan when they first arrivedCredit: AFP
When Beyoncé and Jay Z announced back in January 2017 they were expecting twins, the Beyhive was abuzz and the Twitterverse was in straight pandemonium. It wasn’t long until they welcomed Rumi and Sir into the world; and since then, everyone’s twin radar has been pinging non-stop. We were curious: How many other celebs are the parents of twins? We set to searching — and we found so many more than we expected.
Super high-profile couples like George and Amal Clooney, whose twins Ella and Alex keep them on their toes with their linguistic skills — and former couple Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony welcomed twins Max and Emme in February 2008. Hilary Swank and Philip Schneider are new to the twin family, welcoming their boy and girl twins in April 2023!
Also in the parents-of-twins club: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, Julia Roberts and Danny Moder, and so. many. more. And while these celebs, of course, all love their kids to pieces, they’ve gotten candid about the challenges of being pregnant with twins and raising twins over the years too.
“Carrying twins was really uncomfortable because you lay on one side and you feel there’s a baby, and you lay on the other side and you feel there’s a baby,” Jennifer Lopez told Parade in 2010.
And Modern Family star Julie Bowen vented about the sibling rivalry that can arise in twins: “They’re also siblings who want to be together, but they compete,” she told The Huffington Post in 2014. “They’re going to become their own people because I’m going to talk to them and I’m going to interact with them, not because I necessarily drove one of them to pottery and one of them to karate.”
Folks, we’ve just grazed the surface. Here are 80 celeb couples with a beautiful, precious set of twins.
A version of this article was originally published in June 2017.
Tom Payne & Jennifer Akerman
Image Credit: Penske Media via Getty Images
The Walking Dead‘s Tom Payne his wife Jennifer Åkerman welcomed twins in April 2024.
“An entirely unexpected and wonderful surprise,” the couple said in a statement. “[Our son] Harrison is over the moon to have not one but two new siblings.”
“Jennifer and I have joked that he had something to do with this because there’s nothing he likes more than a house full of people,” they continued.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Image Credit: Will Palmer/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Famed soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo welcomed Cristiano Jr. back in 2010. Seven years later, he welcomed twins Eva Maria and Mateo via surrogate. Later in 2017, his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez gave birth to Ronaldo’s fourth baby. In Oct. 2021, Ronaldo announced that he and Rodriguez were expecting twins, but six months later he shared the tragic news that their daughter Bella was born but her twin brother Ángel had tragically died.
In an interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo got candid about how they’ve discussed the baby boy’s death with the other kids.
“Gio arrived home and the kids start to say, ‘Where’s the other baby, where’s the other baby?’…After one week I said, ‘Let’s be upfront, and let’s be honest with the kids, let’s say that, Ángel, which is his name, he go to the Heaven.’”
Hilary Swank & Philip Schneider
Image Credit: NBC via Getty Images
Hilary Swank and Philip Schneider are the parents of boy and girl twins! The Million Dollar Baby star announced the birth of her twins over Easter weekend 2023, with a super cute photo of mom and babies.
“It wasn’t easy. But boy (and girl!) was it worth it. 👼🏼🤍👼🏼” she wrote on Instagram. “Happy Easter! 🐣🐣 Posting from pure Heaven. 🙌🏽”
Gordon Ramsay
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images
Gordon Ramsay has five children with his wife Cayetana Hutcheson. There’s Megan (b. 1998), Matilda (aka Tilly) (b. 2001), and Oscar (b. 2019). Right there in the middle are twins Holly and Jack (b. 2000).
In a Larry King interview, he admitted he’s “not a hands-on” father in a quote that is very on-brand for the notoriously harsh chef.
“The time I have with the family is little,” he said. “But it’s quality. I’ve never been one to be home, I’ve never been a hands-on dad. I’m not ashamed to admit it, but you can’t run a restaurant and be home for tea at 4:30 and bath and change nappies.”
Courtney B. Vance & Angela Bassett
Image Credit: Photo by Lexie Moreland/WWD via Getty Images.
Did you know Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett welcomed twins named Slater Josiah and Bronwyn Golden in 2006?!
Jensen Ackles & Danneel Harris
Image Credit: Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images.
Supernatural star Jensen Ackles and his wife Danneel Harris welcomed twins Zeppelin Bram and Arrow Rhodes back in 2016.
Lisa Marie Presley
Image Credit: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images
The late Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of music legend Elvis Presley, had four children. She shared Benjamin (1992-2020) and Riley (b. 1989) with ex-husband Danny Keough. In 2008, she welcomed twin daughters Harper and Finley with then-husband Michael Lockwood.
“I just smother [my kids] in love,” Preseley said while speaking to Healthy Living in 2014. “They are my priority. That’s what I do. That’s what I care most about. I keep them close to me and make sure they are happy and healthy.”
Ashley Graham
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A year after giving birth to twins Malachi and Roman (b. 2022), supermodel Ashley Graham posted a photo on Instagram of her squeezing her bare postpartum belly, and followers were so appreciative.
“I wish I saw a post like this when I was younger. The impact of photos like these is substantial,” one person commented.
“🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥so beautiful – I love it,” another said.
Graham also shares Isaac (b. 2020) with husband Justin Ervin.
Nick Cannon
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Father of 12 Nick Cannon has not one, but two sets of twins! He welcomed Moroccan and Monroe in April 2011 with then-wife Mariah Carey. He also has Zion and Zillion who he had with ex Abby De La Rosa in June 2021.
Madonna
Image Credit: Amy Sussman/WWD.
Legendary singer Madonna has six children, two of whom are her twin girls Estere and Stella, whom she adopted in Feb. 2017 from Malawi.
Elon Musk & Justine Musk
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Elon Musk and his first wife Justine Musk welcomed six children into the world during their ten-year relationship. They first had a child named Nevada Alexander Musk in 2002, who died from sudden infant syndrome. After his death, they welcomed twin boys Griffin and Xavier Musk in April 2004 after IVF treatments. Soon after that, they even welcomed triplet boys!
Matthew & Kelly Stafford
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NFL star Matthew Stafford and his wife Kelly are parents of twin girls Chandler and Sawyer, born in March 2017. The couple also share daughters Hunter Hope, born in August 2018, and Tyler Hall, born in June 2020.
Bryan Greenberg & Jamie Chung
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On October 24, 2021, singer Bryan Greenberg took to Instagram to announce that he and wife Jamie Chung were a family of four! “We got double the trouble now [Jamie Chung],” Greenberg captioned a video, featuring the proud dad snuggling the two infants on his chest. Chung commented with two red heart emojis.
Michael Turchin & Lance Bass
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Lance Bass and Michael Turchin officially became the parents of twins on October 13, 2021. The couple welcomed Violet Betty and Alexander James via surrogate, annoucing the thrilling news on Instagram on October 14.
“The baby dragons have arrived!!” Bass wrote via social media. “I can not express how much love I feel right now. Thank you for all the kind wishes. It meant a lot. Now, how do you change a diaper??! Ahhhhhhhh!”
Lauren Burnham & Arie Luyendyk Jr.
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The Bachelor alums Lauren Burnham and Arie Luyendyk Jr. joined the club on June 11, 2021. They had a boy and girl, Lux and Senna. Lauren shared with People when exactly they decided what to call their little ones.
“We’ve had them picked out for the last couple of years,” she admitted. “We came up with [daughter] Alessi’s name. Right after we decided on her name, we actually chose the next two for our boy and our girl.”
The couple welcomed Alessi in May 2019.
Kristen Wiig & Avi Rothman
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Kristen Wiig and husband Avi Rothman welcomed twins via surrogate in Feb. 2021— the actress and comedian kept her motherhood plans a secret but fans speculated after she hinted she’d soon become a parent during an SNL monologue for Mother’s Day. “I don’t know if I truly appreciated my mom the first 45 years of my life,” Wiig said. “But this year I’m feeling especially grateful for her advice, her love. I’m so thankful for all the things she’s taught me, like preparing me to be a mom myself.”
On David Letterman’s Netflix talk show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, George Clooney gushed about Amal‘s transition into motherhood, saying, “She is sort of this remarkable human being and now mother which is something, I suppose, you should assume she would be wonderful at as well. But, when you see it in person, it makes you feel incredibly proud and also incredibly small.”
Beyoncé & Jay-Z
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Queen Beyoncé & Jay-Z welcomed twins Rumi and Sir in June 2017. Why those names, you ask? Just a few months after their birth, Jay-Z opened up to the Rap Radar podcast about how those names came about.
“Rumi is our favorite poet, so it was for our daughter,” he said. “Sir was like, man, come out the gate. He carries himself like that. He just came out, like, Sir.”
The couple also share Blue Ivy who was born in 2012.
Angelina Jolie Pitt & Brad Pitt
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Exes Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt continue to co-parent their children, including twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline, who were born in July 2008.
“I think one of the life-changing things that he did, one of many, is that I was absolutely never going to get pregnant,” Jolie told W magazine in October 2008, just months after the birth of the twins. “I never felt that it was the right thing to do. Now I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world. It taught me a lot about life, just the process of it, and now we have three other beautiful children that wouldn’t otherwise be here.”
The former couple also share Maddoz Chivan, Zahara Marley, Shiloh Nouvel, and Pax Thien who were all born in the early aughts.
Denzel Washington & Pauletta Pearson
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Olivia and Malcolm, Denzel Washington and Pauletta Pearson’s twins, were born in 1991. Since then, they have certainly followed their parents’ footsteps: Malcolm recently graduated from the American Film Institute Conservatory in 2016, and Olivia has had several roles on film and television, including The Butler, Empire, Mr. Robot and Madoff.
They also share John David (b. 1984) and Katia (b. 1987).
Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony
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“It’s hard to get my head around the fact that it’s been 10 years since these two forces of nature came into my world and changed my life forever,” Lopez wrote in a video caption in Feb. 2018. “You healed my soul and rejuvenated my existence… you taught me about love and life and myself in a way I never imagined… and I am forever in love with those beautiful faces…”
Jaime Pressly & Hamzi Hijazi
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Mom star Jamie Pressly and Hamzi Hijazi welcomed twin sons Leo and Lenon in October 2017. She shared the news on Instagram alongside an adorable snap of the newborns.
“They’re here! Introducing our new additions, Leo and Lenon, born October 16th. #DoubleTrouble,” she wrote.
The twins have a brother Dezi who is 10 years older than them.
Angela Bassett & Courtney B. Vance
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This Golden Globe-winning mom and Emmy-winning dad welcomed Slater Josiah and Bronwyn Golden in 2006.
“Even from the age of four, from preschool, they’ve had to deal with — and as crazy as it seems or sounds — color issues,” she says. “Or because they were African Americans, and whether other kids will play with them or have issue with that. It makes you gasp and it just squeezes your heart sometimes, because you never want your kids to go through these sort of pain issues.”
Tilda Swinton & John Byrne
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Doctor Strange‘s Tilda Swinton and former partner John Byrne’s twins, Honor and Xavier, were born in 1997.
Garcelle Beauvais & Mike Nilon
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This Jamie Foxx Show star and ex-husband Mike Nilon welcomed Jax Joseph and Jaid Thomas in 2007. The couple split in 2012, but have since co-parented their kids.
“I’m not gonna lie. It breaks my heart when I hear them say to their friends, ‘I’m at Mommy’s house this week.’ Even when they’re not with me, they are constantly on my mind,” she wrote in a blog for People in 2014.
“Luckily, co-parenting with Mike has been a blessing because we let each other see the boys even when it’s not his or my week. That’s because we put them first,” she continues. “It’s better for them to see us both at their sporting events and school activities.”
Beauvais also has a son Oliver (b. 1991) who she shares with ex-husband Daniel Saunders.
Anna Paquin & Stephen Moyer
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These True Blood co-stars-turned-married couple have fraternal twins, Poppy and Charlie, born in 2012. Since then, you’ve likely not seen many, if any, photos of their kids — and that’s exactly how Anna Paquin prefers it.
“You won’t find any pictures of my children. That’s a choice we made very specifically. I want the right to say that they’re not fair game,” she told Today in February 2018. “Don’t mess with my cubs.”
Céline Dion & René Angélil
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After struggling with infertility, Céline Dion and her late husband René Angélil welcomed twins Eddy and Nelson in 2010. They also shared son René-Charles who was born in 2001. After the death of Angélil in 2016, Dion opened up to The Sun about how her twins helped her through the grieving process, saying, “I organize myself to not feel lonely. So I got myself a huge, huge, huge bed and I sleep with my twins. They are comforting me a lot. I need them. I need them close.”
Elsa Pataky & Chris Hemsworth
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The man behind the big screen’s Thor welcomed twins Tristan and Sasha with wife Elsa Pataky in 2014, increasing their litter from one to three. The twins joined sibling India Rose, who was born two years earlier.
One of the couple’s goals for their kids? To keep them grounded.
“As a kid, we had very little money, and my parents saved up all year to just pay for a two-week camping vacation,” Hemsworth told People in 2017. “Financially, we’re in a different position, but I want to make sure they know these things don’t come easy. You have to work for it, and you can’t take it for granted.”
Beverly D’Angelo & Al Pacino
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Anton James and Olivia Rose have power parents: Al Pacino and National Lampoon‘s Beverly D’Angelo. D’Angelo was 49 years old when she gave birth to the twins in 2001, and two years later, they split.
A bitter custody battle over their fraternal twins ensued, and 15 years later, D’Angelo has forgiven Pacino for launching the battle, telling Closer magazine in July 2017, “The key thing is creating a new history, and moving on from whatever dissolved that relationship to the new one of co-parenting. The most important thing I’ve learned is how vital acceptance is.”
Pacino had a third child in 1989, Julie Pacino, with ex-girlfriend Jan Tarrant.
Christine Lahti & Thomas Schlamme
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The Blacklist actress and hubby Thomas Schlamme’s twins, Joseph Tabor and Emma Kate, were born in ’93, five years after their brother Wilson. And after twenty-five years of parenting, it looks like the tables have turned: In an interview with The Mary Sue in 2016, Christine Lahti reveals the lesson she learned from her own daughter, Emma Kate.
“I teach a lot of master classes and tell my students, especially young women, if you want to act you need to also write and direct and produce,” she starts. “You need to create your own stuff, because you can’t be dependent on others hiring you. And I learned that from my daughter, who is 22 and such a feminist and empowered. She wants to be a singer-songwriter, so she’s going to do it all herself. She’s producing the whole thing. And I’m inspired by her and the other young women who are just doing it. And the internet is such a help. It allows them to self-promote and be creative.”
Deanna Daughtry & Chris Daughtry
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In 2010, American Idol rocker Chris Daughtry and wife Deanna welcomed Adalynn Rose and Noah James.
“Being a father has made me grow up,” Chris told People in 2013. “Life is about more than just me. I’ve got a great wife, great kids, and a great life now.”
Chuck Norris & Gena O’Kelley
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Chuck Norris and second wife Gena O’Kelley’s twins were born in 2001 and are named Dakota Alan and Danilee Kelly are following in Norris’ footsteps: In 2016, they passed their second-degree black belt test!
Norris has three other kids from previous relationships.
Dennis Quaid & Kimberly Buffington
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Quaid and ex-wife Kimberly Buffington’s twins Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace were born via surrogate in 2007. The twins made headlines when just two weeks after they were born, they were accidentally given an overdose of the blood thinner Heparin.
“It turned their blood to the consistency of water,” Quaid said on the Allegedly podcast in 2015. “The danger would be rupturing an artery. And they were so small they couldn’t thrash around. I think that’s what saved them.”
Quaid also shares son Jack (b. 1992) with ex Meg Ryan.
Dania Ramirez & Bev Land
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This Devious Maids star and her director husband, Bev Land, welcomed Gaia Jissel and John Aether in 2014.
“I also went to work two and a half weeks after I had the babies,” Dania Ramirez said at the Devious Maids Season 4 premiere party in 2016. “And it’s twins. So you can imagine, I still can’t wrap my head around it. I still ask myself this question every single day.”
“I think it was a really good learning experience for me as an actress and, also, as a mother,” she continues. “I didn’t really have time to double-guess anything.”
Leigh Koechner & David Koechner
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Twin Peaks star David Koechner and his wife, Leigh, are parents to twins Audrey Violet and William Sargent who were born in 2006. They also share Charlie and Margot.
The couple spoke with SheKnows back in 2012, revealing just because we think he’s funny, his kids sure don’t: “I’m not sure it impresses the kids! They don’t always think it’s funny. Like my son, I remember being in a special carpool and we were going on a field trip. The night before [the field trip] my son said to me, “Dad, tomorrow no jokes OK?”
David Burtka & Neil Patrick Harris
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Neil Patrick Harris and husband David Burtka welcomed Gideon Scott and Harper Grace via surrogate in 2010.
Harris gushed about his then-7-year-olds to US Weekly in March 2018, saying: “Gideon’s into baseball at the moment so he’s been practicing his baseball drills and Harper is very into gymnastics still. She loves doing handstands. As do I. We’re cut from the same cloth.”
Dominic Purcell & Rebecca Williamson
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Prison Break‘s Purcell and ex-wife Rebecca Williamson welcomed Lily-Rose and Augustus in 2003, joining siblings Joseph, born 1999, and Audrey, born in 2001. Purcell and Williamson split four years later, in 2007.
Donald Sutherland & Shirley Douglas
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Did the last name sound familiar? It should: Donald Sutherland and his second wife Shirley Douglas had twins Rachel and Kiefer in 1966. Rachel stays out of the spotlight, but her twin bro and noted actor Kiefer takes after their famous father.
Sutherland and Douglas married in 1966, but split up in 1970. They each have kids from other relationships.
Geena Davis & Reza Jarrahy
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In 2004, when Geena Davis was 48 years old, she and now-estranged husband Reza Jarrahy welcomed twin sons Kian William and Kaiis Steven. The couple married in September 2001 and already had a 2-year-old daughter, Alizeh Keshvar, at the time.
Jamie Anne & Marshall Allman
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The Killing‘s Jamie Anne and Humans husband Marshall Allman welcomed Oliver and Asher in January 2013.
Anne opened up to US Weekly about the “horrible” pregnancy and birthing process, saying, “They wanted me in the hospital for three months because the shortened cervix was slowly disappearing. Then I got a bladder infection and delivered that day,” she told them. “They opened me up and Asher came out, then Oliver. I heard them cry and I looked over at Marshall to see what he was thinking. He looked at me and said, ‘It’s amazing.’”
Jeffrey Tambor & Kasia Ostlun
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In October 2009, Transparent‘s Jeffrey Tambor and wife Kasia Ostlun’s family grew from two to four. Ostlun gave birth to twin sons, Hugo Bernard and Eli Nicholas, joining Eve Julia, who was 2-1/2 years old at the time, and Gabriel Kasper, who was 3-1/2 years old. Tambor also has an adult daughter, Molly, from a previous relationship.
Jane Seymour & James Keach
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Jane Seymour’s twin sons, Johnny Stacy and Kristopher Steven, were born in 1997 —12 years after their brother Sean. She had the twins with her now ex-husband James Keach; the two divorced in 2015.
In 2009, Seymour spoke about having twins in an interview with About.com: “There is a bond that twins have that is unspoken and quite formidable,” she says. “I keep telling the boys, ‘You’ll always have this unique connection that the rest of us don’t have. For the rest of your life.
“If it means you’re doing a sport, you’ll always know what the other one’s about to do,” she continues to say. “And if it’s something you’re doing that’s musical, you clearly know how to play together. And you also pretty much know how to make one another mad, how to make one another sad, and hopefully how to make one another happy.”
Rodney Peete and Holly Robinson Peete
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The Chicago Fire star and her retired NFL husband have four kids, including Ryan Elizabeth and Rodney Jr. (RJ) who were born in 1997. RJ was later diagnosed with autism. And more recently, Holly Robinson Peete co-authored the young adult novel Same But Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express with her twins.
Holly Hunter & Gordon MacDonald
Saving Grace star Holly Hunter and partner Gordon MacDonald welcomed twins Claude and Press in January 2006. The Oscar-winning actress Holly Hunter gave birth at the age of 47.
Not much is known about the boys, as Hunter told the press in 2009 that she does not discuss her children with media.
Kathryn Morris & Johnny Messner
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Johnny Messner welcomed twins Jameson West and Rocco McQueen, in August 2013 with Cold Case‘s Kathryn Morris.
“When the doctor sensed twins from some specific HCG levels in my blood work, he brought us in for the ultrasound and said, ‘Let me just check on something I already know … Okay, there’s one for you and one for you!’ We were shocked and ecstatic,” Morris told People at the time. “Now these brothers have a built-in best friend for life! Who doesn’t want that?”
Danneel Ackles & Jensen Ackles
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The Supernatural star and his wife Danneel Ackles welcomed Zeppelin Bram and Arrow Rhodes in December 2016, three years after their first child, Justice Jay, was born.
At a convention in December 2016, Jensen explained the meaning behind the twins’ names: “There’s a knot known as the zeppelin blend and his cord was tied around him,” he explained. As for their daughter, it came down to her initials: “We wanted an AA name, and we both liked Arrow,”
Julie Bowen & Scott Phillips
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In 2009, this Modern Family mom and ex-husband Scott Phillips welcomed twin boys John and Gustav. Two years earlier, they welcomed their first son, Oliver. After 13 years of marriage, the two filed for divorce in February 2018.
Julia Roberts & Danny Moder
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In 2004, Julia Roberts and cinematographer hubby Danny Moder welcomed Phinnaeus Walter and Hazel Patricia. Two years later, the couple welcomed son, Henry Daniel.
In an interview with People in September 2017, Roberts spoke about how she and Moder have chosen to raise all their kids — the twins now around 12 years old:
“This is the time you have to rise as a community and as a household and as a country and try to make voices be heard. And that’s what I have to instill in my children, who are certainly old enough to be aware of politics and things going on in the world,” she says. “It’s very important for my husband and me to be honest with them and help them feel like they still have a voice for the things that they believe in.”
Kevin Zegers & Jaime Feld
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The Notorious star and wife Jaime Feld welcomed daughters Zoë Madison and Blake Everleigh in 2015.
“We really tried for a while to have children — we didn’t just happen to get pregnant,” Kevin Zegers told People at the time. “We definitely wanted these girls and knew that we would be super attentive.”
Justin Chambers & Keisha Chambers
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The Grey’s Anatomy star and wife Keisha have five children, including twins Maya and Kaila, who were born in ’97.
“Our house is sort of like a nightclub,” he told Good Housekeeping. “We’ve got loud music and chaos and crowds. But really, we’re pretty laid-back. Our kids are in a little band, and they like to play video games, and my wife and I do our best to live a low-key, non-Hollywood kind of life.”
Mark McGrath & Carin Kingsland
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The Sugar Ray singer and wife Carin Kingsland welcomed twins Lydon Edward and Hatley Grace in April 2010.
“She’s so precious, just a princess,” Mark McGrath tells People. “And he’s my little dude. Their birth was the greatest moment of my life.”
Marcia Gay Harden & Thaddaeus Scheel
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The Code Black actress and now-ex Thaddaeus Steel welcomed twins Julitta Dee and Hudson in 2004.
After nearly 15 years of marriage, Harden and Scheel filed for divorce in 2012. At the time, their twin daughters were 7 years old, and their son, Eulala, was 13 years old.
Marcia Cross & Tom Mahoney
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Quantico‘s Cross and husband Tom Mahoney brought home twin daughters Eden and Savannah in 2007.
“I wanted to be a member of [the mom] club so badly, and now I’m in and it’s so much better than I even imagined,” Cross told People in 2007. “Even before I was 30, I started thinking about (motherhood). The years started going by, and I was anxious about the clock ticking. Now it seems like it was all meant to be.”
Mary Stuart Masterson & Jeremy Davidson
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Masterson and her Army Wives husband Jeremy Davidson welcomed twins Wilder and Clio in 2011. The actress was 44 when she announced her pregnancy. At the time, the couple were already parents to a 17-month-old son.
Niki Taylor & Matt Martinez
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The supermodel and first husband Matt Martinez welcomed (now-grown) twins Jake and Hunter in 1994. In 2009, Taylor had a third child, daughter Ciel, with new husband Burney Lamar. “Ciel’s got three dads,” she told People in 2009. “She’s covered. She’s not going to be able to get away with anything!”
Taylor and Martinez parted ways in 1996, and Taylor re-married to American race car driver Lamar in 2006.
Michael Strahan
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Michael Strahan has four kids, and the former NFL’er and ex-wife Jean Muggli’s twin daughters Sophia and Isabella were born in 2004.
Michael Strahan opened up about having twin daughters, giving the following advice: “I know it’s hard at first, but at a certain point they will take care of themselves,” he told People in 2017. “They will be each other’s best friend, and you’ll think to yourself, ‘Where did the time go?’ I’m blown away by how fast it goes.”
Molly Ringwald & Panio Gianopoulos
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Riverdale‘s Molly Ringwald and hubby Panio Gianopoulos welcomed Adele Georgiana and Roman Stylianos in 2009.
“To have the opportunity to have another girl — it is a dream come true,” Ringwald told People at the time. “And a boy! We were all overjoyed about that too.”
Mel Gibson & Robyn Moore Gibson
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Among Gibson’s nine children are now-grown twins Edward and Christian, born in 1983 to mom Robyn Moore.
Now 35 years old, Edward and Christian ran into a bit of trouble growing up: In 2005, Christian was arrested for DUI; and in 2007, Edward reportedly entered rehab.
Gibson and Moore parted ways in 2011, after having seven children together. Gibson is currently dating screenwriter Rosalind Ross.
Patrick Dempsey & Jillian Fink
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Former Grey‘s star Patrick Dempsey and wife Jillian have twin sons, Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen (b. 2007), as well as a daughter, Tallula Fyfe (b. 2002).
Patrick told Life magazine in 2007: “Now, making money is about providing for my children. And being a father makes you look at yourself. You look at your marriage and go, ‘How do I improve this? How do I keep growing and create a stable environment for my children?’”
Tracy Pollan & Michael J Fox
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This power couple’s twin daughters Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances were born in 1995. The adult twins have since accomplished a lot: Schuyler attended Pomona College, and Aquinnah went to Duke. The couple also share son Sam and daughter Esme.
Melissa Etheridge & Tammy Lynn Michaels
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The rocker and ex Tammy Lynn Michaels welcomed twins Johnnie Rose and Miller Steven in 2006.
“The creation of life brings about immeasurable love, and pours hope into the future,” the couple said in a statement at the time. “The joy will help carry us through our upcoming sleepless nights.”
The How to Get Away with Murder star and her actor hubby Kamar de los Reyes brought home twin boys, John Ruben and Michael Luis, in 2014.
A year after their birth, Sherri Saum told Hello! magazine in 2015 she’s raising her sons bilingual. “Their first word was ‘mas’ because we speak to them in Spanish. We teach them Spanish first, as a first language. So the first word is ‘mas,’ which is ‘more.’ They’re like me; they like to eat. So whatever we’re feeding, they’re like, ‘Mas? Mas?’”
Kim Porter & Sean “Diddy” Combs
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The rap mogul and his late partner Kim Porter welcomed D’Lila Star and Jessie James in 2006. When the girls turned 11, Sean Combs posted a sweet portrait of the two on his Instagram.
Porter suddenly passed away in late 2018 from lobar pneumonia, and Combs has paid homage to her memory many times since. In his eulogy, the rapper said this: “I just want to say to my kids, Justin, Christian, D’Lila, Jessie, Chance and the other man in the house, Quincy: Your mother instilled in me this, and I pledge in front of everybody right now that I will always be there for you. I will always take care of you.”
Stanley Tucci & Kathryn Louise Spath
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Stanley Tucci and late wife Kathryn Louise Spath welcomed Isabel Concetta and Nicolo Robert in 2009.
Tucci and Spath married in 1995 and had three children together. It wasn’t until 2009 when Spath lost her battle against breast cancer. Tucci later found love again, with Felicity Blunt, his The Devil Wears Prada co-star Emily Blunt’s sister. The pair had two kids together.
Steve Howey & Sarah Shahi
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The Person of Interest star and her Shameless husband welcomed Violet Moon and Knox Blue in 2015, five years after welcoming their son William.
In 2016, Steve Howey told People the twins brought them even closer. “It is not easy, but all three are beautiful babies. We’re a very close-knit family, just bigger,” he says.
Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick
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In 2009, twins (via surrogate) Marion Loretta Elwell and Tabitha Hodge joined big bro James Wilkie (b. 2002).
In a Daily Beast interview in 2009, Sarah Jessica Parker talked about the role the twins’ older brother had in naming them. “Marion is this name that James Wilkie chose for whatever reason. The rest of us call her Loretta … [James Wilkie] said, ‘You put that name on the birth certificate. Don’t you just humor me.’”
Steve Harvey
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The talk show host has twin daughters Karli and Brandi (b. 1982).
In total, Steve Harvey has seven kids: He had the twins with his ex Marcia Harvey; he has two sons, Broderick (b. 1991) and Wynton (b. 1997), from his second marriage to Mary Shackelford; and his current wife Marjorie has three children from her previous marriage.
William Petersen & Gina Cirone
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The longtime CSI star and wife Gina Cirone welcomed twins, a son and daughter, via surrogate in 2011.
After William Petersen left CSI, he dedicated his time to raising his twins. “I had a relationship with CBS that was gold standard,” he told Chicago Tribune in 2017. “And when CSI ended, I just decided I was going to spend as much time with my two (kids) as I can. I just spend my time chasing them around.”
Ray Romano & Anna Romano
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Ray Romano and wife Anna’s ’93-born twin sons, Matthew and Gregory, are all grown up now. The boys and their two siblings all had small parts in the 2006 animated film Ice Age: The Meltdown.
Alex Sykes & Wanda Sykes
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Funny lady Wanda Sykes and wife Alex welcomed twins Olivia Lou and Lucas Claude in 2009.
“I was like, ‘Babies, y’all need to hurry up and get here,” Wanda told PEOPLE in 2009. “I have this big White House Correspondents Dinner gig coming up. I’ve got to get out to the clubs and work my magic.”
Tony Dovolani & Lina Dovolani
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This DWTS pro’s fast feet probably come in handy chasing around Adrian and Ariana, born in ’08. The couple has another child, Luana (b. 2010).
“Love your family more than anything else in the world,” Tony Dovolani tells Huffington Post in 2014. “If you treat your family the way they should be treated, then your family will always, always be there for you — through your successes, your failures, through everything.”
Anna Kournikova & Enrique Iglesias
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The notoriously private couple share three children together — Kournikova gave birth to twins in 2017, son Nicholas and daughter Lucy, and in February 2020, a baby boy.
Rebecca Romijn & Jerry O’Connell
Image Credit: Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection
In 2008, The Librarians star and her Billions hubby brought home Dolly Rebecca Rose and Charlie Tamara Tulip.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Jerry O’Connell said he and wife Rebecca Romijn’s first priority is making sure their daughters are grounded people. “The first thing we try to do is just make them polite. I’m not even joking. That really goes a long way.”
Bode Miller & Morgan Miller
Image Credit: JA/Everett Collection
Bode and Morgan Miller welcomed twin boys on Nov. 8, 2019. It was a dramatic home birth, with Morgan going into labor at home while their midwife was stuck in traffic. Their twins join the Miller family’s two sons, Edward and Easton. The Miller’s daughter Emeline tragically died in a 2018 drowning accident.
Willow Palin & Ricky Bailey
Image Credit: Matt Hage/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Sarah Palin’s daughter Willow Palin gave birth to twin daughters Banks and Blaise on Nov. 18, 2019. The twins and her and husband Ricky Bailey’s first kids together, and the fourth and fifth grandkids of Sarah Palin.
“Banks and Blaise… we are so in love with you girls,” Willow wrote on Instagram to celebrate the twins’ birth.
Tara Tucker & Jonathan Tucker
Image Credit: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection
Kingdom star Jonathan Tucker’s wife Tara gave birth to fraternal twins Hayes Taj and India Moss in May 2019. “.25 catholic .25 jewish .25 muslim .25 hindu this is america. women are heroes. god is good,” Tucker wrote on Instagram.
He later shared a snap of himself surrounded by piles of newborn-mandated goods (cribs, strollers, carriers, etc.) at home: “This is not an ad,” he joked. “This is real life.”
Jwan Yosef & Ricky Martin
Image Credit: Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection
Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef share four kids together, all welcomed via surrogate. Their oldest two are twin boys Valentino and Matteo, who joined the Martin-Yosef family in 2008. The younger two are daughter Lucía and youngest son Renn.
Martin and Yosef have been together since 2016, and revealed that they’d gotten married in a private ceremony in January 2018.
Marco Perego & Zoe Saldana
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images
Zoe Saldana gave birth to twins Bowie and Cy in November 2014. She shares them with husband Marco Perego, who she married in 2013.
Saldana’s twins were born prematurely, and she told Allure about the frightening experience in 2016: “The boys came at 32 weeks. They found protein in my urine; my platelets crashed. I didn’t qualify for an epidural, so I delivered under general anesthetic. I didn’t even meet them until a day later.”
Saldana and Perego welcomed a third child together in February 2017: a son, Zen.
Morgane Stapleton & Chris Stapleton
Image Credit: MORA/Everett Collection
Chis Stapleton and wife Morgane welcomed twin babies, both boys in 2018, Macon and Samuel — the couple also share three other children: Waylon and Ada, and in May of 2019 welcomed their fifth child together.
Robert De Niro
Image Credit: Rocco Spaziani/Archivio Spaziani/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images
Robert De Niro has six adult children and welcomed a baby girl in April 2023 at age 79. In 1995, he welcomed twin sons Julian and Aaron, 27, with his former girlfriend Toukie Smith.
(upbeat marching band music) ♪ Go – Welcome to the 18th season of WVIA “Scholastic Scrimmage.”
I’m your host, Paul Lazar.
“Scholastic Scrimmage” is a question and answer competition featuring high school students from across the WVIA viewing area.
In each program, two schools will compete in a single elimination tournament for a chance to win 1, 3, or $5,000.
Tonight’s match features Wyoming Valley West versus Lake Lehman.
Representing Wyoming Valley West are Tessa Kopetchny, Jalen Buchinski, Elvis Castanos, Evelyn Saltz.
And their alternate is Joey Souder.
Their advisor is Robert Bonczewski.
Representing Lake Lehman are Teagan Norconk, Brianna London, Francis Pinnacoli, and Seth Berry.
Their alternates are Evan Kaiser and Cassidy Gallagher.
And their advisor is Cecelia Jennings.
“Scholastic Scrimmage” is a game of rapid recall of factual information, so let’s take a moment and review the rules.
The first team to buzz in will have an opportunity to answer a toss-up question.
Correct answers to these questions are awarded 10 points and that team will then receive a 5 point bonus question.
If that toss-up answer is incorrect, no points will be deducted, but the question will then rebound to the other team.
If the other team answers correctly, they’ll be given the toss-up points, but will not receive a bonus question.
Well, let’s go ahead and get started with this toss-up question.
What country’s 1993 election was contested between Prince Ranariddh and Prime Minister Hun Sen, who restored the monarchy under Norodom Sihanouk?
(buzzer beeps) That was Cambodia.
Let’s go to another toss-up.
What British chemist, whose law equates the total pressure of a gas mixture to the sum of partial pressures, proposed an early atomic theory?
(button beeps) Teagan, Lake Lehman?
– Boyle?
– Is incorrect.
Rebound now to Valley West.
(buzzer beeps) That was John Dalton.
Let’s go to another toss-up.
What island whose western most tip is home to Negril Lighthouse also contains the city of Port Royal, which sits at the mouth of Kingston Harbor?
(button beeps) – Jalen, Valley West.
– Jamaica?
– Is correct.
(buzzer warbles) And here comes your bonus.
What Weaver of Raveloe is framed for stealing money from a religious community and adopts a daughter named Eppie in an 1861 novel by George Eliot.
(buzzer beeps) That was “Silas Marner”.
Here’s our next toss-up question.
What human reclines naked and reaches out with his left hand to touch God’s hand on a portion of a Sistine Chapel depicting his creation?
(button beeps) Jalen, Valley West.
– Adam.
– Is correct.
(buzzer warbles) And here comes your bonus.
Many migrants heading to the US have to cross what inhospitable gap along the Panama-Columbia border?
(button beeps) – The Panama Canal?
– No, it’s the Darien Gap, the Darien Gap.
Let’s go to another toss-up.
What leader who ordered a massacre at Drogheda, disbanded the Rump Parliament after Charles I’s execution, and ruled as Lord Protector of Britain?
(button beeps) Francis, Lake Lehman.
– Oliver Cromwell?
– Is correct, and here comes your bonus now.
(buzzer warbles) What general captured Mexico City in 1847, ran as the Whig nominee for president in 1852, and devised the Anaconda plan during the Civil War?
– Try it.
I don’t, try it.
(button beeps) – Daniel Boone?
– No, that’s Winfield Scott.
Let’s go to another toss-up.
What city hosted an NFL team that moved to Tennessee and was originally called the Oilers (button beeps) and now is home- Jalen, Valley West.
– Houston.
– Is correct, and here comes your bonus question.
(buzzer warbles) Article 71 of the United Nations charter introduced what term for large activist groups such as Oxfam that are independent of direct state funding?
(buzzer beeps) That is NGO, or non-governmental organization.
Here’s our next toss-up question.
What novel, which is partly said on the fictional island of San Lorenzo, depicts how the planet’s water is frozen by ice-nine and is by Kurt Vonnegut?
(buzzer beeps) That’s “Cat’s Cradle.”
Let’s move on to another toss-up question.
What long molecules, three of which are found in a triglyceride, are unsaturated when they have a double bond as in their healthy- (button beeps) Seth, Lake Lehman.
– Lipids?
– [Paul] Is, be more specific.
– Fatty acids?
– Is correct, and here (buzzer warbles) comes your bonus question.
(timer beeps) The Agulhas and Humbolt are examples of what large scale flows of surface ocean water?
– Glaciers?
– Try it.
(button beeps) – Glaciers?
– No, we’re were looking for ocean current, ocean current.
Well that sound that you heard signals the end of the first quarter and it’s now time for the lightning round.
(logo buzzes) In this segment, each team will have an opportunity to answer as many of the 10 rapid fire questions as they can in one minute.
Wyoming Valley West has won the coin toss and will pick first.
Your categories are, how monarchs died or African cities.
– Do how monarchs die?
– How monarchs die?
– How monarchs died it is, and your time begins after I finish reading the first question.
Given a ruler, state whether they died in battle, were assassinated, died of an infectious disease, or none of the above.
Russia’s Nicholas II.
(button beeps) – He was murdered.
– [Paul] Yes.
England’s Harold Godwinson?
(button beeps) – None of the above.
– [Paul] Died in battle.
Athens’ Pericles.
(button beeps) – Died in battle.
– Infectious disease.
Egypt’s Cleopatra.
(button beeps) – Infectious disease.
– [Paul] None of the above.
England’s Richard III.
(button beeps) – Died in battle.
– Yes.
Sweden’s Gustavus Adolphus.
(button beeps) – Infectious disease.
– Died in battle.
Rome’s Caligula.
(button beeps) – None of the above.
– Assassination.
France’s Henry IV.
(button beeps) – Died in battle.
– Assassination.
Sparta’s Leonidas I.
(button beeps) – Assassination.
– Died in battle.
(group chuckles) Russia’s Catherine the Great.
(button beeps) – None of the above.
– That’s correct, Valley West (Evelyn chuckles) and that’s going to do it for your portion of the lightning round.
(group speaks faintly) Lake Lehman, we’re coming over to you, and your remaining category will be African cities.
And once again, your time begins after I finish reading the first question.
In what country could one visit these African cities?
Cairo.
(button beeps) – Egypt?
– [Paul] Yes.
Casablanca.
(button beeps) – Pass.
– [Paul] Morocco.
Mogadishu.
– Don’t got it.
(button beeps) – Rwanda.
– [Paul] Somalia.
Dara Salaam.
(button beeps) – French Guiana.
– [Paul] Tanzania.
Lagos.
– Try- – Just say it, say it, say it.
(button beeps) – Equatorial Guinea?
– [Paul] Nigeria.
Bamako.
(button beeps) – Pass.
– Mali.
Accra.
– Accra, isn’t that Niger?
(button beeps) – Uganda.
– [Paul] Ghana.
Gaborone.
(button beeps) – Kenya.
– [Paul] Botswana.
Constantine and Oran.
– Constantine (indistinct).
– (button beeps) Tunisia?
– [Paul] Algeria.
Dakar.
(button beeps) – Kenya.
(timer beeps) – That was Senegal.
Some tough categories in that lightning round.
And that’s going to finish that particular lightning round.
And after that we have Wyoming Valley West in the lead over Lake Lehman 45 to 25.
And we’re now going to move into the second quarter with this toss-up question.
What civilization’s deities included groups called the Ogdoad and Ennead, the latter of which included the Sun god Atum and the afterlife god Osiris.
(button beeps) Francis, Lake Lehman.
– Egypt.
– Is correct, (buzzer warbles) and here comes your bonus.
What French author portrayed the social climber, Eugene de Rastignac, in his 1835 novel “Le Père Goriot,” part of his many volume series, “The Human Comedy.”
– Try Voltaire?
(button beeps) Voltaire?
– Nope, that’s Honore de Balzac.
Let’s go to another toss-up.
What man issued the Berlin and Milan decrees to enforce the Continental System against British trade on behalf of his French empire in 1807?
(button beeps) Jalen, Valley West.
– Napoleon?
– Is correct, and here comes your bonus.
(buzzer warbles) In 1993, what progressive conservative briefly succeeded Brian Mulroney as prime minister of Canada, becoming the first woman to hold the role?
(group speaks faintly) (buzzer beeps) That was Kim Campbell.
Let’s go to another toss-up.
In jazz, what instrument played by musicians like Art Blakey and Buddy Rich is usually found in a namesake kit, including its bass (button beeps) and stare types.
Francis, Lake Lehman.
– Drum, drummer.
– Is correct, and here comes your bonus.
(buzzer warbles) Toronto’s Robarts Library exemplifies what post-war architectural style that uses minimalist designs, often with large stretches of exposed concrete?
(button beeps) (Seth speaks faintly) – Brutalism?
– Is correct for your bonus points, Lake Lehman.
As we move on to another toss-up.
What quantity, which for a spring equals half the spring constant times extension squared, is an energy of position contrasted with kinetic energy?
(button beeps) Teagan, Lake Lehman.
– Potential energy.
– [Paul] Is correct, and your bonus.
(buzzer warbles) Taxonomic class Chilopoda consists of what predatory arthropods that have one pair of legs per body segment?
– Very close, we were looking for centipede, centipede.
Here comes our next toss-up.
What man prosecuted Lucky Luciano in the 1930s, served as New York’s governor from 1943 to 1954, and lost the 1948 (Francis speaking faintly) presidential race to Harry Truman?
(Francis speaking faintly) (button beeps) Jalen, Valley West.
– Dewey?
– Is correct, (buzzer warbles) and here comes your bonus.
In July, 2023, Meta launched what text-based app intended to rival Elon Musk’s Twitter.
(button beeps) – Threads.
– Threads is correct for your bonus points, Valley West.
As we move on to another toss-up.
What country, which like Hungary, was fined by the EU in 2023 for eroding the rule of law, is led by the Law and Justice Party of Jaroslaw Kaczynski?
(button beeps) Jalen, Valley West.
– Poland?
– Is correct, (buzzer warbles) and here comes your bonus.
What lawyer argued Brown v. Board before the Supreme Court before becoming its first African American justice in 1967?
(button beeps) – Thurgood Marshall.
– Is correct for your bonus points, Valley West.
Moving on to another toss-up.
What chemist, whose namesake equation relates rate constants to a temperature dependent exponential is a Swede who defined bases as hydroxide donors?
(buzzer beeps) That was Svante Arrhenius.
(timer beeps) And that sound that you heard signals the end of the first half, and we’re now going to give our contestants a little bit of a break, and the opportunity for those of you at home to get to know them a little better.
(light music) And we’ll start with the students from Valley West, and Tessa, I’ll come to you first.
Tell us what you like to do for fun when you’re not in class.
– I love to crochet and I play the violin for my school’s orchestra as well as the chamber orchestra.
– [Paul] Oh, that’s wonderful, thanks for being here Tessa.
Jaylen?
– I love watching movies, my favorite movies are the James Bond films from the sixties.
And I love learning about history.
(Evelyn chuckles) – Very cool, thanks Jalen.
Elvis.
– In my free time I like to play volleyball with other members of the Wyoming Valley West volleyball team.
– [Paul] Sounds like fun.
Evelyn.
– I like to spend time with my friends and I often watch “The Office,” it’s my favorite show.
(group chuckles) – It is a good show.
(chuckles) Thanks for being here Valley West and good luck to you the rest of the way.
Lake Lehman, we’re gonna come over to you and Teagan, if you wouldn’t mind telling us what you like to do for fun when you’re not in school.
– Well I enjoy playing video games, reading books, and I try to play the piano.
– [Paul] Okay, Brianna?
– I like to paint and draw and go to art lessons, and I play volleyball for the school.
– Okay, Francis?
– I like to read and watch movies and go to the movies.
– [Paul] Okay, and Seth.
– I like to be outside, go fishing, rock climbing.
– [Paul] You’re a risk taker.
– Yeah.
– All right, thank you Seth.
Good luck to you Lake Lehman going forward.
It was very nice to meet all of you.
And now we’ll go ahead and begin the third quarter with this toss-up question.
What explorer, whom the Spanish made the first governor of Puerto Rico, reached Florida in 1513 while supposedly looking for the Fountain of Youth?
(button beeps) Jalen, Valley West.
– Ponce de Leon.
– Is correct, and here comes your bonus.
(buzzer warbles) What organ in the chest, which undergoes involution as a person ages, is the site of T-cell maturation?
(group speaks faintly) (button beeps) – Lungs?
– Nope.
That is the thymus, the thymus.
Let’s go to another toss-up.
What English author called history, “The register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind.”
in his “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.”
(button beeps) Teagan, Lake Lehman.
– Oscar Wilde?
– Is incorrect, rebound to Valley West.
(buzzer beeps) That is Edward Gibbon.
Let’s go to another toss-up.
What term refers to declining to bet in poker, a situation where the king can be captured next turn in chess, or a money transfer that can bounce?
(button beeps) Evelyn, Valley West.
– Check.
– Is correct, and here comes your bonus question.
Oscar Wilde wrote the letter “De Profundis” while in what prison, which is the namesake of a Wilde ballad that claims, “Each man kills the thing he loves”?
(both speaking faintly) (buzzer beeps) – That was “Reading Gaol.”
Let’s go to another toss-up question.
In what phenomenon, whose law incorporates Lenz’s law and is named after Michael Faraday, is current created due to a changing magnetic flux.
(button beeps) Teagan, Lake Lehman.
– Lightning?
– Is incorrect, rebound to Valley West.
(buzzer beeps) That was electromagnetic induction, shocking.
(group chuckles) Let’s go to our next toss-up question.
What labor union led by executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and President Fran Drescher went on strike in 2023 to protect actors’ rights?
(button beeps) Seth, Lake Lehman.
– Hollywood?
– [Paul] Judges?
– No.
– Is incorrect, rebound to Valley West.
(Elvis speaking faintly) (button beeps) – SAG, S-A-G. – SAG is correct for your rebound points, (buzzer warbles) very good Wyoming Valley West.
And let’s move on to another toss-up.
What Monarch, who subdued Greece by winning the 338 BC Battle of Chaeronea, was an Argead king of Macedon and the father of Alexander the Great?
(buzzer beeps) That Monarch was Philip II.
Let’s go to another toss-up and get your pencils and papers ready.
– Uh-oh.
– Two answers are required here, if x is a one digit integer and x squared has a units digit of nine- (button beeps) Teagan, Lake Lehman.
– 3 and -3?
– Is incorrect, rebound now to Valley West.
(group speaking faintly) (buzzer beeps) Well you had one of them.
We were looking for 3 and 7, (timer beeps) 3 and 7.
Well that sound that you heard signals the end of the third quarter and another lightning round.
(logo buzzes) This time Lake Lehman will pick first.
Your categories are up and down or Sacramento.
(Francis chuckles) – Up and down?
– I, – What- – Any big up and down fans here?
– I guess do up and down.
I don’t- – Up and down.
– What?
– Do the up or down.
– Okay, up or down?
– Up and down it is.
– Sure.
– And your time begins after I finish reading the first question.
Give these answers that contain up or down.
Developmental disorder caused by an extra chromosome 21.
(button beeps) – Down syndrome.
– Okay, okay.
– Yes, part of Michigan whose residents are called- (button beeps) – Upper Peninsula.
– [Paul] Yes.
Title estate of the Crawley family in a British TV series.
(button beeps) – Pass – [Paul] Downton Abbey.
– Oh.
– Yoga pose in which the head and feet- (button beeps) – Downward dog.
– Yes.
Greek letter between tau and phi.
(button beeps) – Upsilon.
– [Paul] Yes.
Richard Adams novel about a rabbit warren.
– Rabbit warren.
(button beeps) – Pass.
– [Paul] “Watership Down.”
– Oh – Shel Silverstein poem that ends, “I got sick to my stomach and I threw down.”
(button beeps) – Get up.
(chuckles) – Falling up.
(Seth chuckles) Christmas song noting, “Reindeer pause, out jumps good old Santa Claus.”
– Up on the rooftop, chimney- – “Up on the Rooftop?”
(button beeps) – “Up on the Rooftop?”
– [Paul] “Up on the Housetop.”
William Faulkner’s story about lawyer Gavin Stevens.
(button beeps) Pass.
– [Paul] “Go Down, Moses.”
Common English name for the location of Christ’s last supper.
(button beeps) – Pass.
– That was the Upper Room, (timer beeps) the Upper Room.
Okay, Lake Lehman, that’s gonna wrap up your portion of the lightning round.
– (indistinct) question.
– Valley West, we’re coming your way.
Your remaining category will be Sacramento.
And again your time begins after I finish reading the first question.
Answer the following about Sacramento, California.
California’s current governor who resides in Sacramento.
(button beeps) – Gavin Newsom.
– Gavin Newsom?
– [Paul] Yes, Sacramento born actress who plays Captain Marvel.
(button beeps) – Bree Larson?
– [Paul] Yes.
Horse based service that delivered mail between Sacramento and Saint Joseph.
(Elvis speaks faintly) (button beeps) – Pass.
– [Paul] Pony Express.
Its NBA team.
(button beeps) – Sacramento Kings.
– [Paul] Yes.
Commodity discovered in 1848 at Sutter’s Mill in present day Sacramento (button beeps) – Gold?
– [Paul] Yes.
Mountain range to its East.
(Elvis speaking faintly) (button beeps) – Pass.
– [Paul] Sierra Nevada.
Creator of “Tom Sawyer” who wrote for the Sacramento Union.
(button beeps) – Huckleberry Finn?
– No (indistinct).
– Mark Twain.
– Oh.
– Language from which Sacramento derives.
(button beeps) – Latin?
– [Paul] Spanish.
River that joins the Sacramento River and downtown Sacramento.
(button beeps) – Pass.
– [Paul] American River.
2017 film set there starring Saoirse Ronan.
(button beeps) – Pass.
– That was “Lady Bird”.
And that’s going to do it for the lightning round.
And after that we currently have Wyoming Valley West in the lead over Lake Lehman, 135 to 80.
And we’re now going to go ahead and begin the last segment of the game with this toss-up question.
What poet who declared “That is no country for old men.”
in “Sailing to Byzantium” repeated the line, “A terrible beauty is born.”
in his poem “Easter, 1916.”
(group speaking faintly) (buzzer beeps) Okay, the answer we’re looking for was William Butler Yeats.
Here’s our next toss-up.
What kingdom, which in the 15 hundreds ruled the Netherlands under its branch of the Habsburg Dynasty, formed from the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella.
(button beeps) Jalen, Valley West.
– Austria?
– Is incorrect, rebound to Lake Lehman.
(group speaking faintly) (button beeps) – France?
– Spain, Spain.
– Oh.
– Let’s go to another toss-up.
What expressions which can be raised to powers and expanded to give the coefficients found in Pascal’s Triangle are polynomials with two terms.
(button beeps) – Quadratic.
– Brianna, Lake Lehman.
– Quadratic.
– Is incorrect, Rebound to Valley West.
– We know this.
– Hm?
– It’s Pascal Triangle.
We know this.
(button beeps) – Binomial?
– Binomial is correct (buzzer warbles) for your rebound points, Valley West, as we move on to another toss-up.
What author depicted a cloud of doom in a 2020 book about the 30 story Wayside School and described a curse on the Yelnats family in his novel “Holes”.
– (indistinct) no.
(buzzer beeps) – Okay, that was Louis Sachar.
Let’s go to another toss-up.
What TV program whose masters tournament featured Sam Buttrey, Amy Schneider, and James Holzhauer.
– (button beeps) – Oh.
– Francis, Lake Lehman.
– Jeopardy?
– Is correct.
And your bonus question.
(buzzer warbles) Hundreds of species of Cichlids live in what African Lake also called Lake Nyasa, which shares its name with a country governed from Lilongwe.
(button beeps) – Chad?
– No Lake Malawi, Malawi.
– Oh.
– Here’s our next toss-up.
What adaptations, which include the counter shading used by penguins and orcas and the disruptive color of zebras, help animals avoid detection?
(button beeps) – Teagan, Lake Lehman.
– Camouflage?
– Is correct, and your bonus.
(buzzer warbles) What sport, whose 2023 World Championships took place in Belgrade on the Sava, include such disciplines as single sculls.
– What?
(chuckles) – Single skulls?
(button beeps) – Fencing?
– Rowing, we’re looking for rowing.
Here comes our next toss-up.
What Bible book, whose Catholic version tells of Susanna and the Elders, also features the writing on the wall and a prophet thrown to a den of lions.
(button beeps) Jalen, Valley West.
(group speaks faintly) – I need an answer.
– Kings.
– Is incorrect, rebound to Lake Lehman.
– Any book.
(button beeps) – Exodus?
– Nope, the book of Daniel.
the book of Daniel.
– Oh.
– Let’s go to another toss-up.
What waterway bordered the ancient gates of Alexander, receives the Ural River, is north of Iran, and is the world’s largest enclosed body of water.
(button beeps) Jalen, Valley West.
– The Caspian Sea?
– Is correct, and here comes your bonus (buzzer warbles) and gets your pencils and papers ready.
What is the y-intercept of a line that has a slope of 3 and that passes through the point -3, -2.
(buzzer beeps) (timer beeps) – Okay, ran out of time there, that was 7.
Well that’s the end of the game.
And our winter tonight is Wyoming Valley West over Lake Lehman 155 to 100.
Congratulations, Wyoming Valley West.
You are going to be moving on, and we’ll see you next time (upbeat marching band music) with another round of “Scholastic Scrimmage”.
I’m your host, Paul Lazar, and thanks for watching.
Andrea Gillis, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Surgery’s Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, is the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award for Faculty in Diversity Enhancement. She co-directs the Pre-College Research Internship for Students from Minority Backgrounds (PRISM) to help support and encourage students from underrepresented communities to pursue careers in healthcare and research.
Lynn Matthews, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, is the senior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Mentoring.
Sherell Hicks, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, is the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Mentoring.
Gang Liu, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, is the senior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Research.
Emily Wong, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, is the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Research.
Quince Gibson, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Surgery’s Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, has been named the winner of the Dean’s Excellence Regional Site Award in Service. He is currently dedicating his services to UAB General Surgery at Whitfield Regional Hospital (WRH) in Demopolis, Alabama. Over the past three years, Gibson has shown significant commitment toward Central Alabama, including Marengo, Sumter, Greene, Hale, Perry, and Choctaw counties.
Helen Krontiras, M.D., is a professor of surgery and chief of the Department of Surgery’s Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery. She also serves as the medical director of the UAB Multidisciplinary Breast Clinic and the co-director of the Breast Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment Clinic.
Patrick Hussey, M.D., FASE, assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, is the junior faculty member winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Service.
Ryan Kraemer, M.D., professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of General Internal Medicine, is the senior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Teaching.
Jeremey Walker, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, is the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award in Teaching.
