Department Blog - July 2026

On June 18, 2026, the University of Maryland Department of Emergency Medicine honored its graduating residents and fellows at Westminster Hall.

Family, friends, and faculty gathered to celebrate the remarkable achievements of the class of 2026—and honor their paths forward in academia and community practice.

Department Chair Mike Winters addressed the graduates, recognizing their profound accomplishments and noting the unsurpassed education they received at the University of Maryland: 

"Over the last several years, you have dedicated countless, often grueling hours to mastering the art of Emergency Medicine. You worked the overnights…and weekends…and intake. You managed our often-chaotic environment and patient surges. You led codes and performed life-saving procedures. You intubated patients. You responded to drug overdoses. While in Trauma, you stabilized victims of violence, you treated broken bones and bleeding organs. You resuscitated patients with sepsis. You expertly interpreted ECGs and treated STEMIs. You quickly evaluated patients with suspected strokes. You collaborated with other clinicians and staff, and served on committees that make our hospitals safer, and our patients healthier. And perhaps most importantly, you comforted the sick and sometimes dying, you comforted families in their hours of greatest need, you gave reassurance, and you gave a helping hand to a colleague.

Through it all, you received exemplary clinical training from many of Emergency Medicine’s best educators."

Graduating residents include:

• Walter Banfield, MD;
• James Clemmens, MD;
• Robert Edward Dunn, MD;
• Jacob Avery Gitlin, MD;
• Jared Francis Grimm, DO;
• Hanna Ahmed Hussein, MD;
• Summer Lee Rudish, DO;
• Charles Siegel, MD;
• Ian Campbell Speirs, DO;
• Quynh Tran, MD;
• Rohan Vasisht, MD;
• Stephanie Adjei, MD (Combined EM/IM);
• Jonathan Hurst, MD (Combined EM/IM);
• Julie Anne Kurek, MD (Combined EM/Peds); and
• Taylor A. Lindquist, DO (Combined EM/Peds).

Graduating fellows include:

• Shivani Talwar, MD (Simulation);
• Esteban Davila, MD (Cardiovascular Emergencies);
• Babette Newman, DO (Administration);
• Lucille Martin, MD (Risk Management);
• Jennifer Wang, MD, MEd (Faculty Development); and
• Zachary Wynne, MD (EM/IM/CC).

Ahead of the July 4th holiday weekend, Assistant Professor Cheyenne Falat, MD, emphasized several important safety messages regarding extreme heat, explosives, alcohol, and more. Dr. Falat’s important message reached a large audience—from viewers in Baltimore, to viewers of other local media outlets throughout the Nation, and readers of large online media outlets, as well. 

Links to news stations and online feeds that amplified Dr. Falat’s message are below. 

Baltimore Outlets:

• WBAL-TV;
• WBAL-Radio;
• Maryland Matters;
• FOX45;
• The Baltimore Sun; and
• WJZ.

Other Local Media Outlets:

• WISH-TV (Indianapolis, IN);
• KTZV-TV (Bend, OR);
• WDAM-TV (Hattiesburg, MS); and
• KPVI-TV (Pocatello, IN); among others.

Large Scale National Outlets:

• Real Simple and
• Yahoo! Health.

On July 1, the Department welcomed 11 new Emergency Medicine physicians to our faculty, including

• Assistant Professor Marwa Ali, MD;
• Assistant Professor Ben Bloom, MD;
• Assistant Professor Mark Chottiner, MD;
• Clinical Professor Jon Davis, MD;
• Assistant Professor Breanna Kebort, MD;
• Assistant Professor Kristyn McLeod, MD;
• Clinical Instructor and Health Policy Fellow Chi Okudoh, MD;
• Assistant Professor Shoshana Rudin, MD;
• Clinical Instructor, Risk Management Fellow, and Chief Resident Chuck Siegel, MD;
• Assistant Professor Scott Sparks, MD, MS; and
• Assistant Professor Zach Wynne, MD.

We're proud to welcome our new faculty to our Department, as we aim to be the preeminent academic department of emergency medicine, renowned globally for unparalleled education, unrivaled patient-centered care, pioneering research, and for training the next generation of innovative leaders in medicine.