UConn School of Medicine has elected its new class of faculty, fellows, and residents into its Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (AΩA) chapter.

UConn is home to the national Honor Medical Society’s 130th active chapter established in 2019. It is only the second chapter to be established in the state since Yale School of Medicine’s Alpha chapter was founded in 1920.

Member election to AΩA chapter is an honor that signifies excellence and commitment to scholarship, leadership, professionalism, and service.

This year’s elected honorees include:

Faculty:

• James M. Watras, Ph.D., associate professor, Cell Biology
• Jayesh Kamath, M.D., Ph.D., professor, Psychiatry
• Jonathan P. Shepherd, M.D., M.Sc., professor, Medicine

Residents/Fellows:

• Christian Gronbeck, M.D., PGY3-Dermatology
• Kaitlyn Gooding, M.D., PGY3-Internal Medicine
• Erin Mulry, M.D., PGY4-Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
• Neeharika Krothapalli, D.O., chief resident-Neurology
• Michelle Zur, D.O., chief resident-Internal Medicine
• Erika Faircloth, M.D., fellow-Cardiovascular Disease
• Matthew Partan, D.O., fellow-Orthopedic Sports Medicine
• Erin Pastor, D.O., fellow-Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
• Jyotirmayee Lenka, M.D., fellow-Sleep Medicine

AΩA is dedicated to the belief that the profession of medicine will improve care for all patients by recognizing high educational achievement, honoring gifted teaching, encouraging the development of leaders in academia and the community, supporting the ideals of humanism and promoting service to others.