Members of UVA Radiology at the department’s 2024 Alumni and Friends Reception in Chicago, IL.
A crackling fire; platters of hors d’ourves; a panoramic view of Chicago through full-height windows.
It was certainly a pleasant evening for more than 70 attendants at the UVA Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging’s Alumni and Friends Reception on December 3. Organized by the department’s Keats Alumni Society, the event was a chance to connect different eras of UVA Radiology, including current and former trainees and faculty.
UVA Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging Chair Colin Derdeyn, MD
The event was also an opportunity to celebrate the department and its future initiatives. The reception-goers were greeted by Department Chair and Professor of Radiology Colin Derdeyn, MD, who officially completed his first full year as chair in January 2025. Before introducing Keats Alumni Society President Jennifer Pierce, MD, Dr. Derdeyn took time to reflect on exciting work happening within the department – work to improve both UVA but also the entire field of radiology. He also noted how many of these initiatives are direct results of donation-supported departmental funds, and thanked the donors in attendance.
A Cross-Continental Collaboration
Global Health Leadership Track Director Jennifer Pierce, MD (left), Dr. Catherine Kavishe (5th from left), and faculty members at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences.
Among the special guests was Dr. Catherine Kavishe, a visiting radiology resident from the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute in Tanzania who had spent the previous 4 weeks at UVA.
During the reception, Dr. Kavishe was introduced by Jennifer Pierce, MD, who also serves as the director of the Global Health Leadership Track. (Dr. Kavishe trained alongside Dr. Pierce during her time at UVA.) Dr. Pierce also welcomed several special guests: faculty members from Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, who work with the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences’ residency program where Dr. Kavishe trains.
Since 2014, the department has partnered with international hospitals as part of its Global Health Leadership Track (GHLT), which is supported by the Spencer B. Gay Resident International Education Fund. The program has allowed over a dozen UVA radiology residents to train at foreign medical institutions in Tanzania and Uganda.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kavishe’s time in Charlottesville marks the first time a radiologist from a partner institution has trained at UVA as part of the GHLT program. But this is on track to change, said Dr. Pierce. As part of the GHLT’s 10th anniversary, the department aims to regularly host radiology residents from Uganda and Tanzania at UVA. While this plan is reliant on increased donor support through the Spencer B. Gay fund, the result would be an enduring, true exchange program.
A Look Back (and Forward) at Department’s DEI Program
Vice Chair of Education Juliana Bueno, MD
The reception was also a chance to update the community on the department’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Program.
Created in 2017, the initiative’s purpose was (and continues to be) to further promote the values of UVA Radiology: including diversity, compassion, respect, and healing for all. The first seeds of the program were planted by the late former professor Eduard de Lange, MD through the Francesca and Eduard de Lange Diversity and Inclusion Fund. The fund provides a stipend for a resident within each class to support them in their role of Diversity and Inclusion representative, as they work towards advancing this part of the department’s mission.
Vice Chair of Education Juliana Bueno, MD, who served as Director of Diversity and Inclusion until November 2024, spoke at the reception. Dr. Bueno recounted how the initiative has grown to encompass education, mentorship, and leadership opportunities: including the Near-Peer Women’s Mentorship Group, the 4th-Year Medical Student Scholarship Program, a designated resident curriculum on health disparities, and many more.
Lastly, Dr. Bueno introduced Carrie Rochman, MD, associate professor of radiology, as the newest director of the program. Dr. Rochman will continue to strengthen current initiatives and will also advocate for more areas of impact for the DEI Program.
Giving for the Future
Throughout the night, Dr. Derdeyn, Dr. Pierce, and Dr. Bueno emphasized how the department relies on donation-driven funds for several of its most innovative initiatives. As part of that, they also emphasized the unique importance the Keats Alumni Society for UVA Radiology’s educational mission. The society serves many important roles: providing educational resources for trainees, funding social events to build camaraderie, and nurturing a community between past and present UVA Radiology members.
To learn about the Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging’s funds, and how to donate, click here.
View more photos from the event here.
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