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Meet the Medicine Alumni Society Board
As of June 5, 2024
Want to serve on the Alumni Society board? Please contact medicinealum@usf.edu for more information or fill out an interest form.
Officers
Ron Kennedy, MD ’79, Chair
Dr. Kennedy retired from Quest Diagnostics as the corporation’s Senior Medical Director of National Medical Quality in March 2019. An Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society member, he completed residency training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at USF-affiliated hospitals serving as Chief Resident in 1983. After 10 years of hospital-based practice at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, FL, he switched to commercial lab practice. He has also been a leader in assuring a safe and welcoming workplace for gays and lesbians in a company of over 40,000 employees as a founding member of their Pride employee network in 2001.
Evita Henderson-Jackson, MD ’10, Chair-Elect
Dr. Henderson-Jackson is an Associate Member in the Department of Anatomic Pathology at Moffitt Cancer Center. She completed her Bachelor’s degree at the University of South Carolina. She received her Doctor of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She completed her pathology residency training at University of South Florida/Moffitt Cancer Center (USF/MCC), as well as a surgical oncologic pathology fellowship and cytopathology fellowship. Clinically, she focuses on soft tissue and bone sarcomas as well as breast pathology and cytopathology. She is the Program Director for the USF AP/CP pathology residency program. As a clinical educator she is passionate and constantly involved in education of students, residents, fellows and clinicians.
Roger W. Greene, MD ’87, Immediate Past Chair
Dr. Greene is a 5th generation Floridian and a proud member of the USF College of Medicine Class of 1987. He received his undergraduate education at the University of Florida graduating in 1983 with a degree in Chemistry. He completed an internship in General Surgery at USF and then completed residency training in Anesthesiology/Plor Medical Center. In 1991, he returned to Florida and joined the North Florida Anesthesia Consultants in Jacksonville, Florida where he has been in private practice for the past 27 years. He two daughters (Savannah and Christa) ages 23 and 20. He is serving as a Class Champion on the Reunion Committee for the second year in a row.
Jane Messina, MD ’88, Past Chair
Dr. Messina joined the faculty in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in 1994, following her residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and fellowship in Dermatopathology at USF, where she practiced for 20 years before moving to Moffitt Cancer Center. She is Vice Chair of the Department of Anatomic Pathology at Moffitt, and Professor of Oncologic Sciences, Pathology and Cell Biology, and Dermatology at USF. Her passions include teaching and mentoring of pathology and dermatology residents, as well as the dermatopathology fellow, and practicing within busy diagnostic services at both USF and Moffitt, which treats 1,900 new melanoma patients annually. She has been director of the dermatopathology fellowship at USF since 2011. Her research interests include pathology of the sentinel node, biomarkers of prognosis in cutaneous melanoma, and etiology and treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma, and she has published over 130 papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Directors
Alicia Billington, MD, PhD ’14
Alicia Billington is a graduate of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Class of 2014 and the USF Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency Program Class of 2020. She is the first dual degree graduate from the MD-PhD program at USF with a PhD in Engineering. She completed her Bachelor and Master of Engineering degrees in Biological and Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University. She currently is an Assistant Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at East Tennessee State University. She is passionate about health care policy and actively engages with congress on issues related to medicine. You can follow her on @medicaladvocacy on Facebook for hot topics in medicine. She and her husband, Josh Diggs, are proud parents to their 10-month-old daughter, Elle, and three puppies named Ellie, Emma, and Reese. She is honored to represent current and future alumni of USF.
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Eva Austin Crooke, MD ’08
Dr. Crooke was born and raised in Pinellas County. She obtained her undergraduate degrees at Florida State University and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Dr. Crooke is currently in private practice locally with The Woman's Group. She is active within the Hillsborough County Medical Association, where serves on the Executive Council and as a delegate to the Florida Medical Association.
Jennifer Fredericks, MD ’07
Dr. Fredericks is a proud graduate of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in 2007 and emergency medicine residency in 2010. After graduation, she began working at Bayfront Hospital for Emergency Physicians of St. Petersburg. At Bayfront, she is the medical director of the emergency department and chair of Emergency and Trauma Services. She has stayed active with the college by volunteering with the ASSIST Program and acts as a Doctoring Clinical Experience preceptor. Additionally, as a collaborative assistant professor with the Department of Medical Education, she shares her passion for practicing medicine and lessons from patient experiences with her medical students in Doctoring 2. She enjoys staying involved with her fellow alumni and was a Class Champion for the Alumni Weekend 2022. She looks forward to her continued involvement and future outreach with alumni and students through the Medicine Alumni Society Board of Directors.
Ward Longbottom, MD ’87
Dr. Longbottom graduated magna cum laude with a BA in chemistry in 1983, earned his MD with the class of 1987, and completed his residency in anesthesia as chief resident in 1991, all at USF. After residency he joined Unicom Anesthesia Associates in Tampa, where he has been in private practice the past 30 years as a partner. He has held numerous leadership positions while in practice including being the past president of Unicom Anesthesia Associates and director of cardiac and orthopedic anesthesia services at the former University Community Hospital Tampa (now known as AdventHealth Tampa). He is an executive board member of Greater Florida Anesthesiologists and the director of anesthesia services at the TGH/USF Health Endoscopy and Surgery Center. His areas of interest include cardiac and outpatient anesthesia.
In 2013, he obtained board certification in advanced perioperative echocardiography and has performed research in the use of regional anesthesia to improve acute pain management for outpatient general, orthopedic and breast cancer surgery patients. Dr. Longbottom is the cofounder and CEO of Zirkelhealthcare automated perioperative management services and developed an online preoperative assessment questionnaire and algorithm. Dr. Longbottom currently practices at AdventHealth Tampa as part of the cardiac anesthesia team along with being director of anesthesia at the TGH/USF Health Endoscopy and Surgery Center. He is married to his wife of 30 years, Sherry, and has two sons, Gregory (graduate of Lewis and Clark Law School) and Brian (medical student at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine).
Catherine Hough-Telford, MD ’10
Dr. Hough-Telford is a native of the Tampa Bay area. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in 2006 and her medical degree from the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in 2010. She completed a pediatrics residency at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB), where she also was chief resident. She then trained for two years at UAB as a pediatrics infectious disease fellow, where she researched vaccine hesitancy and congenital cytomegalovirus. After completing her fellowship, Dr. Hough-Telford moved back to Tampa and worked in private practice as a general pediatrician for several years. While currently on sabbatical, she volunteers her time with local schools and remains active with the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Jose Malavet, Class of 2025
Jose Malavet is a fourth-year medical student who is the current USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Student Council president. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and pursued an undergraduate degree in biomedical sciences at the University of Central Florida. Through his time at the Morsani College of Medicine, he has focused on extracurriculars such as research and volunteering, especially at the student-run BRIDGE Clinic, which helps to serve those with limited access to health care in the Tampa Bay area. He hopes to pursue a career in anesthesiology after graduation. During his free time, he enjoys playing the saxophone with the Tampa Bay Community Band. BRIDGE Clinic, which helps to serve those with limited access to health care in the Tampa Bay area. He hopes to pursue a career in anesthesiology after graduation. During his free time, he enjoys playing the saxophone with the Tampa Bay Community Band.
Phillip Matar, MD, MBA, Pediatrics ’14
Phillip Matar, MD, MBA was elected to the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Alumni Society Board in 2020. He completed his pediatric residency at the University of South Florida, while concurrently obtaining his Master of Business Administration. Following residency, Dr. Matar practiced at the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Emergency Center, where he was Chairman of the Urgent Care Committee. He also advised the Triage and Development/Education Committees.
Douglas Rodriguez, MD ’92
Dr. Rodriguez is a native of Tampa. He is a “double alumnus” having obtained his undergraduate degree at the University of South Florida in 1988 and his medical degree from USF COM in 1992. Dr. Rodriguez also completed his residency in Radiology in 1997 at USF and a fellowship in Neuroradiology at Duke University. Following his training he was on staff at Moffitt Cancer Center before joining Radiology Associates of Tampa (currently Radiology Associates of Florida). His current academic appointments include Assistant Clinical Professor, University of South Florida, Department of Radiology and Neurosurgery. He is also on staff at Tampa General Hospital and Sarasota Memorial Hospital. He is serving as a Class Champion on the Reunion Committee for a second year in a row.
Vinesh Doraiswamy, MD ’15
Dr. Doraiswamy is a graduate of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine's Class of 2015. He finished his Med-Peds residency and chief year at Penn State Health and is completing a master’s in education at Ohio State University, where he currently serves as an assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics. He practices as a Med-Peds hospitalist and is an associate program director for the Med-Peds residency at Ohio State and Nationwide Children's Hospital. He is honored to represent fellow alumni and give back to the Morsani College of Medicine community.
Maria Kocab, MD, ‘22
Dr. Kocab completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of South Florida in 2017 and went on to earn her MD at USF in 2022. She is currently a PGY-3 in Internal Medicine at USF, with plans of becoming a Hospitalist. She is serving her second year on the Resident Advisory Committee as the alumni chair and holds positions on the Recruitment Committee and the Women in Medicine focus group for Internal Medicine. Her interests include academics, quality improvement, and health disparities.
Ex-Officio
Carolyn and Dr. Gregory Nicolosi
Dr. Gregory and Mrs. Carolyn Nicolosi were actively involved in establishing the Morsani College of Medicine Alumni Society. Over the years, they have been instrumental in developing the alumni program by providing background on students and faculty. Dr. Greg Nicolosi is an emeriti professor from USF and former Executive Associate Vice President - Health Services. Dr. Nicolosi is also an alumnus of USF, graduating with an MBA in 1983. Mrs. Nicolosi is the former Assistant Dean for Student Affairs for the College of Medicine. Both are currently retired and live in St. Pete Beach. Dr. Nicolosi remains involved with other USF Health activities including piping the student procession in the White Coat ceremonies for the MD and DPT programs.
Steven Specter, PhD
Dr. Specter established the MCOM Student Affairs Scholarship and supports other areas of MCOM as well as WUSF and USF at large. Dr. Specter joined the USF medical faculty in 1979 as assistant professor of medical microbiology and immunology. He became a full professor in 1991. Dr. Specter has served the medical college as secretary of the Faculty Council, chair of college committees on space allocation; appointment, promotion and tenure; and curriculum. He was appointed co-director of curriculum and medical education in 1997, then associate dean for pre-clinical education in 1998, he was appointed associate dean for student affairs in 2001. In 2014, Steve became associate dean for alumni relations, and he retired from USF in 2018.
Charles Lockwood MD, MHCM, Executive Vice President, USF Health, and Dean, Morsani College of Medicine
Bryan Bognar, MD, MPH ’08, Internal Medicine ’93, Vice Dean for Educational Affairs, Morsani College of Medicine
Kira Zwygart, MD ’98, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Morsani College of Medicine
