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By Medicine Iowa Editorial Staff : Fall 2026
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Alumni Notes

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1960s 

Bill Scott (64MD, 70R) and Peter Wallace (69MD, 74R) were both honored with the University of Iowa’s Eight Over 80 Award.  

Robert Smith (62MD) was inducted into the Michigan State University Department of Medicine’s Wall of Fame. 

1970s 

Howard Dittrich (78MD) was named interim CEO of XyloCor Therapeutics. 

William Rankin (79MD) retired from MercyOne Genesis Medical Center in Keokuk, Iowa. Rankin also practiced in global free clinics in Mexico and rural South Africa. 

Michael Welsh (74MD, 77R) was the subject of a four-part series and documentary from the Des Moines Register highlighting his landmark contributions to cystic fibrosis research. 

1980s 

Sanford Archer (88R) was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award for Achievement by Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science and a lifetime achievement award from nonprofit OperaLex.  

Ken Cheyne (82MD) retired from his roles as director of the Des Moines Area Medical Education Consortium and assistant dean of the Des Moines branch of the Carver College of Medicine. 

Jeffrey Farber (83MD) retired from Iowa Orthopedic Center after 36 years. 

Mary Jo Ironside (83MD) retired as a family medicine physician after 40 years serving in Rockford, Illinois. 

Katherine Mathews (81MD, 89F) presented data from a Phase 3 clinical trial for treatment of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy at the 2026 MDA Clinical and Scientific Conference. 

1990s 

Mike Main (91MD) delivered Central College’s 2026 commencement address. 

2000s 

Jeremy Cauwels (02MD) was a panelist at the Medical Alley 2026 Summit discussing how providers are building sustainable solutions to make health care more accessible. 

Margaret Ekroth (04MD) joined Washington County Hospital and Clinics in Washington, Iowa, as a urologist.  

Deepak Madhavan (05R) was named executive vice president of health care for Boys Town.  

Sean Overton (09F) was appointed Senior Vice Chair for Clinical Operations and Performance for the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at University of Utah. 

Tyler Schwiesow (03MD) was named director of the Des Moines Area Medical Education Consortium and assistant dean of the Des Moines branch of the Carver College of Medicine. 

Cinnamon Sullivan (02MD) was granted a Fulbright Specialist Program award to work with the Nepal Organ Donation Foundation. 

2010s 

Wanakee Carr (13MD) was the subject of a KCCI profile story about her experiences as practicing obstetrics and gynecology in Iowa. 

Shannon Findlay (14MD, 17R) gave a presentation at the Newton Des Moines Area Community College campus to raise community awareness about human trafficking. 

Spriha Pavuluri (12MD) joined Paris Regional Health in Paris, Texas, specializing in comprehensive adult neurological care. 

Eliot Shearer (14MD-PhD, 19R) is a principal investigator on two trials for gene therapies for otoferlin deafness which have been the first approved to restore normal hearing in children born deaf. 

Megan Srinivas (14MD) was named Chief Medical Officer of Primary Health Care, a nonprofit community health center. 

Andrea Weber (12MD, 15MME, 17R) was part of a panel between researchers from Japan and Iowa exchanging ideas on community-based approaches to health and well-being. 

AJ Yusuf (14R) published a memoir, No Secrets in a Small Town: Inside the Mind of a Rural Doctor. 

Lane Moser (15MD) joined ChildServe in Johnston, Iowa. 

2020s 

Darin Bagar (25F) joined Marshall Health in Huntington, West Virginia as an internist specializing in hormonal and metabolic disorders. 

Justin Buzick (25F) was featured by the American Medical Association in an article reflecting on his fellowship and the institutional support his oncology practice receives from University of Iowa Health Care. 

Emily Tamadonfar (21R) was featured on National Public Radio in January of 2026 discussing the early signs of Parkinson's disease. 

Sean Westendorf (22MD) joined Waverly Health Center in August 2025 as a family practice provider. 

IN MEMORIAM

José Angel (85MD) was deeply committed to serving his community, helping lead free clinics and establishing the Des Moines Latin American Medical Clinic to provide care for uninsured patients. Angel died March 1.  

Joseph Cass (78MD) was an orthopedic surgeon and educator at the Mayo Clinic. He is remembered for his hard work and dedication to serving others. Cass died April 25.  

John W. DeGroote (62MD) practiced in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where he made house calls to patients two Saturdays a month until retirement. DeGroote died May 10.  

Victor Edwards (63MD) became a naval flight surgeon after medical school. Following discharge, he joined Medical Associates in Iowa City, where he practiced family medicine for over 31 years. Edwards died April 11.

Loren Hall (64MD) worked with Southwest Internists and Fairview Crosstown Clinic in     Edina, Minnesota, for 35 years. He was dearly loved by his patients. Hall died June 13.  

Alice Issidorides-Deffner (50PhD) worked as a quality control regional director for Greece, Africa, and Asia for the multinational pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb. Issidorides-Deffner died April 8.  

Dean Lusted (55MD) began his medical career in a Detroit emergency room before serving as a U.S. Navy physician at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station north of Chicago. He ran a private practice in Carthage, Illinois, and later specialized in pathology, working at institutions such as Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Lusted died July 12. 

Daniel O’Toole (72MD) served in the Air Force and achieved the rank of major before practicing family medicine in Minnesota and the Iowa communities of Sheldon and Oelwein. O’Toole died June 11.  

Joseph L. Quetsch (79MD) worked in hospital emergency care, then private practice with Instacare until 1998. He then pursued a career in medical information technology when digital records were new. Quetsch died Jan. 4.  

John Raife Jr. (75MD) practiced emergency medicine for over 40 years throughout Arizona. He was active in numerous national associations and volunteered with the American Heart Association. Raife died May 27.  

Peter Ruehlman (81R) was an oncologist beloved by his patients. He mentored many medical students at University of Cincinnati Medical School and gave presentations to the public on medical issues. Ruehlman died February 19.  

Thomas Stephenson (56CER) made treatment more bearable for his patients by talking about their passions. At retirement, he was director of physical therapy at Skiff Hospital in Newton, Iowa. Stephenson died June 10.  

David Van Ginkel (62MD) practiced pediatrics, helped develop the Head Start Health Program, served as a consultant to the U.S. Office of Child Development, worked as a staff physician at Hospital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti, and helped organize Sabin Sundays at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to support polio immunization efforts.  Van Ginkel died Dec. 1, 2025. 

Daryl Granner, 1936-2026

Daryl Granner (62MD, 62MS), professor emeritus in the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine Departments of Internal Medicine and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and a world-renowned leader in diabetes research and training, died April 17 in Iowa City. He was 89 years old. 

For more than 50 years at Iowa and Vanderbilt University, Granner made tremendous contributions to the scientific understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of diabetes. A prolific scholar, Granner’s research and expertise were instrumental in characterizing the role of altered hepatic metabolism in insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.  

Granner joined the UI faculty in 1970 and in 1975 became director of the UI Department of Internal Medicine’s endocrinology and metabolism division, where he established the molecular endocrinology training program and the Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Center. After joining Vanderbilt in 1984, Granner returned to Iowa in 2008 and became the founding director of Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center at Iowa, serving as the center’s director until 2013. 

Granner received numerous awards for his work and impact on diabetes research, education, and treatment. In 2001, he received the UI Distinguished Alumni Award for Achievement. His legacy is carried on through the Daryl and Nancy Granner (a 1958 UI alumna) Distinguished Mentor Award and Lecture at the Carver College of Medicine. The annual celebration, established in 2022, recognizes UI medical faculty who have made a significant impact and whose mentees have gone on to successful careers. 

 

Daryl Granner sitting at desk