Six members of the UAB Department of Surgery will be honored at the upcoming Annual Service Awards Reception on Monday, March 30, 2026 – representing a cumulative 180 years of experience in the department.
Honorees for this year’s proceedings include: 
- Mary Catherine Duncan (Division of GI Surgery) – 45 years of service
- Laura Winn Jones (Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery) – 40 years of service
- R. Jobe Fix, M.D. (Division of Plastic Surgery) – 35 years of service
- Michael J. Hanaway, M.D. (Division of Transplantation) – 20 years of service
- Joshua S. Richman, M.D., Ph.D. (Division of GI Surgery) – 20 years of service
- Christopher D. Whisenhunt (UAB Department of Surgery Chair’s Office, Grants Administration) – 20 years of service
The UAB Service Awards Reception purposefully recognizes longstanding employees, beginning at 20 years of service, and continues in milestones every five years thereafter.
“Our department's strength comes from the people who choose to build their careers here, and these six honorees have done exactly that.” said Department of Surgery Fay Fletcher Kerner Endowed Chair Herbert Chen, M.D. “Their contributions have helped shape our department into what it is today, and we are proud to celebrate their years of outstanding service to UAB.”
The ceremony will take place in the UAB Hill Student Center, where a total of 314 UAB employees will be recognized. See the complete list of 2026 service award recipients here.