Department of Surgery
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Department of Surgery Hosts 28th Annual Layton F. Rikkers Education Retreat

Posted on
Dr. Jessica Fazendin stands at the front of the auditorium with her hand in the air next to a screen that says "Designing a Clinical Learning Environment That Works Across Generations." Audience members also have their hands in the air.
Dr. Jessica Fazendin presenting the keynote address

On Tuesday, May 26, the Department of Surgery celebrated its 28th annual Layton F. Rikkers Education Retreat. The theme of this year’s retreat was “From Survival to Formation: Reclaiming the Educational Mission of the Surgical Learning Environment.”

The visiting professor was Dr. Jessica Fazendin, assistant professor, Vice Chair of Education and Co-Director for Undergraduate Surgical Education in the University of Oklahoma Department of Surgery. During the professional development workshop, Dr. Fazendin spoke about “Designing a Clinical Learning Environment That Works Across Generations.” This workshop explored how to design clinical learning environments that effectively engage and support learners from multiple generations, each with distinct values, communication styles and expectations.

Dr. Courtney Morgan, associate professor and Director of Medical Student Education in the UW–Madison Department of Surgery, led the evening session on “Stories from the OR: Meaning, Memory, and Teaching in Surgery.” This session featured Department of Surgery faculty who are alumni of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. They reflected on their personal experiences as medical students and the meaningful moments that supported feelings of belonging in the pursuit of their surgical careers.

Each year at the retreat, the Department of Surgery acknowledges several doctors for their surgical education efforts across different specialties. The 2026 award winners were:

  • Outstanding Resident Educator Award: Dr. Clayton Marcinak, general surgery resident
  • Outstanding Resident Educator Award: Dr. Dawda Jawara, general surgery resident
  • Outstanding Resident Educator Award: Dr. Rachel Smith, plastic surgery resident
  • Outstanding Resident Educator Award: Dr. Leah Gober, vascular surgery resident
  • Outstanding Fellow Educator Award: Dr. Vyacheslav Lenkov, cardiothoracic surgery fellow
  • Layton F. Rikkers Faculty Award for Medical Student Education: Dr. Ana De Roo, assistant professor in the Division of Colorectal Surgery

Thank you to our presenters, attendees and to all who helped make the 2026 Layton F. Rikkers Education Retreat a success.