At a faculty meeting March 14, 2012, the Department of
Anesthesiology certified the residents' choice of Emily Knipper, Dan
Leach, and Jessica Tashjian as Chief Residents for the 2012-2013
academic year. They have begun their duties for in collaboration with
the soon-to-depart chiefs for 2011-2012 , Rob Nicholson, Kristi Rose,
and Andrew Larson.
Emily Knipper
Emily grew up in the Pacific Northwest on the dry side of Washington
State, where the apple trees outnumber the evergreens. She then crossed
the Cascade Mountains to study Biology and Chemistry at Seattle Pacific
University. After enjoying four years of coffee shops and granola in
the Emerald City, she opted for a change towards the genteel, moving to
the South for medical school at Wake Forest University. In addition to
a gaining a wonderful medical education, she also developed an
appreciation for bow ties and learned that "y'all" is a useful phrase
in any setting. She also met her husband, a native Virginian, while at
Wake Forest. The two of them love their time in Charlottesville, and
nothing makes Emily happier than spending time with him and their
current only child, an overly exuberant Boxer mix named Daphne. She
also loves to run, and will be traveling to Beantown this April, for
her first Boston Marathon. She is currently applying for a Pediatric
fellowship to follow residency.
Dan Leach
Dan was born and raised in Brown Summit,
NC. After majoring in Chemical Engineering and Pulp and Paper
Science Technology at NC State University, he worked for a few years in
research and engineering. He went back to medical school at East
Carolina, but remained a devoted Wolfpack fan! While in medical
school, he met his future wife, Katie, a high school English
teacher. These days, when his grammar isn't being corrected, he
enjoys spending time with Katie, their beautiful young daughter
Tyndall, and their two lady beagles, Sadie and Layla. He enjoys
stepping outside to help with yardwork, gardening, and any other home
improvement project he can find. He'd like to fish the local
ponds and streams this spring and summer. Dan is currently
considering fellowship versus private practice for next year.
Jessica Tashjian
Jessica grew up in sunny (although unexciting)
Fresno, California and moved to the east coast to pursue her education.
She completed undergrad at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, where
she was a Biology major and Classics/Ancient History minor (and met her
husband!). She then moved to North Carolina to complete medical school
at Duke. Jessica enjoys knitting, eating everything her husband bakes,
and harassing her two cats. She will be staying at UVA for at least the
year following graduation while her husband completes his
Hematopathology fellowship.
