Four UNMC Department of Psychiatry residents graduated on May 23, 2025, during a celebration at Champions Run in Omaha.
Jacob Ford, MD; Bryndis Grissom, DO; Max Lydiatt, MD; and Olivia Ochuba, MD, finished their four years with the department. Drs. Ford, Grissom, and Ochuba will stay with the department in new roles. While Drs. Ford and Grissom will work full-time , while Dr. Ochuba will work part-time, and also treat patients for Sanford Health in North Dakota.
Dr. Lydiatt matched to a consultation-liaison fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He will start this summer.
Daniel Gih, MD, Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Psychiatry, said the UNMC Psychiatry Residency program “remains 100 percent successful with residents seeking fellowships.”
Awards were handed out to residents and faculty at the end of the party.
Dr. Lydiatt won the Wittson, Smarty Pants, and Research Symposium Poster awards.
The Wittson Award is named after psychiatrist and education pioneer, Cecil Wittson, MD. This award is bestowed annually upon a resident, nominated by their peers and selected by faculty, for exemplifying exceptional leadership, professionalism, and clinical excellence. Recipients epitomize individuals whom one would want as a psychiatrist for their family members. Preference is given for graduating residents, but all residents are eligible for nomination.
The Smarty Pants Award is presented annually to the highest scoring resident on the psychiatry residency in training exam.
During the ceremony, faculty, staff, family, and friends also celebrated the completion of five interns’ first year in the department. Brittany Bamberg, MD; Jacob Dines, DO; Brett Jesse, MD; Tony Le, MD; and Jacob Moore, MD will begin their second year in July. Before her internship ended, Dr. Bamberg won the Serotonin Award. The Serotonin Award is named for the integral role that this neurotransmitter plays in positive emotional states and is awarded annually to the first-year resident that best exemplifies values of leadership, professionalism, and good clinical care
Jake Givens, MD, won the inaugural Staci L. Rosche Psychiatry Resident Award as well as the Wellness Trailblazer Award.
The Wellness Trailblazer Award is awarded annually to a resident who values resident comradery and has taken steps to help facilitate and plan social events throughout the year. This awardee demonstrates their compassion for their fellow residents and highlights the values of friendship and connection.
Dr. Givens, a third-year resident, is the current Chief Resident. He started his duties in April to intentionally overlap with the prior chiefs.
Second-year resident Charlotte Ritchie, MD, was named a runner-up to the BHECN/Lasting Hope Recovery Center Resident of the Year. Ritchie is the Junior Chief Resident. Dr. Ritchie’s classmate, Monica Nava Frenier, MD, was named a 2025-2027 UNMC Health Educators and Academic Leaders (HEAL) Enrollee, and Dr. Nava Frenier won the Compassionate Caregiver Award.
The Compassionate Caregiver Award is an honor, chosen by residents and bestowed upon an individual within any clinical capacity who epitomizes humanism in medicine. This individual serves as a shining example to others, showcasing that the true essence of caregiving lies in the genuine concern and compassion for each individual.
Christian Pollema, MD, a second-year resident, was named an awardee of the 2025-2027 American Psychiatric Association Public Psychiatry Fellowship Program. Dr. Pollema is the first UNMC Department of Psychiatry resident to earn the national fellowship.
Current faculty members Matthew Kelly, MD, won the Mentorship Excellence Award, and Allie Burt, MD, received the Lantern Award.
The Mentorship Excellence Award is an award, selected by residents, and bestowed upon an individual who demonstrates outstanding commitment, guidance, and support in fostering the growth and development of others. This accolade celebrates exemplary mentorship qualities, including effective communication, empathy, and a dedication to nurturing the talents and aspirations of mentees.
The Lantern award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the education of residents and fellows and who lights the way in leading by example.