(Left to right) Casey Reihe, MD; George Blankenau, MD; Charlotte Ritchie, MD; Jacob Givens, MD; Harrison Greene, MD; and Mukanya Tchombela, DO, were honored at the 2026 Resident Graduation Ceremony on May 14, 2026, at Champions Run in Omaha.
On May 14, 2026, the Department of Psychiatry celebrated the graduation of six residents who left a lasting impression during their four years of training in UNMC.
George Blankenau, MD; Jacob Givens, MD; Harrison Greene, MD; Casey Reihe, MD; Mukanya Tchombela, DO; and Charlotte Ritchie, MD, were honored at Champions Run.
Following graduation, Dr. Givens will start an addiction fellowship at the University of Colorado Medical School in Denver. Dr. Greene will also head to UC. He will begin a fellowship in forensic psychiatry.
Dr. Tchombela (Bryan Medical Center, Lincoln)and Dr. Reihe (Columbus Community Hospital) will remain in Nebraska. Dr. Ritchie will head west and start a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at Stanford University.
Dr. Blankenau will stay in the Department of Psychiatry and work as an Assistant Professor in the Geriatric Division.
“This class has helped shape and identify a residency program and represents only the third graduating class in the history of the UNMC Psychiatry Residency Program,” said Howard Liu, MD, MBA, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry. “We are incredibly proud of each of them, and excited to see the impacts that they will continue to make throughout their careers.”
The residents picked Alli Burt, MD, to give the keynote address. She had nothing but positive things to say about the graduates.
Dr. Blankenau
“George, you have a calming presence that not only impacts your patients but everyone you encounter. Students love working with you and rave about your teaching skills. Your peers find you a great listener. You are thoughtful, genuine, authentic.”
Dr. Givens
Jake had the responsibility of Chief Resident, and he’s made it look effortless, although I know it has been quite the opposite. Faculty members describe you as humble, affable, comprehensive, yet efficient. Jake has come up with common sense solutions to longtime challenges and often fixes things before others have even recognized the problem. He’s a natural leader.
Dr. Greene
Harrison’s name is synonymous with the words: curious and thorough. Few can do a deep dive into a complex patient or topic like Harrison can. One faculty member candidly said, ‘Harrison may be the most thorough physician I’ve ever met.’ Harrison is humble, despite being a wealth of knowledge.
Dr. Reihe
Casey is two steps ahead of everybody, and he’s already started his next chapter doing outpatient in Columbus. One faculty member shared, ‘I remember interviewing Casey for residency and talking to him about his excitement for his goal of practicing rural psychiatry. And here we are, and I’m so happy to be keeping him around the state of Nebraska.’ His peers describe him as warm and a great listener. Faculty describe him as curious, confident, and earnest.
Dr. Richie
Anyone asked to describe you can’t help but use words like thoughtful, conscientious, and motivated. Faculty will highlight the excellent job you’ve done in your role as junior chief resident. You’re thoughtful, yet effective in your approach to tackling hard problems. Charlotte, your peers describe you as inclusive, often going out of your way to help others, which I think we’ve all seen in action.
Dr. Tchombela
People describe Mukanya as dedicated, curious, and this is a direct, quote, sneaky smart. He’s a hard worker and is not afraid to advocate for his patients. Mukanya never seeks to be the center of attention, but he brightens any space he’s in.