Faculty | Physician Assistants | Residents
Urology Residency Faculty
Mark K. Plante, MD
Chief of Urology, Professor of Surgery
Program Director, Division of Urology
Mark K. Plante, MD, FRCS(C), FACS is the Chief of Urology at the University of Vermont Medical Center. He is a Tenured Professor of Surgery and is the Urology Residency Program Director. A Flight Surgeon from 1993 to 1996 for Skyservice, he completed his medical degree and surgical training at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and received several awards during his residencies in General Surgery and Urologic Surgery. Dr. Plante has co-authored over 60 abstract presentations, over 35 peer review publications and four review publications and chapters. Dr. Plante has served as both Treasurer and President of the New England Section of the American Urological Association (AUA) and was a graduate of the inaugural leadership class of the AUA. Dr. Plante has been an invited speaker/presenter/visiting surgeon at conferences and universities throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia. He has been primary to the successful reestablishment of Urologic Surgical Residency training at the University of Vermont as well as the broad integration efforts for urologic patient care in several counties in both Vermont and Upstate New York. Under his leadership, all urologic care in the UVM Health Network is provided by faculty urologists.
Peter A. Holoch, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Associate Program Director
Dr. Holoch received his medical degree from the University of Vermont. He completed his internship in Surgery, his Urology residency and Male Infertility Fellowship from the University of Iowa. Dr. Holoch's research interests include the effect of low-dose clomiphene citrate on spermatogenesis in the rat as well as the effects of opioids on spermatogenesis. Dr. Holoch is the Associate Program Director and plays an active role in residency teaching. Dr. Holoch specializes in infertility, erectile dysfunction, and reconstructive urology. He is a member of the American Urological Association, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
Curtis Cleveland, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Dr. Cleveland received his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia. He completed his internship in Surgery and residency in Urology at the University of Vermont. Dr. Cleveland primarily practices in Plattsburgh, NY through the Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, and he also regularly treats patients at the University of Vermont Medical Center. He is interested in expanding access to urologic care in upstate New York. Dr. Cleveland is a general urologist, and his clinical interests include prostate cancer, men’s health, and robotic surgery. He enjoys participating in medical student and resident education. He is a member of the American Urological Association and Gold Humanism Honor Society.
Richard T. Grunert, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Dr. Grunert received his medical degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois. He completed his internship in Surgery and his residency at the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Grunert's research interests include reducing the risk of surgical site infection of urinary prosthetics as well as applying new wound retractor technology to greatly reduce the risk of skin contamination during the surgical implantation procedure. He is also actively involved in the evolving field of Laser endoscopic surgery. Dr. Grunert is a member of the American Urological Association, American Association of Clinical Urologists, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Society of Sexual Medicine, the International Society of Sexual Medicine, and the European Society of Sexual Medicine.
Brian Irwin, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Dr. Irwin received his medical degree from the University of Vermont. He completed his internship in Surgery at Indiana University, his residency at the University of Connecticut, and a Minimally Invasive/Endourology Fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Irwin's research interests include the impact of decipher prostate cancer classifier (primary prostatectomy tumor 22 genomic pattern) on Physician and Patient Treatment Consideration and Decisions following Radical Prostatectomy (PRO-IMPACT), the treatment choices of men with “good-risk” prostate cancer: an exploratory pilot study, and the Men's Eating and Living (MEAL) Study: A Randomized Trial of Diet to Alter Disease Progression in Prostate Cancer Patients on Active Surveillance. Dr. Irwin plays an active role in residency teaching. He is a member of the American Urological Association, Socioeconomic Committee for the New England Section of the American Urological Association, and the Vermont Representative to the Board of Directors for the New England Section of the American Urological Association.
Benjamin King, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Dr. King received his medical degree, completed his internship in Surgery and his residency in Urology at the University of Vermont. His clinical interests are prostate and kidney cancer with a focus on robotic surgery. He is actively involved in several different research projects including developing a minimally invasive technique for partial gland treatment of prostate cancer. He is an active mentor and involved in national and regional meetings. He is a member of the American Urological Association as well as a member of the New England AUA.
Urszula Kowalik, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Dr. Kowalik received her medical degree from the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She completed her internship in Surgery and residency training in Urology at the University of Vermont and fellowship in Genitourinary Reconstructive-Cancer Survivorship at Duke University. Dr. Kowalik’s clinical interests include reconstructive urology, including urethral and ureteral structure disease; male urinary incontinence, neurourology and radiation cystitis. Above all else, her goal is to develop a relationship with her patients, where they can establish care goals and work together to improve quality of life as well as develop an understanding of the urologic issues they are experiencing. She is actively involved in teaching and a member of the American Urological Association.
Andrew C. Mahoney, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Dr. Mahoney received his medical degree from the University of Colorado. He did a transitional year at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ. Dr. Mahoney completed his internship in Surgery and his residency at the Georgetown University. Dr. Mahoney is a practicing Urologist in the Department of Surgery at the University of Vermont Medical Center and primarily practices general urology in Middlebury and at Porter Medical Center. He also sees patients at the University of Vermont Medical Center – Fanny Allen campus twice a month. He is board certified and a member of the American Urological Association.
Gerald C. Mingin, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Dr. Mingin received his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He completed his internship in Surgery and his residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and his Pediatric Urology fellowship at the University of California. Dr. Mingin's research interests include social stress-induced voiding dysfunction and serves as the Principal Investigator for a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Dr. Mingin is the Director of Pediatric Urology at Vermont Children's Hospital at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Dr. Mingin is a member of the American Urological Association, American Association of Pediatric Urology and is a Specialty Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Scott D. Perrapato, DO
Associate Professor of Surgery
Scott D. Perrapato, DO FACOS is an Associate Professor at the University of Vermont (UVM). Dr. Perrapato received his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his internship in Surgery at the Grand Rapids Osteopathic Hospital, his residency at the Metropolitan Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI, and his Urologic Oncology Fellowship at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in Buffalo, NY. Dr. Perrapato is the Director of the University of Vermont Medical Center Genitourinary Oncology Transdisciplinary Team. He also assisted in the initiation of the UVM Medical Center Computer Assisted/Robotic Surgery Program. Dr. Perrapato is an active member of the Society of Urologic Oncology, American Urological Association, American Society of Clinical Oncologists, and American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. Dr. Perrapato has recently been appointed to the Alliance Cancer Control Program / Prevention Committee.
Jonathan Riddell, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Dr. Jonathan Riddell received his medical degree and completed his urology residency through the University of Western Ontario. He completed a fellowship in maternal-fetal and pediatric urology at the University of Montreal (CHU Sainte-Justine). His clinical and research interests include minimally invasive and robot surgery for congenital urologic conditions in children, adolescents and young adults. He has pioneered several new robotic techniques and actively presents at national and international meetings. Dr. Riddell is a member of the American Urologic Association, the American Association of Pediatric Urologists and is specialty-board certified in both Canada and the United States.
Kevan M. Sternberg, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Dr. Sternberg received his medical degree from SUNY Buffalo. He completed his internship in Surgery and residency in Urology at SUNY Buffalo and his fellowship in Endourology & Robotics at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Sternberg heads the endourology and kidney stone medical management efforts for the Division of Urology at the University of Vermont Medical Center. He plays an active role in residency teaching. Dr. Sternberg is the Director of Research for the Division of Urology and is active in clinical research looking at outcomes and quality focusing on the areas of kidney stone disease, urologic imaging, and opioid prescribing practices. At the national level, he is a member of the AUA Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Committee (QIPS), and has been elected to the 2021 AUA leadership class, and the Research on Calculus Kinetics Society (ROCK). He is a lecturer for the AUA Life Long Learning board review course and a member of the American Urological Association and the New England Section of the AUA.
Physician Assistants
Elizabeth A. “Liz” Stampfl, PA-C
Liz Stampfl, PA-C is a Physician Assistant with the Division of Urology at the University of Vermont Medical Center. She is also a Clinical Instructor of Surgery at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Liz received her bachelor's degree from Trinity College of Vermont and her Physician Assistant certificate from Albany Medical College. Liz works very closely with the urology residents and is highly involved with the robotics program. Liz is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Physician Assistant Academy of Vermont, and the Urology Association of Physician Assistants.
Emily Morrison, PA-C
Emily Morrison, PA-C is a Physician Assistant with the Division of Urology. Emily received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Plattsburgh State University before attending LeMoyne College in Syracuse, NY for Physician Assistant training. Having discovered her interest in urology during PA school, she is excited to be a part of the UVMMC Urology team. Emily works very closely with the urology residents to deliver care to the service’s inpatients. Emily is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Physician Assistant Academy of Vermont, and the American Urologic Association.
Residents
We are a five-year program, one resident per year. In 2019 we added two international residents who transferred to our program. One of those residents graduated in 2020 and the other will graduate in 2022.
Mohannad Awad, MB BS, MAS
Dr. Awad is co-chief urology resident at the University of Vermont. He received his medical degree from King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. Dr. Awad completed his general surgery internship at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston. Prior to his residency, Dr. Awad completed a master's degree in clinical research at the University of California, San Francisco. One of his main projects was about bicycling and sexual function, which he presented at the AUA. The topic garnered a lot of media attention. Dr. Awad enjoys playing soccer, ping pong, and basketball. He is a licensed scuba diver and enjoys diving in the wonderful Red Sea back home in Saudi Arabia.
Brett Giblin, MD
Dr. Giblin is co-chief urology resident at the University of Vermont. Dr. Giblin received his medical degree from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Harvard University with a BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology. In medical school, he was involved in advocacy and was elected Vice-Chair of the AMA Medical Student Section for the Mid-Atlantic Region. He has a deep love of baseball (both minor and major leagues) and the application of advanced analytics in sports. A former water polo letter-winner in high school, Dr. Giblin still enjoys swimming but is just as likely to be indulging one of his other interests: philosophy, architecture, and absurdist comedy.
Alexander Plochocki, MD, MPH
Dr. Plochocki is a PGY-4 urology resident at the University of Vermont. He is a graduate of Frank H. Netter, MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. While in medical school, Alex was the Director of Operations for a student-run medical clinic, did research in male infertility and ICU healthcare outcomes, and was co-president of the cycling club. Alex did his MPH at St. George’s University, where he also became a PADI-certified rescue SCUBA diver. When not studying, he researched the safety of illegal babash (moonshine) in the Grenada and started trail running. Alex is an alumni of Trinity College in Hartford, CT, where he majored in German studies and biochemistry, and studied abroad in Heidelberg and Stuttgart, Germany during his junior year. Throughout his undergrad, Alex played rugby, was captain of the weightlifting team, and president of the home-brewing club. A first generation son of a Polish immigrant family, he grew up in central Connecticut enjoying hiking, playing football, and eating tons of Slavic food. Nowadays, when Alex is not in the hospital, he enjoys any-and-all mountain sports, board games, and listening to audiobooks.
Adrian Richey, MD
Dr. Richey is a PGY-3 urology resident at the University of Vermont. She is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. She is a member of the American Urological Association.
Travis Mann-Gow, DO
Dr. Mann-Gow is a PGY-2 urology resident at the University of Vermont. He graduated from medical school at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Maine. He is a graduate of the University of Vermont with a BS in Psychology. Prior to attending medical school, he conducted research in the Emergency Department at UVM, as well as basic science research in the department of Urology at UVM. His research included developing animal models to study stress urinary incontinence, urethral bulking agents, the effect of caffeine on the urinary bladder, contribution of TRPV3 on bladder over-activity, and the use of ethanol for treatment of BPH. Travis grew up in northern Vermont where he still has a small maple syrup business. When his schedule allows, he is skiing on cross country trails or on the mountain, riding his mountain bike at Saxon Hill, cutting firewood, or listening to audiobooks. Travis is also a licensed SCUBA diver.
James Ryan, MD
Dr. Ryan is a PGY-1 urology resident at the University of Vermont. He graduated from Tufts University School of Medicine. He is a graduate of Cornell University with a BS in Biological and Life Sciences.