Chris Goettl named one of UArizona’s Alumni of the Year
Chris Goettl, MD, head of arterial anatomy simulation at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, was named one of the UArizona Alumni Foundation’s Alumni of the Year for 2024.
Goettl, an interventional radiologist and native Tucsonan, went to Notre Dame for his MBA before he applied and was accepted into the College of Medicine – Phoenix, where he graduated in 2012. After graduation, he completed a radiology residency at the University of Illinois – Chicago followed by an interventional radiology fellowship at Stanford University.
(From left) Frederic Wondisford, MD, MS, MBA, dean of the UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and Chris Goettl, MD, UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix Alumni of the Year, hold the award presented to Goettl at the UArizona Alumni Foundation awards ceremony.
“This was a special honor, both for me and my family,” said Goettl, a clinical assistant professor in the College of Medicine – Phoenix’s Department of Radiology. “Growing up in Tucson, we have always been Wildcats at heart and meeting the other awardees was truly inspiring. The College of Medicine – Phoenix is producing more and more incredible physicians for the state of Arizona and I’m excited to meet future Alumni of the Year coming out of our college. Bear Down!”
“We are very proud to see Dr. Goettl recognized as an Alumni of the Year,” said Frederic Wondisford, MD, MS, MBA, dean of the College of Medicine – Phoenix. “His commitment to his patients and dedication to improving access to health care exemplify the impact our college strives to make in every community we serve."
Goettl said he was interested in science as a child and found his career path early when, as a high school student, he met an interventional radiologist. Things just clicked. As he got further into radiology, Goettl said he liked the idea that he could contribute to a future that involved minimally invasive treatments for complex vascular diseases.
“In our field, there’s been a huge shift over the last 10 years to being able to do things safely and effectively in the outpatient space,” Goettl said. “Now, more patients are able to access those procedures in interventional radiology in rural locations.”
Goettl credited his time at the College of Medicine – Phoenix with not only giving him a well-rounded education but also building strong community ties.
“The experience let me develop friendships with countless physicians who are now practicing and a lot of my classmates came back to practice in the valley,” he said. “I have colleagues in almost every specialty in medicine and can call someone if I’ve got a problem that I don’t know how to address.”
Goettl was one of 15 alumni to receive a 2024 Alumni of the Year Award during a ceremony on Feb. 22. Honorees were nominated by their colleges and awardees were chosen by the Alumni Advisory Council. The Alumni of the Year Award was inaugurated in 1943.
Roberta Brinton, PhD, Regents Professor and director of the Center for Innovation in Brain Science, was also honored this year by the College of Science.
A profile on Goettl appeared recently on the College of Medicine – Phoenix’s website.