Program Leadership
Interim Department Chairman
Richard Lee Bucciarelli, M.D.
Associate Vice President for Health Affairs for Government Relations
Professor, Institute for Child Health Policy
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Professor, Department of OB-GYN
Professor, College of Nursing
Dr. Bucciarelli received his undergraduate and medical degrees from University of Michigan. He completed his pediatric residency training and fellowships in both pediatric cardiology and neonatal and perinatal medicine at University of Florida. After completion of his training, Dr. Bucciarelli became a member of the faculty in the Department of Pediatrics at UF in 1976. He was appointed Associate Vice President for Health Affairs for Government Relations in 2004 and Interim Chairman of the Department on Pediatrics in May of 2007. Dr. Bucciarelli is married to Lynda Bucciarelli and they have a son and daughter. He is a culinary expert and enjoys sharing his skills with appreciative audiences!
Please click here to view Dr. Bucciarelli’s distinguished career outlined in his curriculum vitae.
E-mail: buccirl@peds.ufl.edu
Residency Program Director
Maureen A. Novak, M.D.
Associate Professor and Vice Chairman
Reed Bell Chair
Director, Pediatric Clerkship
Medical Director, Adolescent and Young Adult Program
Dr. Novak received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University and her medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School. She completed her pediatric residency at Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY and stayed on to do a chief residency year. She spent a year in private practice and then did a Pediatric Infectious Disease fellowship at Babies Hospital at Columbia University in New York City. Upon moving to Gainesville, she worked in a pediatric practice as a generalist for 5 years. She joined the General Pediatrics division as the head of the adolescent and young adult program at UF in 1997. She became program director in 2003. Her professional interests include integrating competency evaluation into resident and medical student education, infectious disease and adolescent health. She has received multiple honors for her work in medical education. Dr. Novak is married to another pediatric faculty member and they have six children. She enjoys spending time with her family, travel rollerblading, Gator sports, cooking and eating!!!
E-mail: novakma@peds.ufl.edu
Associate Residency Program Director
Nicole Paradise Black, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Division of Critical Care
Pediatric Hospitalist
Dr. Black received her undergraduate degree from The College of William and Mary and her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and went on to do a chief residency year at The Barbara Bush’s Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center. She spent two years working as a community hospitalist for The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and then joined the UF faculty in 2005. Her professional areas of interest include incorporating technology into resident and medical student education and breastfeeding. Dr. Black is married to an educational technology doctoral candidate, Erik, and has a son named Brennan. She enjoys spending time with her family and participating in endurance sports such as marathons and long distance triathlons.
E-mail: blacknm@peds.ufl.edu
Associate Residency Program Director
Robert Michael Lawrence, M.D.
Associate Professor
Division of Immunology, Rheumatology and Infectious Disease
Dr. Lawrence received an undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester and his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. He completed a pediatric residency and chief residency at Montefiore Hospital, in Bronx, New York. He enjoyed a Pediatric Fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Bellevue Hospital and New York University and remained there as a faculty person for 16 years. He was the Associate Director for Residency Training there, for 5 years. He arrived at the University of Florida in 2001; where he has been a member of the Pediatric Immunology, Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases Division. Dr. Lawrence’s professional interests include infectious diseases, immunologic and infectious disease issues related to breastfeeding, narrative medicine, communication in healthcare and he is learning more rheumatology everyday. He is married to a pediatric nurse, Rachel, at Shands. He strives to spend more time with his wife, his step-children, dogs and walking the trails of Florida.
E-mail: lawrerm@peds.ufl.edu
Co-Chief Resident
Sarosh Batlivala, M.D.
Clinical Instructor, Graduate Medical Education
Dr. Batlivala was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. He moved to south Florida when he was 12 for his father’s career. He later moved to Delhi (formerly New Delhi), India at the age of 15 where he attended high school at the American Embassy School. Upon graduation he returned to attend the University of Florida. He was accepted into the Junior Honor’s Medical Program at UF, so went on to medical school there. Loving our faculty and Gainesville so much, he decided to stay at UF to complete his residency in pediatrics. After his year as co-chief resident, he will train to be a pediatric cardiologist. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Batlivala enjoys reading (classics, philosophy, and National Geographic), exercise, cooking, music, playing tennis, biking, and travelling. His parents and brother continue to live in India, and his younger sister is here at UF attending the College of Veterinary Medicine.
E-mail: batlis@peds.ufl.edu
Co-Chief Resident
Jeanmarie Connor , M.D.
Clinical Instructor, Graduate Medical Education
Dr. Jeanmarie Connor was born in New York; however, she moved to Florida when she was 2 years old. She spent the majority of her life as a Floridian until she moved to North Carolina to attend Duke University for her undergraduate career. Although she was sad to leave her Blue Devil days behind, Dr. Connor was excited to move back to Florida to attend medical school at the University of Florida. She then decided to stay in Gainesville and complete her pediatric residency at UF! Jeanmarie is married to Mike, who is currently in his last year of his ophthalmology residency at UF. They just welcomed a new addition to their family, Chase Michael Connor, who was born on May 23, 2008! After this year as co-chief resident, Jeanmarie will be moving to Austin, Texas where Mike will be completing a fellowship in oculoplastics and she will be pursuing a career in general pediatrics.
E-mail: burigj@peds.ufl.edu
Administrative Staff
Amy Cole
Housestaff Secretary
Imogene Seeger
Residency Program Coordinator
UF AD Web-Mail