UNC Anesthesiology is pleased to announce Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology Amy Penwarden, MD, has been named the next Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship Program Director, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Penwarden will begin serving as OB Anesthesiology Fellowship Director mid-year as Associate Professor of Anesthesiology Ben Cobb, MD, transitions from this role and continues to serve in education leadership as an Assistant Residency Program Director and other leadership service. 
Dr. Penwarden has served in multiple leadership roles within the department in her five years on faculty, among them: 1) Obstetric Anesthesiology Rotation Director; 2) Member – Fellowship Program Evaluation Committee (PEC) / Clinical Competency Committee (CCC) / UNCMC OB Multi-Disciplinary Simulation Committee; and 3) OR Coordinator. She was recently honored with the department’s Professional Development Award in Education.
Dr. Penwarden completed her anesthesiology residency at UNC (2012-2016). Thereafter, she became the department’s first Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellow, following ACGME-approved accreditation of this subspecialty residency at UNC. After working in anesthesiology private practice post fellowship, she returned to UNC and was appointed to faculty in 2023 as an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology.
UNC Anesthesiology Chair Ted Sakai, MD, MHA, PhD, FASA, noted: “We congratulate Dr. Penwarden on her new leadership role. Since rejoining our department, Dr. Penwarden has demonstrated unwavering commitment to medical education, clinical excellence, and leadership. She has helped shape the direction of obstetric anesthesiology at UNC and ensure the continued success of our fellowship training, all while strengthening her expertise in education.
We express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Cobb for his outstanding leadership as our Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship Director. Under Dr. Cobb, UNC has continued to thrive as one of the most well-respected Obstetric Anesthesiology subspecialty training programs in the country. We thank Dr. Cobb for his ongoing leadership as he continues serving as Assistant Residency Program Director. In this role, he been instrumental in revamping the internship year experience for expanding residency program.”