▁the ▁department ' s ▁Chief ▁of ▁Trans plant ation ▁and ▁S urg ical ▁Director ▁of ▁the ▁He pat op an cre atic ob ili ary ▁( HP B ) ▁Program ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Arizona . ▁During ▁his ▁ten ure , ▁he ▁transformed ▁a ▁struggling ▁department ▁into ▁one ▁with ▁a ▁national ▁reputation ▁specifically ▁in ▁trans plant ation ▁and ▁robot ic ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁minim ally ▁invas ive ▁surg ery . ▁To ▁achieve ▁this , ▁Gru ess ner ▁rec ru ited ▁over ▁ 5 0 ▁new ▁fac ulty , ▁developed ▁numerous ▁new ▁programs ▁and ▁divisions , ▁and ▁quad ru ple d ▁of ▁the ▁department ' s ▁N I H ▁support . ▁ ▁As ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁S urg ery ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Arizona , ▁Gru ess ner ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁surg ical ▁management ▁for ▁the ▁vict ims ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁T uc son ▁shooting . ▁ ▁The ▁patients ▁included ▁former ▁US ▁Congress w oman ▁Gab ri elle ▁G iff ords , ▁who ▁suffered ▁a ▁critical ▁gun shot ▁w ound ▁to ▁the ▁head . ▁While ▁in ▁Arizona , ▁Gru ess ner ▁performed ▁the ▁state ' s ▁first ▁living ▁and ▁dece ased ▁int est inal ▁trans pl ants , ▁first ▁mult iv is cer al ▁trans plant , ▁first ▁ped iat ric ▁living ▁don or ▁li ver ▁trans plant ▁and ▁first ▁aut olog ous ▁is let ▁trans plant . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁Gru ess ner ▁joined ▁the ▁State ▁University ▁of ▁New ▁York