10/14/2026
Nearly 26 years after Xander Boggs was born at Tulane Hospital, he returned to the same corner of New Orleans to begin a new chapter — as a first-year medical student. The physician who delivered him? Dr. Chi Dola is still here at Tulane.
“One of the greatest privileges of being a maternal-fetal medicine specialist is caring for patients at the very beginning of a new life, even though we rarely have the opportunity to see where that journey leads,” Dola said. “This remarkable connection between our clinical care and educational mission reflects the very best of the Tulane community."
Boggs’ return also continues a family connection to Tulane and medicine. His father, Brian Boggs, graduated from Tulane School of Medicine. His mother, Olga Emgushov, attended medical school at the University of Hawaii and completed a combined internal medicine and pediatrics residency at Tulane.
The couple met while tending to someone in a New Orleans emergency room. Boggs was born while his mother was completing her residency at Tulane. But Boggs’ Tulane connections did not end there. His pediatrician, Theresa Dise, was also a member of the university’s faculty.
“Tulane was always at the top of my list because of my family connection to it and to the city of New Orleans,” he said. “Between the culture, the food, the art, and everything here, it’s just such a wonderful place.”
