Commencement 2014

Faculty Awards

P&S Distinguished Service Awards were presented to Charles S.H. Young, PhD, professor emeritus of microbiology, and John M. Driscoll Jr., MD, the Reuben S. Carpentier Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics.

Charles W. Bohmfalk Awards were presented to Henry M. Spotnitz, MD, the George H. Humphreys II Professor of Surgery, for pre-clinical teaching, and David L. Diuguid, MD, the Hope Sheridan Associate Professor of Hematology (in Medicine) at CUMC and associate professor of pathology & cell biology at CUMC, for clinical teaching.

The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation was given to Rita Charon, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at CUMC.

The Dr. Harold and Golden Lamport Research Award in basic sciences was given to Raul Rabadan, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical informatics and of systems biology. David J. Lederer, MD, associate professor of medicine and of epidemiology in pediatrics, received the Dr. Harold and Golden Lamport Research Award in clinical sciences.

The Distinguished Teacher Award was given by the Class of 2014 to Michael Devlin, MD, professor of clinical psychiatry.

Student Awards and Prizes

Doctor Harry S. Altman Award
(outstanding achievement in pediatric ambulatory care)
Bianca N. Calderon

Alumni Association Award
(in recognition of interest in and devotion to the College of Physicians & Surgeons and its Alumni Association)
Allen M. Costa
Nicholas A. White

AAN Medical Student Prize for Excellence in Neurology
Jason B. Neal

The Virginia P. Apgar Award
(excellence in anesthesiology)
Kyra R. Bernstein

Michael H. Aranow Memorial Prize
(best exemplifying the caring and humane qualities of the practicing physician)
Michael J. Healy

Herbert J. Bartelstone Award
(exceptional accomplishments in pharmacology)
Sasha Fahme

The Behrens Memorial Prize in Ophthalmology
(outstanding graduate entering ophthalmology)
Richard I. Kaplan

The Edward T. Bello, MD, Listening Award
(best portrays the art of listening to patients, colleagues and self in practicing the chosen field of medicine)
Bethany L. Johnson-Kerner

Robert G. Bertsch Prize
(emulating Dr. Bertsch’s ideals of the humane surgeon)
Joyce Khandji

Coakley Memorial Prize
(outstanding achievement in otolaryngology)
Sarah E. Keesecker

Titus Munson Coan Prize
(best essay in biological sciences)
George Eng
Bethany L. Johnson-Kerner

Titus M. Coan Prize for Excellence in Research
    Basic cell & molecular biology
    German A. Plata Caviedes

    Translational biology
    Joseph M. Chan

Thomas F. Cock Prize
(excellence in obstetrics & gynecology)
Katherine S. Brown

Rosamond Kane Cummins’52 Award
(graduate entering orthopedics with academic excellence, sensitivity, kindness, devotion to patients and the fine human qualities that she exemplified)
Margaret L. Wright

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the College of Physicians & Surgeons
Benjamin D. Hopkins
Matthew R. Lovett-Barron

The Endocrine Society’s Medical Student Achievement Award
Cecilia C. Fix

Daniel J. Fink, MD, Memorial Prize
(best exemplifies Dr. Fink’s enthusiasm for the study and practice of medicine)
Julia Z. Xu

Glasgow–Rubin Achievement Award
(presented to women students graduating in the top 10 percent of their class)
Zeena E. Audi
Kyra R. Bernstein
Julia V. Blum
Abigail Campbell
Talia R. Chapman
Margot E. Cohen
Kimberly Dessources
Juliet O. Idiga
Maryl G. Sackeim
Katherine E. Schwartz
Emily West

Doctor Charles E. Hamilton Award
(excellence in pulmonary disease)
Mahesh V. Madhavan

The Izard Prize for Research in Cardiology
(excellence in cardiology)
Mahesh V. Madhavan

Janeway Prize
(the highest achievement and abilities in the graduating class)
Julia V. Blum

The Jerry Jacobs Prize in Pediatrics
(excellence in the differential diagnosis and treatment of disorders in children)
Elana B. Mitchel

Albert B. Knapp Scholarship
(awarded at the conclusion of the third year to the medical students with highest scholarship in the first three years)
Julia V. Blum
David A. Martin
Emily West

John K. Lattimer Prize in Urology
(outstanding essay in urology)
Gregory A. Joice

Donald A.B. Lindberg, MD, (P&S ’58) Award for Excellence in Biomedical Informatics
Alexander D. Sackeim

The Samuel and Beatrice Leib Memorial Prize in Ophthalmology
(outstanding graduate entering ophthalmology)
Juliet O. Idiga

Family Medicine Student Research Scholarship Award
Orlando I. Sola

Barbara Liskin Memorial Award in Psychiatry
(exemplifies the empathy, scholarship, and excellence exhibited by Dr. Barbara Liskin)
Zeena E. Audi

The Robert F. Loeb Award
(excellence in clinical medicine)
Margot E. Cohen
Monika Laszkowska
Darrick K. Li

F. Lowenfish Prize in Dermatology
(creative research in dermatology)
Nikhil Dhingra
Nayoung Lee

Alfred M. Markowitz Endowment for Scholars
(exemplifies Dr. Markowitz’s dedication to patient care, teaching, and scholarship)
Brendan F. Scully

Doctor Cecil G. Marquez BALSO Student Award
(outstanding contribution to the Black and Latino Student Organization and the minority community)
Juliet O. Idiga

Edith and Denton McKane Memorial Award
(outstanding research in ophthalmology)
Aakriti Garg

James M. McKiernan, MD, Prize for Compassionate Care
(exemplified by the student most capable of combining humanism, medical knowledge, and compassion)
Elizabeth M. Sebesta

Medical Society of the State of New York Community Service Award
Margot E. Cohen
Maryl G. Sackeim

Doctor Harold Lee Meirhof Memorial Prize
(excellence in pathology over the four years in medical school)
George Eng

Doctors William Nastuk, Beatrice Seegal, and Konrad Hsu Award
(demonstrated successful laboratory collaboration between student and faculty)
Darrick K. Li
Julia Z. Xu

Marie Nercessian Memorial Award
(exhibiting care, unusual concern, and dedication to helping sick people)
Kavita T. Vani

New York Orthopedic Hospital Award
(outstanding performance in research and clinical work)
Evan A. O’Donnell

The Daniel Noyes Brown Primary Care Scholar Award
(recognizes the recipients’ commitment to primary care and community service)
Zeena E. Audi
Katherine S. Brown
Cecilia C. Fix

The Office of Student Affairs Outstanding Service to P&S Award
(outstanding contribution to improving the quality of life of his or her peers while at P&S)
Michael T. Caton

Outstanding Student in Family Medicine Award
(demonstrates academic achievement in the area of family medicine and initiative in community health service and an understanding and commitment to the principles of family medicine)
Rosa M. Mendoza

Donald M. Palatucci Prize
(awarded to the student in the fall of his/her fourth year who is in the upper one-third of the class, who exemplifies through activities in art, music, and literature that living and learning go together, and whose interactions with patients reflect kindness, humor, compassion, candor, and zest for life)
Michael P. Ayers
Monika Laszkowska

Joseph Garrison Parker Award
(exemplifying through activities in art, music, literature, and the public interest the fact that living and learning go together)
Joshua R. Marr

The Drs. Robert A. Savitt and George H. McCormack Award
(exemplifies Dr. George McCormack’s medical skill, consideration, understanding, and compassion)
Emily C. Ayers
Sasha Fahme

The Rebecca A. Schwarz Memorial Prize
(achievement in pediatric cardiology)
Christopher Mardy

The Helen M. Sciarra Prize in Neurology
(outstanding achievement in neurology)
Bethany L. Johnson-Kerner

Aura E. Severinghaus Scholar
(superior academic achievement)
David A. Martin

The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Award
(excellence in the specialty of emergency medicine)
Fernando Barajas

The Miriam Berkman Spotnitz Award
(excellence in research of neoplastic diseases)
Elizabeth E. Crouch
Anya L. Levinson

The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award
(excellence in science and compassion in patient care)
Zeena E. Audi

William Perry Watson Prize in Pediatrics
(excellence in pediatrics)
Zeena E. Audi

Doctor William Raynor Watson Memorial Award
(excellence in psychiatry throughout four years of medical school)
Michael P. Ayers

Doctor Allen O. Whipple Memorial Prize
(outstanding performance in surgery)
Michael P. Ayers

Sigmund L. Wilens Prize
(excellence in pathology)
Kimberly Point du Jour