Commencement Awards, May 2018
Cum laude The degree of Doctor of Medicine cum laude will be conferred on students whose academic performance shows unusual merit. Hannah Zornow Alter, Alexander Reza Bazazi, Benoit Cyrenne, Katherine Abigail Epstein, Charuta Gavankar Furey, David William Goldstein, Simon Matthew Gray, Melody Yin Hu, Nicole Krenitsky, Valerie Luks, Alexandria Marino, Goran Mi´cevi´c, Nathaniel Thomas Ondeck, Max Christian Petersen, Ronnye Rutledge, Alyssa Raven Thomas, Andrew Thomas Timberlake, Karri Weisenthal, Tina Xia, Ava Chwan Lee Yap, Nicole Sitkin Zelin
American Academy of Neurology Award Awarded to recognize a graduating medical student for excellence in clinical neurology. Jeremy Paul Ader
ACP Internal Medicine Award Awarded to a graduating student who will be entering a categorical or primary care internal medicine residency in Connecticut and has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and community service. Urs Michael Weber
Norma Bailey Berniker Prize Established in 1970 by bequest of John H. Bailey, B.A. 1900, M.D. 1903. To be awarded to members of the graduating class who give promise of best exemplifying the disciplines and precepts of the Oath of Hippocrates and the Prayer of Maimonides. Eamon Yeats Duffy, Clara Kim, Talia Robledo-Gil, Robert Michel Rock, Karri Weisenthal
The Campbell Prize Founded in 1900 by bequest from James Campbell, honorary M.A. 1891, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology from 1886 to 1899. Awarded to the graduating student who secures the highest score on Step II of the National Board Medical Examination. Marcus Altman
Connecticut Academy of Family Physicians Award Established in 1994 to recognize outstanding students entering a career in Family Practice. Not awarded in 2018.
Connecticut Chapter of American College of Surgeons Prize Awarded to a graduating student for excellence in surgical sciences. Carla Marisa Lopez
The Cortlandt Van Rensselaer Creed Award Established in 1999 in honor of Cortlandt Van Rensselaer Creed, the first African American graduate of Yale School of Medicine in 1857. Awarded through peer nomination to a graduating, underrepresented, minority student in medicine and public health who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, exemplary leadership, and a significant commitment to the community at large. Marquita Nicole Kilgore-Nolan, Robert Michel Rock
Miriam Kathleen Dasey Award Established in 1950 in honor of Miriam Kathleen Dasey, Registrar from 1921 to 1950. Awarded annually to students who by strength of character, personal integrity, and academic achievement give promise of fulfilling the ideal of the compassionate physician. Dipankan Bhattacharya, Charuta Gavankar Furey, John Christian Grotberg, Melody Yin Hu, Talia Robledo-Gil, Robert Michel Rock, Andi Shahu
The Dean’s Prize for Community Service This annual award recognizes the graduating student who, by leadership and service, has made major contributions to the School of Medicine, to the New Haven community, or to the community at large. Hannah Zornow Alter, Juliana Pearl Berk-Krauss, Eamon Yeats Duffy, Tehreem Rehman, Robert Michel Rock
Endocrinology Society Medical Student Achievement Award Established in 1997 to recognize a graduating student who has shown special achievement and interest in the general field of endocrinology. Max Christian Petersen
The Selma and Karl Folkers Prize in Biomedical Research Awarded to graduating M.D./Ph.D. students whose thesis research has demonstrated excellence in basic cell and molecular biology. Goran Mi´cevi´c, Marco Antonio Ramos, Jr., Eleanor Varian Thomas, Genevieve Jia-Wei Yang
The Peter Grannum Prize Established in 1990. Awarded to an outstanding African American graduate. This annual award is supported by the Shirley, Maggie and Hugh Comer Fund. Ronnye Rutledge
The Marguerite Rush Lerner Award Awarded to students for outstanding creative writing. Alvin Li, Siyu (Sue) Xiao
The M.D./Ph.D. Alumni Award Awarded to graduating M.D./Ph.D. students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievements, leadership, and service. Amanda Ruth Quijano
The M.D./Ph.D. Award Awarded to outstanding members of the graduating M.D./Ph.D. class who have shown excellence in both research and clinical activities. Alexander Reza Bazazi, Simon Matthew Gray, Alexandria Marino
New England Pediatric Society Prize Awarded to that member of the graduating class entering pediatrics who in the opinion of peers and faculty best exemplifies those qualities one looks for in a pediatrician: “A competent, caring, good humored person whom I would want to take care of my children.” Dipankan Bhattacharya, Robert Hsu-Wei Rosen, Alyssa Raven Thomas
The Parker Prize Established in 1914 by bequest from Frank J. Parker, Ph.D. 1895, M.D. 1898. Awarded annually to the graduating students who, during the course, have shown the best qualifications for a successful physician. Eamon Yeats Duffy, Charuta Gavankar Furey, Ido Haimi
The Perkins Prize Awarded to the student who achieves the highest rank on Step I of the National Board Medical Examination. Marcus Altman
Mila Rainof Award The Mila Rainof Award will be given each year to a graduating Yale medical student entering the field of emergency medicine who, like Mila, has contagious enthusiasm for caring for patients, while bringing attention, kindness, and compassion to each interaction. Réginald Sévère
The Dr. David and Arthur Schuman Award of Excellence in Family Practice Awarded annually to recognize a student or resident in the State of Connecticut for academic excellence and contributions to the Connecticut Academy of Family Physicians and other organizations that promote understanding of the specialty of Family Medicine. Not awarded in 2018.
The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Award Awarded to the student who has demonstrated excellence in the specialty of emergency medicine. Karri Weisenthal
The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award Supported by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Established to honor a graduating student who demonstrates the highest standard of compassion and sensitivity in interaction with patients. Marcus Altman
Lauren Weinstein Award Established in 1992 in memory of Lauren Weinstein (Yale medical student, 1988–1989). Given to students who display courage, perseverance, and compassion and have dared to reach for the best in themselves. Alex Stewart, Chris A. Zirker
The Milton C. Winternitz Prize in Pathology Established in 1950 in honor of Milton Charles Winternitz, honorary M.A. 1917, Professor of Pathology and Bacteriology, 1917–1925, Anthony N. Brady Professor of Pathology, 1925–1950. Goran Mi´cevi´c
Thesis Prizes, May 2018
Cancer Prize Awarded to a graduating student for an outstanding thesis in cancer. Benoit Cyrenne
The Peter F. Curran Prize Established in 1976. To be presented to a graduating medical student for an outstanding thesis. Alyssa Raven Thomas
Wilber G. Downs, M.D., M.P.H., Outstanding Thesis Prize in International Health Established in 1988 for the best thesis in the area of international health. Ava Chwan Lee Yap
The Ferris Prize Established in 1934 and endowed in 1937 by anonymous donors in honor of Harry Burr Ferris, A.A. 1887, M.D. 1890. Awarded to a graduating student for an outstanding thesis. Valerie Luks
The William U. Gardner Thesis Prize Established in 1989 by Dr. Gardner’s widow and awarded to the graduating student with the most outstanding thesis in the graduating class. Charuta Gavankar Furey
The Nicholas J. Giarman Prize Established in 1976. Nicholas Giarman was Professor of Pharmacology, 1949 to 1968. To be presented to a student for an outstanding thesis. Nicole Sitkin Zelin
The Keese Prize Established in 1880 by bequest from Mary M. Keese in memory of her son, Hobart Keese, M.D. 1855. Awarded annually to a student who presents an outstanding thesis. Katherine Abigail Epstein
The Dr. Harold H. Lamport Biomedical Research Prize Established in 1976. To be presented to a student for an outstanding thesis reporting original biomedical research. Erik Alexander Barfod Levinsohn
The Lidz Prize in Psychiatry Awarded to a graduating student for an outstanding thesis in the field of psychiatry or neuroscience. Melody Yin Hu
The M.D./Ph.D. Prize Awarded to the graduating M.D./Ph.D. students with the most outstanding dissertation. Max Christian Petersen, Andrew Thomas Timberlake
Dr. Marvin Moser Prize Established in 2007 by Dr. Marvin Moser for a prize-winning thesis in preventive cardiology, lipid disorders, or hypertension. David William Goldstein
The Dr. Louis H. Nahum Prize Founded in 1973 by bequest from Louis H. Nahum, M.D. 1916. Awarded annually to a member of the senior class of the medical school, who merits such award by virtue of the excellence of the thesis that the student has written as required for the medical degree. Hannah Zornow Alter
The John P. Peters Prize Established in 1976. To be presented to a student for an outstanding thesis in the area of internal medicine. John P. Peters was Professor of Medicine at Yale, 1927 to 1955. Karri Weisenthal
David and Harriet Seligson Thesis Prize Established in 2011 in honor of Dr. David Seligson, the founder of the Department of Laboratory Medicine, for an outstanding thesis in the area of laboratory medicine. Tina Xia
Surgery Prize Awarded to the senior medical student entering a surgical field, who has done outstanding research during medical school. Nathaniel Thomas Ondeck
The Louis G. Welt Prize Established in 1976. To be presented to a student for an outstanding thesis. Louis Welt was Chairman and Professor of Medicine, 1972–1974. Nicole Krenitsky
The Abraham White Prize Awarded yearly to a Yale medical student for outstanding student research. Established in 2010, the prize is in memory of Dr. Abraham White, who served as a distinguished teacher and scholar of Physiological Chemistry at Yale from 1931 to 1948. Ronnye Rutledge
Student Research Day Oral Presentations, May 10, 2018
Charuta Gavankar Furey. Exome sequencing reveals novel causes of congenital hydrocephalus (Dr. Kristopher Kahle, Neurosurgery)
Katherine Abigail Epstein. Smoking cessation and outcome after ischemic stroke or TIA (Dr. Walter Kernan, Internal Medicine)
Valerie Louise Luks. In utero gene therapy: Targeted nanoparticles for correction of cystic fibrosis (Dr. David Stitelman, Surgery)
Hannah Zornow Alter. Photography and addiction medicine as activism during the 1960s amphetamine crisis (Dr. Naomi Rogers, History of Medicine)
Max Christian Petersen. Insulin receptor Thr1160 phosphorylation mediates lipid-induced hepatic insulin resistance (Dr. Gerald Shulman, Cellular and Molecular Physiology)
Andrew Thomas Timberlake. An epistatic explanation: Exome sequencing reveals novel causes of craniosynostosis (Dr. Richard Lifton, Genetics)
Awards to Faculty and House Staff, May 2018
The Francis Gilman Blake Award Established in 1952 by Nu Sigma Nu. Endowed by Dr. Robert C. Kirk, B.S. 1930, as a memorial to his twin brother, Dr. Gilman D. Kirk, B.S. 1930. Awarded annually to that member of the faculty of the School of Medicine designated by the senior class as the most outstanding teacher(s) of the medical sciences. Rachel Liu, M.B.B.Ch.
Charles W. Bohmfalk Prizes Established in 1989 under the terms of the Alice Bohmfalk Charitable Trust. Prestigious teaching prizes will be awarded annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the teaching program, one in the basic sciences and one in the clinical sciences, as judged by the faculty and students. Basic Sciences: Akiko Iwasaki, Ph.D. Clinical Sciences: Jeremy Moeller, M.D., M.Sc.
The Alvan R. Feinstein Award Presented to a Yale School of Medicine faculty member chosen as the outstanding teacher of the year of clinical skills by a committee of chairs of the clinical departments, associate chairs, and students. Susan Forster, M.D.
The Leah M. Lowenstein Award Presented annually by the Office for Women in Medicine to faculty members who are models of a medical educator whose humane teaching reaches and influences all students regardless of gender, race, or socioeconomic background. These are the traits espoused by the late Leah Lowenstein, a medical educator and first female dean of a coeducational medical school. Karen Jubanyik, M.D.
The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award Presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Established in 1998 to honor the faculty member who demonstrates the highest standard of compassion and sensitivity in interaction with patients. Katherine McKenzie, M.D.
The Betsy Winters House Staff Award Presented annually to that member of the House Staff of the Yale-New Haven Medical Center, designated by the graduating class, who has made the most significant contribution to the education of medical students. Gabrielle Grisotti, M.D., and Sarah Perkins, M.D.