Commencement Awards, May 2019
Cum laude The degree of Doctor of Medicine cum laude will be conferred on students whose academic performance shows unusual merit. Patawut Bovonratwet, Maxwell Gerard Farina, Rebecca Louisa Fine, Samara Danielle Fox, Aaron Hakim, Sa Rang Kim, Rebecca Liu, Kelsey Burk Loeliger, Amanda Jane Lu, Patrick McGillivray, Kavita Mistry, Sudhakar Venkata Nuti, Derek Ou, Rahil Amyn Rojiani, Sara Tannenbaum, Noel Arthur Joseph Turner, Laura Jeannette Yockey
American Academy of Neurology Award Awarded to recognize a graduating medical student for excellence in clinical neurology. Kelly Michelle Rogers
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. Rebecca Louisa Fine
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. Prince Antwi, Samara Danielle Fox, Florence Hsiao, Christina Brady Johns, Joongyu Daniel Song
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. Evgeniya Tyrtova
Connecticut Academy of Family Physicians Award Established in 1994 to recognize outstanding students entering a career in Family Practice. Not awarded in 2019.
Connecticut Chapter of American College of Surgeons Prize Awarded to a graduating student for excellence in surgical sciences. Elliot Coleman Morse
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. Herbert Castillo Valladares
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. Patawut Bovonratwet, Michael Jarvis Boyle, Lawrence Chan, Eun Sook Choi, Amandine Florence Ghislaine Godier-Furnemont, Sophia Elana Shimer, Nicholas Son Wilcox, Robin Tiffany Wu
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. Herbert Castillo Valladares
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. Stephen Graham DeVries
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. Rebecca Liu, Laura West Pappalardo
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. Jeremiah Joseph Cross
The Marguerite Rush Lerner Award Awarded to students for outstanding creative writing. Sophie Haeun Chung, Cortlandt Mercy Sellers, Sara Tannenbaum
The M.D./Ph.D. Alumni Award Awarded to graduating M.D./Ph.D. students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievements, leadership, and service. Kavita Mistry
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. Kelsey Burk Loeliger
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.” Jonathan L.B. Levinsohn
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. Jeremiah Joseph Cross, Amitte Gail Rosenfeld
The Perkins Prize Awarded to the student who achieves the highest rank on Step I of the National Board Medical Examination. Elliot Coleman Morse
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. Jeremiah Joseph Cross
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 2019.
The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Award Awarded to the student who has demonstrated excellence in the specialty of emergency medicine. Michael Jarvis Boyle
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. Chloe Olivia Zimmerman
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. Raysa Gabriela Cabrejo
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. Jonathan L.B. Levinsohn
Thesis Prizes, May 2019
Cancer Prize Awarded to a graduating student for an outstanding thesis in cancer. Nicholas Chien-Juei Lee
The Peter F. Curran Prize Established in 1976. To be presented to a graduating medical student for an outstanding thesis. Derek Ou
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. Samara Danielle Fox
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. Maxwell Gerard Farina
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. Noel Arthur Joseph Turner
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. Aaron Hakim
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. Renee Muyoka Maina
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. Patrick McGillivray
The Lidz Prize in Psychiatry Awarded to a graduating student for an outstanding thesis in the field of psychiatry or neuroscience. Rahil Amyn Rojiani
The M.D./Ph.D. Prize Awarded to the graduating M.D./Ph.D. students with the most outstanding dissertation. Laura Jeannette Yockey
Dr. Marvin Moser Prize Established in 2007 by Dr. Marvin Moser for a prize-winning thesis in preventive cardiology, lipid disorders, or hypertension. Praneeth Reddy Sadda
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. Sa Rang Kim
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. Sudhakar Venkata Nuti
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. Amanda Jane Lu
Surgery Prize Awarded to the senior medical student entering a surgical field, who has done outstanding research during medical school. Patawut Bovonratwet
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. Sara Tannenbaum
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. Rebecca Louisa Fine
Student Research Day Oral Presentations, May 7, 2019
Maxwell Gerard Farina. Localized Hippocampal Glutamine Synthetase Knockout: A Novel Model of Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (Dr. Tore Eid, Laboratory Medicine)
Rahil Amyn Rojiani. Drumming to Communicate Emotion: Dual-Brain Imaging Informs an Intervention in a Carceral Setting (Dr. Joy Hirsch, Psychiatry)
Praneeth Reddy Sadda. Simulating Fetoscopic Surgery for Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (Dr. Xenophon Papademetris, Radiology and Biomedical Imaging)
Noel Arthur Joseph Turner. The Impact of B Cell Depletion on Anti-PD-1 Efficacy (Dr. Marcus Bosenberg, Dermatology)
Laura Jeannette Yockey. Innate Immune Responses in Zika Virus Control and Pathogenesis (Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, Immunobiology)
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. Gerard J. Kerins, M.D., M.P.A.
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: Jordan Pober, M.D., Clinical Sciences: Dana Dunne, M.D.
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. Michael DiGiovanna, M.D., Ph.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. Howard P. Forman, M.D., M.B.A.
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. Christine Ngaruiya, M.D., M.Sc., DTMH
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. Todd Spock, M.D., and Emily Pinto Taylor, M.D.