Penn State College of Medicine presents Commencement 2022 Awards
As part of its Commencement 2022 celebration, Penn State College of Medicine recognizes several graduates from the medical student, physician assistant, MD/PhD and graduate programs who did outstanding work in their academic and clinical careers.
Honored students are listed below.
View the 2022 Commencement page
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2022 Commencement Awards
Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) is the first and most-recognized medical honor society in the world. Its purpose is to recognize and perpetuate excellence in the medical profession. The letters Alpha-Omega-Alpha are derived from the Greek form of the society’s motto: “Be Worthy to Serve the Suffering.” AOA was founded in 1902 by William Webster Root and five other medical students in Chicago and now has 135 chapters.
AOA is a nonprofit organization whose mission statement embodies “the belief that in the profession of medicine we will improve care for all by recognizing high educational achievement, honoring gifted teaching, encouraging the development of leaders in academia and the community, supporting the ideals of humanism and promoting service to others.”
AOA’s programs are available to all medical students and physicians, and include visiting professorships, support of student research projects, funding of service activities, recognition of resident physician excellence and national awards for both professionalism and gifted teaching. AOA publishes The Pharos, a quarterly compilation of essays, poetry, photography and other works related to humanistic medicine.
Class of 2022 members of Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society, Pennsylvania Eta Chapter
Brittany Ammerman
Sarah Benyo
Kaleb Bogale
Tyler Bruinsma
Lindsay Buzzelli
Xavier Candela
Nicole Cumbo
Yen Doan
John Gaspich
Marisa Giglio
Taylor Gladys
Ramon Govea
Brittainy Hereford
Amy Hoffman
Julie Hong
Kyuseok Im
Ellius Kwok
Michelle Kwon
Jennifer Liao
Nathaniel Long
Paul Nguyen
Emily O’Brien
Prisca Obidike
Banan Otaibi
Akshilkumar Patel
Shivam Patel
Matthew Pelton
Shayann Ramedani
Elizabeth Raoof
Catherine Smiley
Sarah Walser
Amanda Williams
Qian Yang
Brittany Ammerman
Blake Baer
Kaleb Bogale
Tyler Bruinsma
Melissa Chima
Elias Harkins
Frederick Heitjan
Brittainy Hereford
Amy Hoffman
Emily Leboffe
Daniela Medina
Prisca Obidike
Banan Otaibi
Marisa Riley
Pratiti Roy
Catherine Seeger
| Award | Student Name |
|---|---|
| Dean’s Award for Scholarly Achievement | Emily Blanke |
| Dean’s Award for Scholarly Achievement | Heather Ren |
| Dean’s Award for Scholarly Achievement | Emily Schleicher |
| Dean’s Award for Scholarly Achievement | Aditi Sharma |
| Dean’s Award for Scholarly Achievement | Biyi Shen |
| Biomedical Sciences Graduate Award | James Baraniak |
| Biomedical Sciences Graduate Award | William Miller |
| Biomedical Sciences Graduate Award | Ryan Yoast |
| Moskowitz Family Endowment Award for Graduate Research Excellence | Natasha Burse |
| D. Eugene Rannels Award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in Cellular and Molecular Physiology | Scott Emrich |
| Department of Microbiology and Immunology John F. Enders Commencement Award | Matthew Lauver |
| Neuroscience Graduate Program Commencement Award | Angela Snyder |
| Neural and Behavioral Sciences Department Commencement Award | Angela Snyder |
| Anatomy Graduate Program Commencement Award | Chirag Patel |
| Gary Chase Award for Excellence in the Master of Public Health Graduate Program | Emily Heilbrunn |
| Mark J. Young Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Public Health Sciences | Rolfy Perez-Holquin |
| Carol S. Weisman Award for Excellence in the Doctor of Public Health Graduate Program | Xingran Weng |
| The Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security (Public Health Prepardness Option) Student Excellence Award | David Nguyen |
| The Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security (Public Health Prepardness Option) Student Excellence Award | Tinamarie Reese |
| Award | Student Name |
|---|---|
| Sylvia and Gilbert Nurick Medical Student Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence | Amy Hoffman |
| Sylvia and Gilbert Nurick Medical Student Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence | Dolly Patel |
| Dr. Irwin L. Baird Memorial Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement | Michael Anderson |
| Dr. Irwin L. Baird Memorial Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement | Timothy Groh |
| Dr. Irwin L. Baird Memorial Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement | Alexa Hughes |
| Dr. Irwin L. Baird Memorial Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement | Sarah Walser |
| Alphonse E. Leure-Dupree Exemplary Medical Student Award | Karen Chen |
| Alphonse E. Leure-Dupree Exemplary Medical Student Award | Marisa Giglio |
| Alphonse E. Leure-Dupree Exemplary Medical Student Award | Brittainy Hereford |
| Alphonse E. Leure-Dupree Exemplary Medical Student Award | Ciara Marshall |
| Dean’s Award for Leadership Achievement | Lindsay Buzzelli |
| Dean’s Award for Leadership Achievement | Akshilkumar Patel |
| Andrew Creasy and Savino Family Award | Elias Harkins |
| Andrew Creasy and Savino Family Award | Samantha Horn |
| Andrew Creasy and Savino Family Award | Alexis Hyczko |
| Andrew Creasy and Savino Family Award | Maya Tsao-Wu |
| Andrew Creasy and Savino Family Award | Amanda Williams |
| Sir Frederick Hewitt Award for Excellence in Anesthesiology | Matthew Evers |
| The Howard E. Morgan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Science Research | Christopher Stauch |
| Department of Emergency Medicine Award in Excellence | Daniel Haas |
| The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Award for Excellence | Paige Koetter |
| The American College of Emergency Physicians Medical Student Professionalism and Service Award | Haley Sinatro |
| Timothy ’74, Brenda and Brian ’21 Drury Scholarship for Emergency Medicine | Sydnie Thomas |
| Family Medicine Achievement Award | Pratiti Roy |
| Humanism in Family Medicine Award | Emily Leboffe |
| Primary Care Scholars Award in Family Medicine | Shannon Brumbaugh |
| Thomas L. Leaman, MD, Award in Family and Community Medicine | Amy Hoffman |
| Thomas L. Leaman, MD, Award in Family and Community Medicine | Francesco Satriale |
| Ted and Millie Kantner Family Practice Award | Crystal Lovelace |
| Ted and Millie Kantner Family Practice Award | Seth Martin |
| The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award for Graduating Medical Students | Brittainy Hereford |
| J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Medicine Award for Excellence in Medicine | Dolly Patel |
| Satish A. Shah, MD, and Robin Shah Cardiology Medical Student Scholarship | Christopher Messner |
| Satish A. Shah, MD, Oncology Medical Student Scholarship | Kristen Clements |
| Robert B. Spieth Scholarship Award in Oncology | Nathaniel Long |
| American Academy of Neurology Award for Excellence in Neurology | Karen Chen |
| The Kothari Family Award for Excellence in Neurology | Yunsung Kim |
| Tarik F. Ibrahim, MS, MD, ’10 Neurosurgery Award | David Bailey |
| Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Award | Emily O’Brien |
| Ann E. Seward Memorial Scholarship in Women’s Health | Lindsay Buzzelli |
| Edwards P. Schwentker Outstanding Orthopaedic Student Award | Brittany Ammerman |
| Christopher M. Frauenhoffer, MD, Memorial Scholarship for Future Pathology Residents | Meaghan Dougher |
| Department of Pediatrics Award for Excellence in Pediatrics | Tyler Bruinsma |
| Department of Psychiatry Award for Clinical Excellence in Psychiatry | Sarah Walser |
| Department of Psychiatry Award for Excellence in Psychiatry Research | Kate Levenberg |
| Susann Schetter Memorial Scholarship in Radiology | Haley Hartman |
| Department of Surgery Award for Excellence in Surgery | John Gaspich |
| Department of Surgery Award for Excellence in Surgery | Daniela Medina |
| Judith Bond MD/PhD Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research and Clinical Training | Derek Nye |
| Judith Bond MD/PhD Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research and Clinical Training | Heather Ren |
| Judith Bond MD/PhD Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research and Clinical Training | Carson Wills |
| Daniel A. Notterman Physician Scientist Award for Outstanding Clinical Research Conference Presentation | Rahul Nachnani |
| Daniel A. Notterman Physician Scientist Award for Outstanding Clinical Research Conference Presentation | Mallory Peterson |
| Daniel A. Notterman Physician Scientist Award for Outstanding Clinical Research Conference Presentation | Congzhou Sha |
Sarah Benyo
Yen Doan
Meaghan Dougher
Samantha Horn
Paige Koetter
Kate Levenberg
Daniela Medina
Daniella Mikhail
Emily O’Brien
Alexander O’Donovan
Akshilkumar Patel
Shivam Patel
Matthew Pelton
Shayann Ramedani
Cody Sacks
Glenn Slick, Jr.
Christopher Stauch
Max Trojano
Kyle Tuohy
Sarah Walser
Grant Wandling
Dean’s Award for Scholarly Achievement
Alexis Hatten
Alix Zackon
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