Penn State College of Medicine presents Commencement 2026 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 125 chapters.

Alpha Omega Alpha is a nonprofit organization whose mission statement embodies “the belief that in the profession of medicine we will improve care for all patients 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 2026 members of Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society, Pennsylvania Eta Chapter

Pi Alpha is the national PA honor society organized for the promotion and recognition of PA students, faculty, alumni, and honorary members. Founded in 2004, Pi Alpha operates as a program sponsored and supported by the PA Education Association (“PAEA”).

The Pi Alpha purpose is to engage Pi Alpha Chapters to promote the PA field and to encourage and recognize PA students, faculty, and alumni who meet the Society’s Standards of current and ongoing commendable academic achievements, leadership, research, community/professional service, character, and conduct, and satisfy the requirements of their membership class.

Membership is limited to 15% of the total graduating class and signifies inductees’ significant academic achievements and honors them for their leadership, research, community/professional service, and other related activities. The society also encourages a high standard of character and conduct among students, faculty, alumni, and honorary members.

Class of 2026 Members of the Pi Alpha Honor Society

Kyla Brossoit
Allison Mikita
Quincy Garrison
Camdin Carpenter

The Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) is a community of medical students, physicians, and other leaders who have been recognized for their compassionate care. GHHS reinforces and supports the human connection in healthcare, which is essential for the health of patients and clinicians. Established by pediatrician Dr. Arnold Gold in 2002, GHHS now has more than 180 chapters in medical schools and residency programs and more than 45,000 members. Each year, rising MS3 students nominate their peers to GHHS based on clinical and classroom interactions with patients, staff and each other. The top 10-15% of those nominees are inducted into the cohort.

At Penn State, the home for GHHS is the Department of Humanities, whose motto is “Advancing humanism in medicine and society.” MS4 students work with a humanities faculty advisor to carry out activities during their final year of medical school, including Thank a Resident Day, Solidarity Day which celebrates the bond of compassion and trust that characterizes humanistic care, and a capstone service project. Penn State Health also has a thriving residency chapter that engages in humanistic outreach each year.

Class of 2026 Members of the Gold Humanism Honor Society

Sylvia And Gilbert Nurick Medical Achievement Award For Outstanding Academic Excellence

Nitya Devireddy
Molly Stegman
Emily Tufford

Dr. Irwin L. Baird Memorial Award For Outstanding Academic Achievement

Sai Kurapati
Christa Wilk

Alphonse E. Leure-Dupree Exemplary Medical Student Award

Eleni Fafoutis
Fae Nova

Dean’s Award

Theodore Miller
Jessica Santucci

Sir Frederick Hewitt Award For Excellence In Anesthesiology

Bridget Lunney

The Howard E. Morgan Award For Outstanding Achievement In Basic Science Research

Maryknoll Linscott

Department Of Emergency Medicine Award For Excellence

Natalie Hurt

The Society For Academic Emergency Medicine Award For Excellence

Gavin Schaefer-Hood

The American College Of Emergency Physicians Medical Student Professionalism And Service Award

Carly Brogan

Timothy ’74, Brenda And Brian ’21 Drury Scholarship For Emergency Medicine

Maaz Ali

Deflitch Family Program

Andrea Shehaj

Thomas L. Leaman, MD Award In Family And Community Medicine

Molly Stegman

Ted And Millie Kantner Family Practice Award

Chad Grundy

The Leonard Tow Humanism In Medicine Award For Graduating Medical Students

Manvita Mareboina

J. Lloyd Huck Chair In Medicine Award For Excellence In Medicine

Caroline Soderman

Satish A. Shah, MD And Robin Shah Cardiology Medical Student Scholarship

Mackenzie Goldsmith

Satish A. Shah, MD Oncology Medical Student Scholarship

Manvita Mareboina

Robert B. Spieth Scholarship Award For Oncology

Katrina Bakhl

Stephen And Shari Massini Scholarship

Jessica Santucci

American Academy Of Neurology Award For Excellence In Adult Neurology

Natalie Gurevich

American Academy Of Neurology Award For Excellence In Child Neurology

Anne Pino

The Kothari Family Award For Excellence In Neurology

Eleni Fafoutis

Ann E. Seward Memorial Scholarship In Women’s Health – Outstanding OBGYN Medical Student

Brynn Zerbe

Ann E. Seward Memorial Scholarship In Women’s Health – Excellence in OBGYN

Christen Hillenbrand

Hy Berman Memorial Scholarship In Ophthalmology

Vanna Giang

Edwards P. Schwentker Outstanding Orthopaedic Student Award

Natalie Pahapill

Christopher M. Frauenhoffer, MD Memorial Scholarship

Hong Ly

Andrew Creasy And Savino Family Award

Morgan Chadwick
Alpha Tall
Brittney Schoellhorn
Mckayla Vliem

Department Of Pediatrics Award For Excellence In Pediatrics

Morgan Chadwick
Christina Hermann
Diana Orabueze
Hannah Salvucci
Alpha Tall
Brittney Schoellhorn
Mckayla Vliem

Pat J. Bruno, MD ’72 And Lois W. Bruno Scholarship In Pediatrics

Diana Orabueze

Dr. Richard W. And Marcia D. Geller Excellence Endowment

Hannah Salvucci

Drs. R. P. Drago & M. Lavacca Pediatric Scholarship Fund

Christina Hermann

Department Of Psychiatry Award For Clinical Excellence In Psychiatry

Lena Becker

Department Of Psychiatry Award For Excellence In Psychiatry Research

Rahul Nachnani

Susann Schetter Memorial Scholarship In Radiology

Himi Begum

Department Of Surgery Awards For Excellence In Surgery

Mary Newland
Katrina Olenwine

Thomas P. And Gretchen C. Carbaugh Endowed Surgery Scholarship

James Hughes

Judith Bond, MD/PhD Award For Outstanding Achievement In Research And Clinical Training

Esther Choi
Sarah Kazzaz
Fae Nova
Congzhou Mike Sha

Medical Student Research Awards

These awards are given to the top medical student research projects from the Class of 2026.

Dean’s Award For Scholarly Achievement

Hannah Goudsward
Maryknoll Linscott
Sara Mills-Huffnagle
Fae Nova
Alexandra Nusawardhana
Alexander Pham
Rebecka Serpa
Zizhong Tian

Anatomy Graduate Program Commencement Award

David Diaz

Biomedical Sciences Graduate Award

Amal Elhaw
Alexandra Nusawardhana
Alexander Pham

Neuroscience Graduate Program Commencement Award

Victoria Vernail

Moskowitz Family Endowment Award For Graduate Research Excellence

Victoria Vernail

Department Of Neural And Behavioral Sciences Award

Sarah Mills-Huffnagle
Victoria Vernail

D. Eugene Rannels Award For Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation In Cellular And Molecular Physiology

Skylar Bodt

Department Of Microbiology And Immunology John F. Edners Award

Juliana Restrepo Munera

Carol S. Weisman Award For Excellence In The Doctor Of Public Health Graduate Program

Victoria Francois

Gary Chase Award For Excellence In The Master Of Public Health Graduate Program

Morgan Kelley

Mark J. Young Award For Outstanding Scholarship In Public Health Sciences

Smita Dandekar

Award For Student Excellence In Public Health Preparedness – Homeland Security

John Appleby
Kevin McVeigh Jr.

Dean’s Award For Academic Excellence

Blake Nizinski

Dean’s Award For Clinical Excellence

Tyler Koch

The Art Of Primary Care Award

Abigail Bedi

PA Student Award For Leadership And Service

Kevin Carballo

Excellence in Health Advancement and Community Engagement

Johanna Arevalo

Distinguished PA Student Research Award

Lauren Romanchek