Medical School Spring Awards Announced

The UConn School of Medicine held its annual Spring Awards Night ceremony on Monday, April 24. The awards recognize faculty, staff and students in the first through third years of medical school.

UConn School of Medicine held its annual Spring Awards Night ceremony April 24, 2017. (Photo by Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health)

The UConn School of Medicine held its annual Spring Awards Night ceremony on Monday, April 24. The awards recognize faculty, staff and students in the first through third years of medical school. Fourth-year students will be honored at the Senior Awards luncheon on May 6.

Dr. Jason Ryan, assistant professor of medicine and the director of the UConn Heart Failure Center, received this year’s Charles N. Loeser Award. The Loeser award is given to the faculty member who has the ability to evoke in students an enthusiasm for learning, a desire to emulate their own attributes of scholarly curiosity, and to give wholeheartedly to advance the welfare and education of their students. The award is named after Charles N. Loeser, one of the medical school’s most popular and respected first faculty members.

The Committee Award for Meritorious Educational Leadership (CAMEL) was given to “Diseases Affecting Homeostasis” with section coordinator Dr. Raymond Foley. The CAMEL is given to the subject committee that “promotes a stimulating learning experience and, in its organization, presentation of material and overall level of teaching, has afforded the students an invaluable opportunity to learn and understand basic medical sciences.”

Here is a complete list of award winners:

Awards from Medical and Dental Student Research Day
Dean’s Award
Student: Samuel Baron / Mentor: Kevin Dieckhaus, MD
Student: Adam Mastrocola / Mentor: Sandra Weller, PhD
Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Gross Award
Oral Award: Hunter Terry
Poster Award: Laura Hatchman
Lawrence G. Raisz Award for Excellence in Musculoskeletal Research
Philip Zakko
William M. Wadleigh Memorial Award For Cross-Cultural & International Health Research
Lyubina Yankova
Connecticut Academy of Family Practice Award
Carolina Vicens-Cardona
Connecticut Holistic Health Association Award
Medical Student: Roshni Patel
Dental Student: Lisa Fredrickson

Academic Educational Affairs Student Awards
Community Service Award
Meghan Wilson Frost
Student Leadership Award
Emily Wilkins
Outstanding Student Teaching Award
Kristin Torre
Art of Medicine Award
Theresa Meotti
Renaissance Award
Yue Lin
Inspiration Award
Jonathan Lis
Outstanding Research Award
Alexandra Pietraszkiewicz
Taylor Chenail Outstanding Service to Fellow Students Award
Antea DeMarsilis

MD/PhD Program Student Awards
MD/PhD Appreciation Award
Alex Adami
MD/PhD Leadership Award
Emily Anstadt

Academic Educational Affairs Staff Awards
Professionalism Award
Carla Burns
Staff Star Award
Jennifer Foster
UME Leadership Team Staff Award for Outstanding Implementation of Stage 1 MDelta
Tammy Boudreau; Annette Gerber; Amy King; Breanne Klinger; Rasy Mar;
Linda Paradis; Darice Schroeder; Lina Smith; Deborah Tennyson
UME Leadership Award of Appreciation for Outstanding Support
Haleh Ghaemolsabahi; Hengameh Vosough
MDSG Staff Support Award
Lisa Francini

Academic Educational Affairs Faculty Awards
MDSG “Inspirational Educator” Award
Christopher Morosky, MD
MDSG “Above and Beyond” Award
Thomas Regan, MD
MDSG “President’s” Award
Karen Hook, MD
MDSG “Desert Island” Award
Jason Ryan, MD
MDSG “Accessibility” Award
Thomas Manger, MD
MD/PhD Special Faculty Award
Carol Pilbeam, MD, PhD
UME Leadership Award of Exceptional Volunteerism
Susan Averna, MD
Outstanding Inpatient Clinical Preceptor
James Feeney, MD
Outstanding Outpatient Clinical Preceptor
Adam Perrin, MD
First Year Teaching Award
Jason Ryan, MD; Christopher Morosky, MD; James Watras, PhD;
John Harrison, PhD; Zita Lazzarini, JD, MPH

Graduate Medical Education Awards
Outstanding Resident
Megan Wolf, MD; Victoria Forbes, MD
Outstanding Staff
Christina Iwanik
Outstanding Faculty
Lisa Chirch, MD

Senior Associate Dean Awards
Team Award
David Henderson, MD; Christine Thatcher, EdD; Thomas Manger, MD;
Thiruchandurai V. Rajan, MD; Melinda Sanders, MD; Ellen Nestler, MD;
John Harrison, PhD; Zita Lazzarini, JD, MPH; Paige Dunion; Ula Knapik
Individual Award
Thiruchandurai V. Rajan, MD
Student Appreciation Awards
Yue Lin; Nora Gibson; Eileen Colliton; Ardian Latifi