The UConn School of Medicine held its annual Spring Awards Night ceremony on Monday, April 23. 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.
James Watras, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Cell Biology, 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 the “Fabric of Anatomy” – Anatomy Section. 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: Trisha Kwarko / Mentor: Carol Pilbeam, MD, PhD
Student: Sarah Mattessich (MS3) / Mentor: Sam Soheil Dadras, MD, PhD
Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Gross Award for Excellence in Research Achievement
Oral Award: Devin Bageac; Poster Award: Kristina Wagner
Hartford Medical Society Award
Nia Harris
Lawrence G. Raisz Award for Excellence in Musculoskeletal Research
Rebecca Calafiore
William M. Wadleigh Memorial Award For Cross-Cultural & International Health Research
Alexander Giuliano
Connecticut Academy of Family Practice Award
Kelly Nedorostek; Rashmi Pashankar
Connecticut Holistic Health Association Award
Deborah Pacik (MS4)
Sigma Xi Membership Awards
Devin Bageac, Rebecca Calafiore, Salem Harry-Hernández, Erin Mulry, Paul Sackstein (MS3), Brooke Schuman
Academic Educational Affairs Student Awards
Community Service Award
Shilpa Kolli
Student Leadership Award
Kousanee Chheda
Outstanding Service to a Fellow Student Award
Katelyn Wong
Outstanding Student Teaching Award
Zachary Boivin
Art of Medicine Award
Katherine Tian
Renaissance Award
Ashley Pacelli
Inspiration Award
Austin DeChalus
Outstanding Research Award
Sarah Mattessich
Kristin Torre
Taylor Chenail Outstanding Service to Fellow Students Award
Ezigbobiara Umejiego
MDSG Awards
MDSG “Inspirational Educator” Award
Jason Ryan, MD, MPH
MDSG “Above and Beyond” Award
Easwar Natarajan, BDS, DMSc
MDSG “President’s” Award
Thomas Manger, MD, PhD
MDSG “Desert Island” Award
Thomas Regan, MD
MDSG “Accessibility” Award
Robin Perregaux
MDSG Staff Support Award
Jennifer Foster
MD/PhD Program Awards
MD/PhD Leadership Award
Jeremy Grenier
MD/PHD Faculty Leadership Appreciation Award
Barbara Kream, PhD
Graduate Medical Education Awards
Outstanding Resident
Poorva Bindal, MBBS
Stephanie Alessi, MD
Sarah Germani, DO
Outstanding Staff
Christine Robertson
Outstanding Faculty
Jeffrey Gross, MD
Academic Educational Affairs UME Staff Awards
Leadership & Professionalism Award
Lina Smith
Jennifer Foster
Service Excellence Award
Kelly Hookstadt
Service Excellence Award to a Support Member
Barbara Ricketts
UME Leadership Team Staff Award
Lina Smith
UME Leadership Award
Suzanne Tate
Breanne Klinger
UME Leadership LCME Recognition
Amy King
Ursula Knapik
Academic Educational Affairs Faculty Awards
UME Leadership Award of Exceptional Service
Peter Schulman, MD, FACC
Raymond Ryan, PhD, ABMM
Dan Henry, MD, FACP
Outstanding Inpatient Clinical Preceptor
Kirsten Ek, MD
Outstanding Outpatient Clinical Preceptor
Grael O’Brien, MD
First Year Teaching Awards
James Watras, PhD
Easwar Natarajan, BDS, DMSc
Jason Ryan, MD, MPH
Dharamainder Choudhary, PhD
Thomas Manger, MD, PhD
Christopher Morosky, MD
Bruce White, PhD
C.A.M.E.L – Fabric of Anatomy – Anatomy Section
Charles N. Loeser – James Watras, PhD – Winner
Christopher Morosky – honorable mention
Jason Ryan – honorable mention
Easwar Natarajan – honorable mention
Closing Remarks
