The UConn School of Medicine presented awards and recognitions to faculty, staff and students during a special ceremony held Monday in Keller Auditorium.
The Loeser, CAMEL and teaching awards are announced each spring but this year the annual event was greatly expanded to include awards that also recognize students and staff (see entire list below).
Third-year medical student, Christopher Steele, and Dr. Suzanne Rose, senior associate dean for education, formulated the idea for a larger event while Jeffrey Simon, UConn Alumni Foundation, helped sponsor it along with the School of Medicine.
The event honored students in the first through third years of medical school. Fourth-year students will be honored at the Senior Awards Luncheon on Friday, May 10.
Dr. Karen Hook, hematologist and medical oncologist in the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, received this year’s 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 Health Center’s most popular and respected first faculty members.
“I am honored, flattered, surprised, and shocked to receive this award. It means a lot to me as a proud graduate of this medical school,” said Hook after receiving the award. “Many of my professors and mentors were in that room and I felt that this award was a reflection on them. They are the ones that made me into the faculty member I am today. I am very grateful for the education I received at UConn and for the opportunity to give back to the students.”
Runners-up for the Loeser award were James Watras, Yvonne Grimm-Jorgensen, Dr. Kevin Dieckhaus, and Dr. Easwar Natarajan.
The Committee Award for Meritorious Educational Leadership (C.A.M.E.L.) was given to Mechanisms of Disease-2 (MOD-2) directed by Dr. Raymond Foley, associate professor of medicine. The C.A.M.E.L. 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.”
2013 Spring Awards Night Winners
Community Service
This award is given to a student who has contributed through volunteer work, outreach, education, or free clinic activities.
Ela Banerjee
Student Leadership Award
This award recognizes students who displays vision, genuine commitment, diplomacy, creativity, motivation, and selflessness.
Year 1: Mary Cearley
Year 2: Rose Barham, Melina Benson, Melissa Dion, Robyn Smith
Year 3: Katelyn Dannheim, Ray Lorenzoni
Outstanding Service to Fellow Students
This award recognizes a student who has contributed meaningfully to improving the lives of fellow classmates by boosting morale, showing genuine concern for others, informally tutoring other students, sharing resources, or assisting in other positive ways.
Year 1: Shirin Karimim, Adam Kaye, Minnie Yordon
Year 2: Rose Barham, Russell Bratman, Christina Toutoungi
Year 3: Christine Shapter, Christopher Steele
MD/Ph.D. Program: Alex Adami
Outstanding Student Teaching Award
This award is given to a 2nd or 3rd year student who has given himself/herself selflessly by acting as a teaching assistant or tutor for the first year courses. Not only has he or she displayed outstanding skills as a teacher, but has devoted time and energy to enhancing the learning process of the first year class through engagement in review sessions, labs, and tutoring.
Eric Smith – School of Dental Medicine Second Year
Art of Medicine Award
This award honors a student who demonstrates an exceptional ability to blend his/her medical knowledge with an innate, compassionate understanding of the human condition. He or she brings professionalism, sensitivity and creativity to patient encounters, takes extra time to appreciate the patient as his or her own individual, and is attuned to the multi-dimensional aspects of healing. This student makes a smooth, seamless transition from bench-to-bedside and sets a high standard for humanistic patient care. This student also has demonstrated the personal qualities and values related to professionalism—respect for peers and faculty, collegiality, integrity, competence, maturity, team spirit, diplomacy, and sense of responsibility.
Dylan Graetz
Rebecca Kosowicz
David Ozimek
Renaissance Award
This award recognizes a student who has supplemented his or her medical education with an enrichment of the Arts, Literature, and Culture, by going the extra mile in devoting his or her time to an extracurricular activity. This student takes an active role in music, art, theater, literature, athletics, or interesting hobbies, and recognizes the important place that these activities have in our lives. This student truly exemplifies a “Renaissance Person” in the UConn community.
Barbara Coons
Katelyn Dannheim
Shirin Karimi
Inspiration Award
This award recognizes a student who inspires his or her peers to be better healthcare providers. This student sets a positive example by his or her dedication, diligence, and concern for patient welfare. He or she displays an intuitive understanding of medicine along with a compassionate, graceful approach toward patient care. This student exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding leader and professional, and embodies what it means to be a team player.
Christine Crawford
Joanne Cyganowski
Dylan Graetz
Outstanding Research Award
This award recognizes a student who has made significant contribution to the field of clinical research and/or to the field of laboratory research.
Lauren Grandpre
Shaun McLaughlin
Hardeep Singh
Outstanding Inpatient Clinical Preceptor
Outstanding Inpatient Clinical Preceptor Eligibility: Preceptor from an inpatient setting in a third year rotation. Student nomination for an outstanding inpatient clinical preceptor who, as an educator, has exemplified leadership, service and professionalism.
Leighton Huey, MD
Chris Morosky, MD
Outstanding Outpatient Clinical Preceptor
Outstanding Outpatient Clinical Preceptor Eligibility: Preceptor from an outpatient setting in a third year rotation. Student nomination for an outstanding outpatient clinical preceptor who, as an educator, has exemplified leadership, service and professionalism.
Anton Alerte, MD
Kenia Mansilla-Rivera, MD
Lisa Menillo, MD
Catherine Holmes, MD
First Year Teaching Award
John Harrison, Ph.D.
James Watras, Ph.D.
Thomas Manger, MD, Ph.D.
Richard Zeff, Ph.D.
Richard Lindquist, MD
Graduate Medical Education Awards
Outstanding Resident
Oli Francis, MD
Outstanding Staff
Mark Siraco
Outstanding Faculty
Steven Angus, MD
Senior Associate Dean’s Awards
Individual Award
Donna McKenty
Team Award
Video Communications
Student Government Appreciation Award
Michael Blechner, MD
Lisa Francini
Karen Hook, MD
School of Medicine Staff Awards
Professionalism Award
Jan Figueora
Christine McNally
Staff Star
Suzanne Gregorczyk
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