Medical School Presents an Array of Accolades

On May 4, a number of awards and scholarships were presented to both students and faculty members at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (NSU-COM) annual first- and second-year Student Awards Ceremony. Students were honored in areas such as research, academic excellence, and community service, while several faculty members were presented with Golden Apple Awards for their outstanding teaching abilities.

Mattthew Terry Scholarships
First-year student Jacob Triplet and second-year student Milla Kuiatkovsky were the recipients of the Matthew A. Terry, D.O. Scholarship Endowment. The academic accolade, which is accompanied by a $500 cash award, was established in 1999 to honor first- and second-year medical students who epitomize virtues such as scholastic excellence, service to the school, empathy, and congeniality. The Terry Scholarship, which was the brainchild of the Department of Family Medicine, serves as a fitting tribute to NSU-COM students who embody the true spirit of an osteopathic practitioner.

Boesler, Johnson Earn Golden Apple Awards
David Boesler, D.O., associate professor and chair of the Department of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine, and Kenneth Johnson, D.O., FACOOG, associate professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, were the recipients of this year’s Golden Apple Awards for their outstanding teaching skills. Boesler received his award from the class of 2015, while Johnson was honored by the class of 2014.

Student Trio Wins Bradley Silverman Scholarships
Second-year student Danlu Wang and first-year students Aaron Fisher and James Jackson were the recipients of the Seventh Annual Bradley I. Silverman, D.O. Memorial Scholarship, which was established in 2006 to honor outstanding NSU-COM students who participate in cancer-related community service and showcase compassion, commitment, and other laudable traits exemplified by Silverman. In addition to earning well-deserved recognition, the awardees each received $1,500 cash awards.

Wellington Garners David Spector Memorial Award
First-year student Jennifer Wellington was the recipient of the David Spector Memorial Award, which is presented annually to a first- or second-year osteopathic medical student who has participated in research pertaining to the prevention or treatment of substance abuse.

The award, which is accompanied by a $500 cash prize, was established in the summer of 2005 in honor of David Spector—an undergraduate psychology student in the NSU Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences who died from an oxycontin overdose in December 2004. Thanks to the benevolence of David’s father, Howard, who decided to find a positive outlet for his grief by establishing an endowment fund at NSU-COM, future generations of students now have an opportunity to conduct further research in this field.

Ten Students Honored with Burnell Research Awards
Ten students―Katherine Beditz, Frances Brlit, Rebecca Desfor, Tania Espinal, Nicholas Garrett, Michelle Grisillo, James Jackson, Elizabeth Phung, Vu Tran, and Emily Young were named the winners of the Kenneth Burnell, Ph.D. Student Research Awards, which are presented to NSU-COM students who conduct outstanding research in either clinical medicine or biomedical science.

The scholarship was established in 2001 through an endowed gift from the Burnell to stimulate student research at NSU-COM. This year, more students participated in the program than before. In addition, the quality of the submissions resulted in the college presenting cash awards to more students than ever before.

All students received credit on their NSU-COM transcripts for having completed a course in research as well as a framed plaque. Six of the participating student researchers were awarded $500. The two most notable projects were submitted by Brlit and Phung, who each received $750.

Espinal, Young Receive Morris Public Health Scholarships
First-year student Tania Espinal and third-year student Emily Young were the recipients of two public health scholarships bestowed to NSU-COM students thanks to the generosity of Marie Morris―the widow of Morton Morris, D.O., J.D., FAOAO, who served as executive dean for professional affairs at the NSU Health Professions Division prior to his death in May 2008.

Young received the Judy Morris, M.D. Scholarship in Public Health, which is accompanied by a $500 cash award. To be eligible for the scholarship, nominees must be NSU-COM students or have already achieved their D.O. degree, showcase high academic achievement, be currently enrolled in the college’s Master of Public Health Program, and demonstrate financial need.

Espinal was awarded the Morton Morris, D.O., J.D. Scholarship in Public Health, which is accompanied by a $1,000 cash allocation. Eligibility criteria are similar to the aforementioned scholarship.

TOUCH Community Service Awards
Thirty-five second-year students were honored with TOUCH Community Service Awards for their extensive community service work since beginning their NSU-COM education in the summer of 2010. These humanistic individuals were honored for their hard work and dedication toward improving the NSU, local, national, and international communities. Carisa Lippmann received a special recognition award for being the top student in the reported number of community service hours donated throughout her first two years of medical school.

Listed below are the top 10 community service volunteers in chronological order of service hours provided: Carisa Lippmann, Erik Adair, Jeremiah Robison, Charles Cevallos, Jennifer Wellington, Kiyomi Goto, Eric Chung, Joseph Geffen, Lena Virasch, and Eric Pitts.