In honor of the Class of 2023, Albert Einstein College of Medicine held its 65th commencement on Wednesday, May 24, in David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. At the graduation ceremony, Einstein conferred 180 MD degrees and 17 PhD degrees. Four students in Einstein’s Medical Scientist Training Program received both an MD and a PhD.
A highlight of the ceremony was Ruth L. Gottesman, EdD, Chair of Einstein’s Board of Trustees and Professor Emerita of Pediatrics, receiving a Doctorate of Humane Letters. The honorary degree was presented by Philip O. Ozuah, MD, PhD, President and CEO, Montefiore Einstein, and Gordon F. Tomaselli, MD ’82, the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, Montefiore Medicine, in recognition of her tremendous dedication to and support of Einstein over many years.
Robert W. Marion, MD ’79, Clinical Geneticist, Montefiore Einstein, Director, Center for Congenital Disorders, Chief, Genetics, and Development Medicine, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, delivered the keynote address—which included the graduates performing “Pomp and Circumstance” with kazoos.
At the event, the Einstein Alumni Association honored several alumni with awards:
- Dominick P. Purpura Distinguished Alumna Award: Elizabeth M. McNally, MD, PhD ’90, Director, Center for Genetic Medicine, the Elizabeth J. Ward Professor of Genetic Medicine, and Professor, Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University; and Cardiologist, Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute
- Distinguished PhD Alumnus Award: John J. Foxe, MS ’96, PhD ’99, Adjunct Professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Professor, Neuroscience and Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, the Kilian J. and Caroline F. Schmitt Chair in Neuroscience and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience; Director, Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience; Director, University of Rochester Institute for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research; Director, University of Rochester Center for Advanced Brain Imaging and Neurophysiology
- Distinguished Alumna/Clinical Practitioner Award: Theresa M. Maresca, MD ’84, Clinical Professor, Family Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
- Lifetime Achievement Award: David Siegel, MD ’73, MPH, Professor Emeritus and former Vice Chair, Medicine, University of California (UC) Davis School of Medicine; formerly Chief, Medicine, VA Northern California Health Care System; Professor, Medicine, Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UC San Francisco (UCSF)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Yvette H. Calderon, MD ’90, Professor, Emergency Medicine, Dean and Vice President for Equity in Clinical Care, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Health System; Chair, David B. Kriser Department of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai Beth Israel
- Lifetime Service Award: Marjorie Werner Stein, MD ’85, Attending Radiologist, Montefiore Einstein, and Professor, Clinical Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Einstein Honorary Alumna Award: Nilda I. Soto, MS Ed, former Assistant Dean of Diversity Enhancement, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Rising Star/Clinical Practitioner Award: Jennifer K. Eng-Kulawy, MD ’10, Commander, U.S. Navy, Pediatric Consultant to the Navy’s Surgeon General; Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Head of the Directorate of Education, Training and Research at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital
- Rising Star/Scientific Investigator Award: Evanthia T. Roussos Torres, MD, PhD ’12, Assistant Professor, Medicine (Oncology), University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Oncology, Johns Hopkins University
The graduation ceremony also honored several Einstein faculty members for teaching or research excellence:
- Samuel M. Rosen Award for Outstanding Teaching (Clinical): Noé D. Romo, MD ’08, MSc, Medical Director, Pediatrics Inpatient Service, NYC Health + Hospitals / Jacobi, and Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Samuel M. Rosen Award for Outstanding Teaching (Pre-Clerkship): Angela Cheng-Lai, PharmD, Associate Professor, Medicine (Cardiology)
- Harry Eagle Award for Outstanding Pre-clerkship Teaching: Adi Pinkas, PhD, Assistant Professor, Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Harry H. Gordon Award for Outstanding Clinical Teaching: Staci E. Pollack, MD, MS, Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist, Montefiore Einstein, Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women’s Health (Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility) and Director, Undergraduate Medical Education, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching: Jay B. Dobkin, MD ’79, Associate Professor, Medicine (Pulmonology), Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- LaDonne H. Schulman Award for Excellence in Teaching: Robert A. Coleman, PhD, Associate Professor, Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Saul R. Korey Award in Translational Science and Medicine: Kartik Chandran, PhD, Professor, Microbiology and Immunology, the Gertrude and David Feinson Chair in Medicine, and the Harold and Muriel Block Faculty Scholar in Virology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
