Awards

DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS STUDIES ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD

Toni Demoff Awarded to a graduating student with the highest GPA.

BARBARA GONNELLA MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS Destiny Sheldon Patrick Smith Awarded to graduating students in recognition of academic achievement and commitment to blood banking and the Medical Technology profession.

RINKER-ROBINSON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Caitlin LaBrake Awarded to a graduating senior who has demonstrated not only academic ability, but also those qualities of leadership, community involvement, and professionalism.

DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL PERFUSION ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD

Alexandra Taylor Awarded to a graduating student with the highest GPA above 3.49.

DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL PERFUSION CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

Jamie Jordan Awarded to a graduating student with the highest mastery of clinical skills as determined by a panel of clinical instructors.

JEANNE LANGE EXCELLENCE IN PROFESSIONALISM AWARD

Isabel Centner Awarded to a graduating student who most exemplifies the consummate Clinical Perfusion professional.

OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT Hunter Smith Presented by the Medical Imaging Sciences Department to the Bachelor of Science student in the graduating class with the highest overall academic average.

OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC AWARD Chad Burlee Cassandra Goldman Presented to graduating students with the highest GPA and outstanding performance in all areas of academic assessment.

OUTSTANDING CLINICAL AWARD Bridget Frontale Beniam Ghebrezgabiher Presented to graduating students who demonstrate the commitment, knowledge, growth and professional skills reflective of the physician assistant profession.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY EDUCATION ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Jessica Degina Daniel Gridley Allison Hester Sarah Papa Abigail Thurnau Presented to graduating students in recognition of excellence in academic achievement.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY EDUCATION CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

Diana Cuevas Kathleen M. Steigerwald Presented to graduating students who embody the professional and personal attributes valued by the profession of physical therapy. DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Jessica Degina Presented by the faculty to a student who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to community service.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY EDUCATION KEVIN J. REISTROM MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Michelle Capeling Awarded to a student who exemplifies Kevin J. Reistrom’s commitment to compassionate, knowledgeable and personalized care.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY EDUCATION DR. PAMELA GRAMET PHYSICAL THERAPY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Maryellen Tighe Awarded to a graduating student with outstanding academic and clinical performance who demonstrates the core values of compassion and caring to the highest degree.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL PARTICIPATION AWARD

Patrick Shober Awarded to a graduating student who demonstrates significant involvement in professional activities related to the physical therapy profession and the American Physical Therapy Association.

RADIATION THERAPY DEPARTMENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Anthony Nguyen Presented by the Radiation Therapy Department to the student in the graduating class with the highest overall academic average.

DEPARTMENT OF RESPIRATORY THERAPY EDUCATION ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Crystal Current Presented to a graduating student who has demonstrated commitment to the profession through both academic achievement and support for professional and community service.

DEPARTMENT OF RESPIRATORY THERAPY EDUCATION CLINICAL PRACTICE AWARD

Kristina Boucher Presented by the faculty to the graduating student who has shown remarkable motivation, knowledge, skill and sensitivity to the needs of their patients.

DEPARTMENT OF RESPIRATORY THERAPY EDUCATION OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD

Jacob Naples Presented by the faculty to the graduating student who has demonstrated overall academic excellence and achievement.

LAMBDA BETA NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY RESPIRATORY THERAPY CARE AWARD

Jessica Collins Crystal Current Jacob Naples This national honor society is for respiratory care practitioners, alumni and faculty. The purpose of the Society is to promote, recognize and honor scholarship, grades and excellence.

COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEAN’S OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD

Kathryn Hart Ruqiyah Shaik The recipients of this award have been nominated by the faculty and selected by the Dean of the College as those who combine academic excellence and outstanding professional, campus, or community service.

JOHN BERNARD HENRY, MD ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

Michelle Capeling Established in honor of Dr. John Bernard Henry, past president of SUNY Upstate Medical University, this award is given to a student who completed an outstanding paper, project or other exceptional accomplishment. The recipient of this scholarship has been awarded for the paper, “Combatting Container Baby Syndrome: Relationships between Infant Containment on Motor Development and Ponderal Indices.”

STUDENT RESEARCH AWARDS The College of Health Professions’ recognizes your outstanding contribution to Student Research Day.

Raymond Cecora Behavior Analysis Studies Oral Presentation: “Clinical Evaluation of a Nonsequential Approach to Studying Operant Renewal”

Ruqiyah Shaik Medical Biotechnology Sciences Poster Presentation: “Investigating the Interaction Between ITK and SLP76”

Abigail Thurnau Physical Therapy Education Poster presentation: “Exercise habits and exercise counseling practices of physical therapists”

Adrienne Marquez Physical Therapy Education Peer reviewed research presentation

Benjamin Saya Physical Therapy Education Poster Presentation People with stroke are less active in the community compared to their home; Impaired sleep and Sedentary Behaviors are Related in People with Chronic Stroke; Impaired Sleep is Related to Worse Mobility Outcomes in People with Stroke Peer reviewed research presentation

Michelle Capeling Physical Therapy Education Peer reviewed poster presentation

Kathryn Hart Physical Therapy Education Prre reviewed research presentation

Crystal Current Respiratory Therapy Poster Presentation: “Using the Expiratory Flow Curve with the Airway Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV) mode of Mechanical Ventilation to Personalize Release Phase to Lung Compliance”

Alpha Eta Honor Society is the national Honor society for the Allied Health Professions. It was established in 1973 to recognize scholarship in students in the allied health professions. Members have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 (Baccalaureate degree programs) or 3.9 (Graduate degree programs), have demonstrated capacity for leadership and professional achievement, and have been recommended by at least two program faculty members.

The following 2021 graduating students have been inducted into the Alpha Eta Honor Society:

CLINICAL PERFUSION Alexandra Taylor

MEDICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY Tyler Anderson Ruqiyah Shaik

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY Caitlin LaBrake Benjamin Smith Patrick Smith PHYSICAL THERAPY Jessica Degina Angelica DeSantis Daniel Gridley Kathryn Hart Erica Hecht Allison Hester Sarah Papa Abigail Thurnau

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT Chad Burlee Matthew Fisher Beniam Ghebrezgabiher Samantha Mallory Brandon Smith Daniel Viscardi RADIATION THERAPY Claudia Spost Martin Whiting

RADIOGRAPHY Mackenzie Schaffner Hunter Smith

RESPIRATORY THERAPY Kristina Boucher Jessica Collins Crystal Current

ULTRASOUND Danielle Kisselstein Alyssa Sweeney

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Anthony Kurec, MS ’86, H(ASCP)DLM President Joseph Nicoletti, RRT ’76, RN Vice President Robert Sunheimer, CLS ’74 Treasurer DIRECTORS Erik Boergesson, BS ’95, RRT-NPS Joseph Colello, RRT ’12 Susan Corieri, MT ’84 Laura Dell’Aiera, CP ’14 Trevor Farnsworth, MS, PA-C ’12 Mary Gleason, RT, ’18 Brian Goodrich, RT ’14 Thomas Grady, RT ’88 Allison Lewis, PA ’12 Christine Pastore, DPT ’13 Josephine Przepiora, MT ’00/MS ’10 Nicole Tomasello, CP ’11 Jim Vossler, MT ’81 Gabriel Yankowitz, PT ’83, DPT EMERITUS David Clemente, MIS ’93 Michelle Pisik, MIS ’72

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Mantosh Dewan, MD President, Upstate Medical University Eileen M. Pezzi, MPA VP for Development, Upstate Medical University Katherine Beissner, PT, PhD Dean, College of Health Professions Mary Knepper Health Professions Alumni Director