Dr. Frank A. Chervenak, chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Given Foundation Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and professor of obstetrics and gynecology, was bestowed honorary fellowship by the Weill Cornell Medical College Alumni Association Oct. 20. The Alumni Association was founded in 1904 shortly after the fifth class of medical students graduated from the Medical College. In 1933, the Association became incorporated and today remains steadfast in support of the Medical College's goals, mission and strategic priorities.
Sonia Chin, a senior secretary in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, was a recent winner the newspaper Metro New York's Metro Photo Challenge. The challenge attracted thousands of entries from photographers across the United States.
Dr. Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., dean emeritus of Weill Cornell, co-chairman of the Board of Overseers, the Lewis Thomas University Professor and university professor of medicine, received the John Stearns Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Clinical Practice from the New York Academy of Medicine Nov. 8. The achievement, awarded to Dr. Gotto for his distinguished contributions in clinical practice, is named in honor of John Stearns, the founding president of the Academy, which seeks to addresses the health challenges facing the world's urban populations through interdisciplinary approaches to policy leadership, innovative research, evaluation, education and community engagement. In addition, Dr. Gotto received the New York Leadership Award from the Citizens Union of the City of New York Oct. 25. The Citizens Union is an independent, nonpartisan civic organization of members who promote good government and advance political reform in the city and state of New York.
Dr. Hugh Hemmings, vice chair of research, the Distinguished Research Professor in Anesthetic Mechanisms and professor of pharmacology, joined the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research's Academy of Research Mentors in Anesthesiology Oct. 26. The Academy facilitates the development of educational and research programs for junior faculty members, and it supports faculty members in mentoring roles.
Dr. David Lifka, director of research computing at Weill Cornell and director of the Cornell University Center for Advanced Computing, was in November elected chair of the nonprofit Coalition for Academic Scientific Computation, an organization with 71 member institutions representing many of the nation's most forward thinking universities and computing centers. The Coalition is dedicated to advocating the use of the most advanced computing technology to accelerate scientific discovery for national competitiveness, global security, and economic success, as well as develop a diverse and well-prepared 21st century workforce.
Dr. Allyson J. Ocean, the Anne Moore M.D. Clinical Scholar in Hematology-Oncology and associate professor of clinical medicine, was awarded with the 2012 Achievement Award from Michael's Mission Nov. 13 at its fourth annual benefit. Michael's Mission was formed to honor and remember Michael Soussa, who at the young age of 30, was diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer and passed away at the age of 33. Dr. Ocean is chair of the organization's medical advisory board.
Five Weill Cornell professors and NewYork-Presbyterian physicians were named NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center's Physicians of the Year this November. Those honored were: Dr. Judy Tung, associate professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell and associate attending physician, medical director and acting chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center; Dr. Kelly Griffin, assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell and assistant attending physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell; Dr. Joy Howell, associate professor of clinical pediatrics at Weill Cornell and associate attending pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell; Dr. Karl Krieger, vice chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the Philip Geier Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Weill Cornell and attending cardiothoracic surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell; and Dr. Jennifer Wright-McCarthy, assistant professor of medicine and assistant attending physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. Also, Dr. Robert Kelly, assistant professor of psychiatry and assistant attending psychiatrist, was named NewYork-Presbyterian's Westchester Physician of the Year.
Maen Ziki, a Weill Cornell Qatar medical student who spent a year working in the lab of Dr. Ronald Crystal, chairman of the Department of Genetic Medicine, The Bruce Webster Professor of Inernal Medicine, professor of genetic medicine and professor of medicine, won Best Student Health and Biomedical Research of the Year at the Joint Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum and Arab Expatriate Scientists Network Symposium 2012 for an abstract presentation entitled, "High Prevalence of the ApoE Arg145Cys Dyslipidemia At-risk Polymorphism in African-derived Population." The symposium, hosted Oct. 21-23 in Doha, showcased the innovative research taking place in projects, programs and initiatives across Qatar's universities and institutes, as well as by the wider Qatar research community.
New members of Weill Cornell Medical College's Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society for the 2013 Beta Chapter include:
Joseph Alsberge
Joel Bernanke
Alessandra Calvo-Friedman
Jeremy Chan
Mark Elliott
Adam Faye
Erik Fisher
Kaitlin Greene
Elan Guterman
Andrea Lorenze
Christopher McGinn
Michael McMahon
Michael Mooney
Neal Parikh
Cristina Toledo-Cornell
Marissa Wise
Submit your awards and honors to WCMCAwards@med.cornell.edu.