The Dudley H. Davis Center’s Grand Maple Ballroom was once again the setting for the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine Honors Night, celebrating the Class of 2026.

Hosted by Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education Christa Zehle, M.D.’99, the event recognized faculty, staff, and graduating medical students for excellence in education, clinical care, leadership, and service.

Richard L. Page, M.D., dean of the Larner College of Medicine and chief medical affairs officer of the University of Vermont, opened the ceremony with welcoming remarks before introducing the evening’s presenters.

Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society Awards

Class of 2026 AOA student leaders presented the AOA Faculty and Housestaff Awards, recognizing individuals who exemplify professionalism, scholarship, leadership, and service.

AOA Faculty Award Recipients

  • Tracy Hagerty, M.D.
  • Jason D. Heffley, M.D.
  • Erin Panarelli, M.D.
  • Adam M. Rudolph, M.D.
  • Merima Ruhotina, M.D.
  • Sujata Singh, M.D.
  • Fatemeh Sweeney, M.D.

AOA Housestaff Award Recipients

  • Yasser Abouelkheer, M.D.
  • Presley Azarcon, M.D.
  • Samantha Blum, D.O.
  • Patra Childress, M.D.
  • Sean Taylor, M.D.

Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards

Presented by the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS), these awards honor compassion, empathy, and humanistic care.

  • Faculty Award: Christina Litsakos, M.D.
  • Student Award: Haley Bayne ’26

AHEC Scholars

The AHEC (Area Health Education Center) Scholars program aims to deepen students’ understanding of the social and cultural factors influencing overall health and health care access. AHEC Scholars have enhanced their education and completed projects addressing priorities like social determinants of health, interprofessional education, integration of behavioral health into primary care, the impact of opioid prescribing, cultural competence, and quality improvement in health care delivery. 

a group of people posing for a photo
Participants in the AHEC Scholars program (Photo: David Seaver)

The following medical students were recognized as AHEC Scholars: 

Anika J. Advant, Lindsay Rose Aldrich, Robin Angier, Jasmine Ariel Bazinet‑Phillips, Julia Ann Bernier, Jacob I. Bleau, Jackson Bressor, Seth E. Brownmiller, Michaela L. Busch, Hayden Jonathan Christensen, Jenna Grace Clark, Elle Grace Cunningham, Caroline R. Duksta, Brian A. Fellenstein, Caroline Rose George, Molly C. Hurd, Timothy Hwang, Kimberly Jones, Kristin Patricia Karpowicz, Heather A. Kettlewell, Christina H. Kirk, Sarah Barbara Kohl, Christopher Peter Kruglik, Angelina A. Kuzina, Taylor Erin Lamarre-Austin, Anna Roberts Landis, Briana Marie Leger, Ana Carissa Ingles Lorenzo, Jason Mark Ludlow, Kassandra Marie Mastras, Henry Mitchell, Zoe Sylvia Nicozisin, Surya Radhakrishnan, Gurkiranjit Kaur Rattu, Nicole W. Salib, Shruthi Santhanakrishnan, Deepinder Singh, Ian Strohbehn, Lauren Diem Tien, Amanda Lynn Verroneau, Peter Minh Vien, Josephine Yalovitser, Sarah Yang, and Cole Thomas Zweber.

  • AHEC Scholars Incentive Scholarship/Loan Forgiveness Award: Tucker Angier, Molly Hurd, Aina Rattu, Amanda Veronneau
  • Freeman Foundation Medical Legacy Scholar: Jackson Bressor, Anna Landis
  • David & Eleanor Ignat Incentive Scholarship/Loan Forgiveness Award: Julia Bernier, Erzsi Nagy

Awards from the Class of 2026

  • Clinical Department of the Year, VT: Emergency Medicine
  • Clinical Department of the Year, CT: Department of Medicine
  • Clinical Resident of the Year, VT: Presley Azarcon, M.D.
  • Clinical Resident of the Year, CT: Yasser Abouelkheer, M.D.
  • Clinical Teacher of the Year, VT: Lee-Anna Burgess, M.D.
  • Clinical Teacher of the Year, CT: Abdul Rahim Rahimyar, M.D.
  • Colette Award, VT: Sara Tourville
  • Colette Award, CT: Joanna Conklin
  • Dean William Eustis Brown Award: Adama Aja
  • Dignity in Medicine Award: Natalia Liu, M.D.
  • Harry E. Howe & Theo O. Howe Outstanding Teacher of Surgery Prize: Krista Evans, M.D.
  • Lamb Fellowship Award: Henry Mitchell

Department Awards

2 people posing with an award certificate
Richard Vuong, M.D.’26 (left), winner of the American Academy of Neurology Medical Student Excellence Award, with Assistant Professor of Neurological Sciences Fatemeh Sweeny, M.D. (Photo: David Seaver)

Anesthesiology

  • John E. Mazuzan Jr., M.D.’54, Award: Anna Landis

Emergency Medicine

  • American College of Emergency Physicians Professionalism & Leadership Award: Wendy Memishian
  • Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award: Brian Fellenstein

Family Medicine

  • Fischer Family Award: Tucker Angier
  • Levine-Pinchot Award: Molly Hurd

Internal Medicine

  • Amidon Award: Haley Bayne
  • Laura Weed Award: Julia Bernier

Neurology

  • AAN Neurology Prize: Richard Vuong
  • Herbert Martin Sr. Award: Isabella Sutherland

Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences

  • Carbee Award: Katie Waeldner
  • Maeck Robe Recipient: Julie Scholes

Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation

  • Nathaniel Gould Prize: Hikmat Chmait

Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

  • College of American Pathologists Distinguished Student Award: Sarah Tran
2 people posing with an award plaque in front of an Honors Nighht banner
Larner and Golisano Children’s Hospital Chair of Pediatrics Lewis First, M.D., M.S. (left), with Lucey Prize winner Christopher Kruglik, M.D.’26, M.P.H.’22, M.M.S.’21 (Photo: David Seaver)

Pediatrics

  • Lucey Prize: Chris Kruglik
  • Sussman Alumni Award: Henry Mitchell

Psychiatry

  • William Sweetser Award: Heather Kettlewell

Radiology

  • Walter Dodd Award: Ashley Lucero
  • Interventional Radiology Award: Ian Strohbehn

Surgery

  • Harry Howe Senior Surgery Award: Molly Greenblat
  • H. Gordon Page Award: Maisie Laud
  • Pilcher Award: Lauren Tien
  • Sartorelli Award: Ryan Trus

Awards from the Office of Medical Education

  • Joseph Cleary Award: Muhammad Zeb
  • Charles T. Schechtman Award: John Rustad, Julie Scholes, Isabella Sutherland
  • Kerzner Family Prize: Molly Hurd, Neeki Parsa
  • Ravi & Indra Jerath Memorial Award: John Rustad
  • David Babbot Caring & Seeing Award: Chris Kruglik
  • Mildred A. Reardon Award: Adama Aja, Shruthi Santhanakrishnan
4 people posing with award certificates near an Honors Night banner
Left to right: Class of 2026 Schechtman Award winners Julie Scholes, Isabella Sutherland, and John Rustad with Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education Christa Zehle, M.D.’99 (Photo: David Seaver)