2025 Program

Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) is the first and most recognized medical honor society in the world. Its purposeis to recognize and perpetuate excellence in the medical profession. The letters Alpha-Omega-Alpha are derived from the Greek form of the society’s motto: “Be Worthy to Serve the Suffering.” AOA was founded in 1902 by William Webster Root and five other medical students in Chicago, and now has 125 chapters.

AOA is a nonprofit organization whose mission statement embodies “the belief that in the profession of medicine we will improve care for all patients by recognizing high educational achievement, honoring gifted teaching, encouraging the development of leaders in academia and the community, supporting the ideals of humanism, and promoting service to others.”

AOA’s programs are available to all medical students and physicians, and include visiting professorships, support of student research projects, funding of service activities, recognition of resident physician excellence, and national awards for both professionalism and gifted teaching. AOA publishes The Pharos, a quarterly compilation of essays, poetry, photography, and other works related to humanistic medicine.

Class of 2025 Members of Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society - Pennsylvania Eta Chapter

• Gitanjali Bhushan

• Nevada Cox

• Hanel Eberly

• Chloe Grzyb

• Sonia Hafiz

• Ian Hidinger

• Sarahrose Jonik

• Elizabeth Lavanga

• Calista Long

• Natella Maglakelidze

• Caroline Maltese

• Shivani Mattikalli

• Madison Oxford

• Molly Piper

• Eion Plenn

• Bao Sciscent

• Ganesh Shenoy

• Hannah Short

• Lydia Smeltz

• Meredith Tate

• Olivia Waldron

• Hannah Wilding

• Kevin Xu

• Andrew Yeich

The Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) is a community of medical students, physicians, and otherleaders who have been recognized for their compassionate care. GHHS reinforces and supports the human connection in health care, which is essential for the health of patients and clinicians. Established by pediatrician Dr. Arnold Gold in 2002, GHHS now has more than 180 chapters in medical schools and residency programs and more than 45,000 members. Each year, rising MS3 students nominate their peers to GHHS based on clinical and classroom interactions with patients, staff and each other. The top 10-15% of those nominees are inducted into the cohort.

At Penn State, the home for GHHS is the Department of Humanities, whose motto is “Advancing humanism in medicine and society.” MS4 students work with a humanities faculty advisor to carry out activities during their final year of medical school, including Thank a Resident Day, Solidarity Day, which celebrates the bond of compassion and trust that characterizes humanistic care, and a capstone service project. Penn State Health also has a thriving residency chapter that engages in humanistic outreach each year.

Class of 2025 Members of the Gold Humanism Honor Society

• Annabelle Brinkerhoff

• Daniela Dluzynski

• Cain Dudek

• Megan Gilroy

• Sarahrose Jonik

• Matthew Kraus

• Elizabeth Kane

• Elizaveta Makarova

• Caroline Maltese

• Christian Milbrath

• Peter Monahan

• Nkemjika Nwaneri

• Madison Oxford

• Lydia Smeltz

• Danielle Somerville

• Nam Tran

• Ashley Weems

• Hannah Wilding

• Kebo Zhang

Sylvia And Gilbert Nurick Medical Achievement Award For Outstanding Academic Excellence

Cynthia Burke

Natella Maglakelidze

Jill Stachowski

Olivia Waldron

Dr. Irwin L. Baird Memorial Award For Outstanding Academic Achievement

Daniela Dluzynski

Hanel Eberly

Alison Johnston

Madison Oxford

Alphonse E. Leure-Dupree

Exemplary Medical Student Award

Gitanjali Bhushan

Elizabeth Bolt

Hannah Short

Morgan Voulo

Dean’s Award

Lydia Smeltz

Hannah Wilding

The Howard E. Morgan Award For Outstanding Achievement In Basic Science Research

Ahmed Abdeen

Sir Frederick Hewitt Award For Excellence In Anesthesiology

Cain Dudek

Department Of Emergency Medicine Award For Excellence

Stephanie Craig

The Society For Academic Emergency Medicine Award For Excellence

Matthew Kraus

The American College Of Emergency Physicians Medical Student Professionalism And Service Award

Christine Milbrath

Timothy '74, Brenda And Brian '21 Drury Scholarship For Emergency Medicine

Stephanie Ko

Ted And Millie Kantner Family Practice Award

Megan Gilroy

Ashley Weems

Thomas L. Leaman, MD Award In Family And Community Medicine

Alison Johnston

The Leonard Tow Humanism In Medicine Award For Graduating Medical Students

Hannah Wilding

J. Lloyd Huck Chair In Medicine Award For Excellence In Medicine

Gitanjali Bhushan

Satish A. Shah, Md And Robin Shah Cardiology Medical Student Scholarship

Chloe Grzyb

Satish A. Shah, Md Oncology Medical Student Scholarship

Ganesh Shenoy

Robert B. Spieth Scholarship Award For Oncology

Rhea Kanwar

American Academy Of Neurology Award For Excellence In Adult Neurology

Yunting “Mary” Yu

American Academy Of Neurology Award For Excellence In Child Neurology

Jacob Nelsen

American Academy Of Neurology Award For Excellence At University Park

Rachel Dum

The Kothari Family Award For Excellence In Neurology

Hannah Bennett

Himani Devabhaktuni

Ann E. Seward Memorial Scholarship In Women’s Health

Hannah Wilding

Edwards P. Schwentker Outstanding Orthopaedic Student Award

Indigo Milne

Christopher M. Frauenhoffer, MD Memorial Scholarship

Dana Dirnberger

Andrew Creasy And Savino Family Award

Annabelle Brinkerhoff

Department Of Pediatrics Award For Excellence In Pediatrics

Samuel Jump

Department Of Psychiatry Award For Clinical Excellence In Psychiatry

Mahpara Hasan

Department Of Psychiatry Award For Excellence In Psychiatry Research

Andrew Yeich

Susann Schetter Memorial Scholarship In Radiology

Anisha Mittal

Department Of Surgery Awards For Excellence In Surgery

Leana Dogbe

Olivia Waldron

Judith Bond, Md/Phd Award For Outstanding Achievement In Research And Clinical Training

Natella Maglakelidze

Ganesh Shenoy

Medical Student Research Awards

Ahmed Abdeen

Gitanjali Bhushan

Cynthia Burke

Mariana Dejuk

Madison Hearn

Andrew Kim

Elizaveta Makarova

Shivani Mattikalli

Swathi Mettela

Peter Monahan

Bao Sciscent

Ashley Sun

Claudia Mae Velasco

Dean’s Award For Scholarly Achievement

Jude Khatib

Josheili Llavona-Ortiz

Natella Maglakelidze

Kushal Saha

Anatomy Graduate Program Commencement Award

Natasha Morales Ghinaglia

Bernard Brodie Pharmacology Graduate Award For Outstanding Scholarly And Research Achievement

Hannah Johnson

Biomedical Sciences Graduate Award

Van Bui

Jude Khatib

Jesse White

Carol S. Weisman Award For Excellence In The Doctor Of Public Health Graduate Program

Josheili Llavona-Ortiz

D. Eugene Rannels Award For Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation In Cellular And Molecular Physiology

Shaunaci Stevens

Award For Student Excellence In Public Health Preparedness – Homeland Security

Raquel Eisenmann

Matthew Kratz

Department Of Microbiology And Immunology John F. Edners Award

Madison Martin

Gary Chase Award For Excellence In The Master Of Public Health Graduate Program

Matthew Crager

Neuroscience Graduate Program Commencement Award

Josephine Liwang

Mark J. Young Award For Outstanding Scholarship In Public Health Sciences

Fadi Samaan

Moskowitz Family Endowment Award For Graduate Research Excellence

Natasha Morales Ghinaglia

Lindsey Pale

Department Of Neural And Behavioral Sciences Award

Jackson Radler

Academic Excellence Award

Brieanna Jung

Erica Nagy

Dean’s Award For Clinical Excellence

Yiannis Koutsofavas

The Art Of Primary Care Award

Gracie Chaires

PA Student Award For Leadership And Service

Riley Gerber

Humanism In Medicine Award

Conrad Erb

Hannah Ferrante

Jasmine Martinez Soto

Nikki Short

Members Of Pi Alpha National PA Honor Society

Eyosias Abiy

Nicole Dutzman

Riley Gerber

Nikki Short

*Graduating in absentia

Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security

Andrew Harvey East, BA, Virginia Commonwealth University
MAJOR: Public Health Preparedness
CAPSTONE: Addressing Mental Health Disparities in Low Socioeconomic Communities: The Role of Emergency Medical Services in Bridging the Gap
ADVISER: Eugene Lengerich, DVM

*Raquel Eisenmann, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
MAJOR: Public Health Preparedness
ADVISER: Eugene Lengerich, DVM

*Matthew Kratz, BS, Southern New Hampshire University
MAJOR: Public Health Preparedness
CAPSTONE: Evaluating EMS Preparedness for Nuclear Emergencies
ADVISER: Eugene Lengerich, DVM

Matthew Lewis, BS, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
MAJOR: Public Health Preparedness
CAPSTONE: Likely Sources of Delayed Ambulance Response Times in New Jersey: A Cherry Hill Fire Department Analysis
ADVISER: Eugene Lengerich, DVM

Brianna Miller, BS, Susquehanna University
MAJOR: Public Health Preparedness
CAPSTONE: Balancing Security and Public Health Preparedness in Countering Domestic Extremism
ADVISER: Eugene Lengerich, DVM

*Mariah Syrocki, BS, Temple University
MAJOR: Public Health Preparedness
ADVISER: Eugene Lengerich, DVM

Master of Public Health

*Elijah Akinade, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Young Adult Location and Logistics Consideration and Rural Environments: The Y’ALL CARE Evaluation
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

*Kayla Best, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Review of Randomized and Non-Randomized Controlled Trials on Objective and Subjective Measures of Physical Activity in Pediatric Oncology
ADVISER: Julie Lentes, DEd, MPA

*Dwalyn Bryant, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Implications for HIV Prevention: Investigating the relationship between mass media exposure and transactional sex among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Uganda
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

*Stephanie Camacho, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: The Happy Family Project
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

Abigail Copeland, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Location Matters: How your health is affected by where you live
ADVISER: Carol LaRegina, MS, CPH

Matthew T. Crager, BA, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Preparing Lancaster and Lebanon: A Plan to Improve HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Uptake and Adherence in Lancaster and Lebanon, Pennsylvania
ADVISER: Carol LaRegina, MS, CPH

*Fernanda Cuadro, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Examining the Pennsylvania Healthy Pantry Initiative Effects on Pantry Clients in Central Pennsylvania
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

*Tyler Deal, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Funding and Building Capacity in Research: A Case Study of the Penn State University CTSI Pilot Funding Program
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

*Lauren Delgado, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Developing an Exercise Program for Cardiac Patients Utilizing GLP-1s
ADVISER: Julie Lentes, DEd, MPA

Megan Dowling, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: An Analysis of Alcohol Abuse among Natives Living in the United States
ADVISER: Julie Lentes, DEd, MPA

Gabrielle Narcisse El-Adas, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: The Need for Paid Family Leave in Pennsylvania
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

*Lauren Ertel, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Examining the Association Between Constipation and Concentration
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

Laura Felix, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Depression Among the Working Age Population and their Dependents with Persistent High Healthcare Cost
ADVISER: Carol LaRegina, MS, CPH

Kaiya Christine Grayson, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: A Critical Analysis of the Safe Motherhood Initiative in Ghana: Enhancing Maternal Health Outcomes
ADVISER: Julie Lentes, DEd, MPA

Clayton Alexander Groves, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Best Strategies to Combat Feline-Caused Zoonotic Illnesses in Humans
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

*Tate Hamilton, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Safeguarding First Responders’ Mental Health
ADVISER: Julie Lentes, DEd, MPA

*Allison Johnston, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Considerations for Working with Native Populations in Clinical Trials: A Toolkit
ADVISER: Julie Lentes, DEd, MPA

Maeve Kenny, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Supporting Communities Through Nutrition: A Food Bank Cooking Class
ADVISER: Julie Lentes, DEd, MPA

Kylee Kimbel, BS, Messiah University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: A Qualitative Study of Attitudes and Behaviors of Advance Care Planning Held by Students at Penn State College of Medicine
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

*Piper Kimble, BS, Allegheny College
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: 24/7, Accessible Harm Reduction Support: Vending Machines to Bridge the Gap
ADVISER: Julie Lentes, DEd, MPA

Anastasiya V. Kovalenko, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: CMS’s Payment Rates: Their Decline and Effects on Home Health Administrative Operations and Care Quality
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

Kianna Lee, BS, Lincoln University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

Allison Locy, BS, Shippensburg University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Longitudinal Analysis of Medical Inflation Across Dermatology Current Procedural Terminology Codes
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

*John Lyons III, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: A Comparison of Approaches to Statistical Analysis for Bioequivalence Trials ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

*Andrea Molina, BS, University of Portland
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Utilizing Geospatial Information Systems to Identify Access to Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgeons for Patients with Medicaid Insurance
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

*Erica Morse, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Understanding the risk of disorder or overdose involving psychostimulants among adults prescribed stimulants
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

Carey Elizabeth Musumeci, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Shaken but Not Broken: Community Resilience Across the Globe in the Aftermath of Three Major Earthquakes
ADVISER: Julie Lentes, DEd, MPA

*Jessica Myrick, BA, Indiana University Bloomington
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Making communication empowering: A handbook for developing culturally safe messages for women at risk of reproductive healthcare disparities
ADVISER: Julie Lentes, DEd, MPA

*Akshaya Narasimhan, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: A systematic review of school nutrition education policies in USA
ADVISER: Julie Lentes, DEd, MPA

Natalie Nothnagle, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Transition from Childhood to Adulthood in Type 1 Diabetes Care: A Qualitative Narrative Analysis
ADVISER: Michelle LaClair, MPH, CHES

Sneha M. Patel, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: LION Mobile Clinic Urologic Screening in Rural Pennsylvania
ADVISER: Julie Lentes, DEd, MPA

Mary Ragi, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: Effectiveness of Project ECHO on Healthcare Providers in Child and Adolescent Mental Health
ADVISER: Julie Lentes, DEd, MPA

Master of Science

Abdel-Rauof Akkari, MD, University of Tripoli – School of Medicine
MAJOR: Clinical Research
THESIS: Factors Associated with Successful Transition From Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy
ADVISER: Nasrollah Ghahramani, MD

*Gjhvona Bryant, BS, Old Dominion University
MAJOR: Anatomy
THESIS: DGKA Influences Cell Proliferation in Breast Cancer
ADVISER: Inan Olmez, MD

Yash Kulkarni, B.Tech, Dr. D. Y. Patil School of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, India
MAJOR: Neuroscience
THESIS: Uncovering The Mechanism of Small Molecule RAA-47 in ALS
ADVISER: Daniela Zarnescu, PhD

*John Kundrat, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
MAJOR: Neuroscience
THESIS: The axon initial segment and its role in neuropathology
ADVISER: Anirban Paul, PhD

Emily Manna, BS, Lebanon Valley College
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
THESIS: Development and Optimization of an Ex-vivo Whole Skin Explant Model for Hidradenitis Suppurativa
ADVISER: Amanda Nelson, PhD

Keethanshan Markandu, MBBS, Nanjing Medical University
MAJOR: Clinical Research
THESIS: The Impact of Lipid Levels on Cardiovascular Risk and Mortality in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Retrospective Cohort Study
ADVISER: Li Wang , PhD

*Megan McGinley, BS, Elizabethtown College
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
THESIS: The Role of Cellular Compartments, Host Factors and the Viral Capsid in Hepatitis B Virus Entry
ADVISER: Jianming Hu, PhD

Shruti Dnyaneshwar Ramekar, BPT, MGM Institute of Health Sciences
MAJOR: Clinical Research
THESIS: Transforming Graduate Well-being: Analysing the Impact of Ergonomic Education and Physical Activity Interventions on Musculoskeletal Health Among Penn State Graduate Students
ADVISER: Li Wang, PhD

Fadi Samaan, BS, City College of New York
MAJOR: Clinical Research
THESIS: Preoperative History of Gabapentinoids Use is Associated With Longer Length of Hospital Stay in Patients Undergoing Lower Extremity Bypass Surgery for Severe Peripheral Arterial Disease
ADVISER: Shouhao Zhou, PhD

Lakshmi Shankar, MBBS/MD, Stanley Medical College
MAJOR: Public Health Sciences
THESIS: Retrospective Study of Utilization and Outcomes of Acute Ischemic Stroke Reperfusion Therapies in Pregnant and Postpartum Women Using MarketScan Data
ADVISER: Kristin Sznajder, PhD

*Olivia Ziegler, BA, Connecticut College; MD, Brown University
MAJOR: Clinical Research
THESIS: Switching Biologic Drug Class After Resection for Crohn’s Disease is Associated with Increased Risk of Re-intervention
ADVISER: Shouhao Zhou, PhD

Doctor of Public Health

*Matthew Carrillo, BS, MPH, Syracuse University
MAJOR: Public Health
DISSERTATION: Evaluating Risk Factors for the Progression of Acute to Chronic Pain Leading to Adverse Health Outcomes in the Absence of Pain Medication
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Jessica Yingst, DrPH

Sitasnu Dahal, BSN, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences
MAJOR: Public Health
DISSERTATION: Effects on Cardiopulmonary Measures Among People Who Smoke and Are Attempting to Switch to An Electronic Cigarette in A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Jonathan Foulds, PhD

*Hosam Farag, BMed, Alexandria University; MS, The Pennsylvania State University
MAJOR: Public Health
DISSERTATION: Enhancing Early Diagnosis of Septic Shock, and Sepsis-induced Acute Kidney Injury (s-aki) in Patients with Sepsis
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Casey Pinto, PhD

*Josheili Y. Llavona-Ortiz, BA, University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez
MAJOR: Public Health
DISSERTATION: Exploring changes in HPV vaccine communication and uptake across phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania
DISSERTATION ADVISER: William Calo, PhD, JD, MPH

*Erika VanDyke, BA, Millersville University
MAJOR: Public Health
DISSERTATION: Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to Understand Mechanisms of Community-Engaged, Advance Care Planning Research Interventions
DISSERTATION ADVISER: William Calo, PhD, JD, MPH

Doctor of Philosophy

*Keenan Anderson-Fears, BS, California State University – Long Beach
MAJOR: Bioinformatics and Genomics
DISSERTATION: Methods to Analyze Genetic Associations with Complex Traits in Diverse Populations DISSERTATION ADVISER: Dajiang Liu, PhD

*Laura Budurlean, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Identification of Structural Variants in Pediatric B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and their Role in Health Disparity.
DISSERTATION ADVISER: James Broach, PhD

Van Bui, MBBS, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam, Van Ai Bui
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences and Clinical/Translational Science
DISSERTATION: New Insights into The Mammalian ATG8 Conjugation System in Autophagosome Biogenesis
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Hong-Gang Wang, PhD

*Kaitlin Carson, BS, Ohio State University
MAJOR: Neuroscience
DISSERTATION: Perinatal High Fat Diet Exposure Disrupts Development of Vagal Neurocircuits That Co-ordinate Gastric Motility
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Kirsteen Browning, PhD

Jordan Chang, BS, Houston Christian University
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Spatiotemporal properties of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag protein and its interaction with host transcription machinery
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Leslie Parent, MD

Daxuan Deng, BS, Sun Yat-sen University
MAJOR: Biostatistics
DISSERTATION: Enhancing Primary Inference through Data Integration
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Vernon Chinchilli, PhD

Mayura Randhir Singh Dhamdhere, B.Tech, Dr. D. Y. Patil University, Pune, India
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Small Extracellular Vesicle mediated mechanisms in Neuroblastoma Metastasis
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Vladimir Speigelman, PhD

*Shuang Gao, BS, Emory University; MS, University of Los Angeles California
MAJOR: Biostatistics
DISSERTATION: Unraveling Genetic Loci in Addiction and Sex-differentiated Effects Through Innovative Genomic Analysis
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Dajiang Liu, PhD

Coryn L. Hoffman, BS, The Pennsylvania State University – Berks Campus
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Investigating the underlying pathomechanisms of pemphigus vulgaris
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Andrew Kowalczyk, PhD

*Callie Howells, BS, MS, The Pennsylvania State University
MAJOR: Epidemiology
DISSERTATION: Studies in Allergic Diseases: Exploring Predictors of Asthma Treatment Superiority; Food Allergy Associations with Dietary Patterns and Metabolic Syndrome
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Vernon Chinchilli, PhD

*Zaineb Javed, BS, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Mitochondrial dynamins in Ovarian Cancer: Role of alternative splice variants of fission protein Drp1
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Nadine Hempel, PhD

*Hannah Johnson, BS, Black Hills State University
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Discovery of Novel Small Molecule Activators of Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in the Treatment of Cancer
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Arun Sharma, PhD

Mindy Johnson, BS, State University of New York at Buffalo
MAJOR: Anatomy
DISSERTATION: Shedding Light on the Red Nucleus in Parkinsonisms: A Neuropathological Study
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Xuemei Huang, PhD

Jude Khatib, BS, California State University – Long Beach
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Investigating the role poly-ADP-ribose polymerase 10 (PARP10) in genomic stability DISSERTATION ADVISER: George-Lucian Moldovan, PhD

Soo Yeon Kim, BS, Kangwon National University
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Molecular Mechanisms of Tumor Necrosis in Glioblastoma Under Metabolic Stress DISSERTATION ADVISER: Wei Li, PhD

Shamara Lawrence, BS, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Role of INFg/JAK1/STAT1 pathway in FOXA1 repression and the basal/squamous state in muscle-invasive bladder cancer
DISSERTATION ADVISER: David DeGraff, PhD, and Gregory Yochum, PhD

Josephine K. Liwang, BS, Emory University
MAJOR: Neuroscience
DISSERTATION: From Cell Types to Circuits: A Spatiotemporal Map of the Early Postnatal Developing Mouse Brain
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Yongsoo Kim, PhD

*Tong Yan Lu, BS, University of Maryland – College Park
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Molecular mechanisms affecting tumor necrosis in glioblastoma
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Wei Li, PhD

Savannah Moscon, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: The H67D HFE gene variant is associated with hormetic neuroprotection in brain regions vulnerable to neurodegeneration
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Elizabeth Proctor, PhD

Madison Martin, BS, Lebanon Valley College
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: The Good and the Bad of Iron Modulation During Human Cytomegalovirus Infection DISSERTATION ADVISER: Chris Norbury, PhD

*Olivia Marx, BS, Southern Methodist University
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Transcriptomic Characterization of Early-onset Colorectal Cancer
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Gregory Yochum, PhD

Natasha Morales Ghinaglia, BA, BS, Boston University
MAJOR: Anatomy
DISSERTATION: Adverse Obesity-Related Outcomes of Circadian Misalignment in Adolescents
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, PhD

Lindsey M. Pale, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Identifying novel factors involved in cancer therapy sensitivity and resistance using genome-wide CRISPR screens
DISSERTATION ADVISER: George-Lucian Moldovan, PhD

Jackson Radler, BS, Rochester Institute of Technology
MAJOR: Anatomy
DISSERTATION: Intestinal Epithelial Barrier and Hemodynamic Homeostatis Following Spinal Cord Injury DISSERTATION ADVISER: Gregory Holmes, PhD

Kushal Saha, BS, University of Calcutta
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Assessing novel mechanisms to understand the dynamics of the Intestinal milieu in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Prashant Nighot, PhD

Kalin Z. Salinas, BS, Oregon State University
MAJOR: Neuroscience
DISSERTATION: Elucidating the Role of the Tripartite Networks in Inhibitory Control During Smoking Abstinence — a Task-Based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Andrea Hobkirk, PhD

Kashif A. Shaikh, BS, University of Northern Iowa
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Roles of ZFAND6 in regulation of mitochondrial homeostasis and innate immune signaling DISSERTATION ADVISER: Edward Harhaj, PhD

Shaunaci Alexis-Annette Stevens, BA, North Carolina State University
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: The Role of REDD1 in the Pathophysiology of Diabetes-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction DISSERTATION ADVISER: Michael Dennis, PhD

Joshua Straka, BS, Ursinus College
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Investigating the role of histone chaperones CAF-1 and ASF1 in genomic stability and cancer therapy
DISSERTATION ADVISER: George-Lucian Moldovan, PhD

Miaolu Tang, BA, University of Washington
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Disulfidptosis in Glioblastoma: Disrupting Redox Homeostasis as a Novel Therapeutic Approach
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Wei Li, PhD

Lida Wang, BS, Southern University of Science and Technology
MAJOR: Biostatistics
DISSERTATION: Integrating single cell expression quantitative trait loci to dissect complex disease genes and identify novel drugs for treatment
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Dajiang Liu, PhD

Jesse A. White, BS, University of Mount Union
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Regulation of the Selective Autophagy Receptor TAX1BP1 by Phosphorylation DISSERTATION ADVISER: Edward Harhaj, PhD

Xue Wu, BS, Shandong University
MAJOR: Biostatistics
DISSERTATION: Statistical Methods Development for Analyzing Biomarkers, Treatments and Survival Endpoints
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Vernon Chinchilli, PhD

Yue Zhang, BS, Peking University
MAJOR: Epidemiology
DISSERTATION: Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Kidney Diseases: Insights from Real-World Evidence
DISSERTATION ADVISER: Vernon Chinchilli, PhD

Doctor of Medicine / Doctor of Philosophy

Hannah Bennett, BS, UC Santa Cruz
MAJOR: Neuroscience
DISSERTATION: Regional Heterogeneity of the Mural and Vascular Network in the Adult Mouse Brain and Associated Vulnerability and Remodeling in Aging
RESIDENCY: Neurology | Johns Hopkins Hospital | Baltimore, MD

Jasmine Geathers, BS, Xavier University of Louisiana
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Development of a Rapid and Clinically Relevant Model of AMD
RESIDENCY: Ophthalmology | Duke University | Durham, NC

Vladimir R. Khristov, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Extracellular Vesicles as Carriers of Biomarkers in Central Nervous System Malignancy RESIDENCY: Pediatrics | UCLA Medical Center | Los Angeles, CA

Natella Maglakelidze, BS, The College of New Jersey
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: Role of Autoimmune Regulator (AIRE) in Keratinocyte Biology and Skin Diseases RESIDENCY: Dermatology | University of Utah Health | Salt Lake City, UT

Ganesh Shenoy, BS, University of Pittsburgh; PhD, Penn State College of Medicine
MAJOR: Biomedical Sciences
DISSERTATION: The Role of Iron in Glioblastoma
RESIDENCY: Internal Medicine | Johns Hopkins Hospital | Baltimore, MD

Eyosias Abiy, BS, University of Maryland – College Park
Clinical Plans: Critical Care

Morgan Bonner, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Clinical Plans: Orthopaedic/trauma surgery

Katie A Buck, BA, Shippensburg University; MSW, Temple University
Clinical Plans: Family Medicine | Elizabethtown, PA

Gracie Chaires, BS, Lock Haven University
Clinical Plans: Family Medicine | Millville, DE

Jacqueline Almelor Delfeld, BS, William & Mary
Clinical Plans: Cardiothoracic Surgery | Virginia

Dillon Duttera, BS, Bucknell University
Clinical Plans: Hematology/Oncology

Nicole Dutzman, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Clinical Plans: Outpatient procedural specialty | Philadelphia area

Conrad Erb, BA, Eastern Mennonite University
Clinical Plans: Pediatrics | Philadelphia area

Hannah Ferrante, BS, George Mason University
Clinical Plans: Emergency Medicine | Central PA

Riley Gerber, BS, SUNY Cortland
Clinical Plans: Internal Medicine | Hershey, PA

Katie Gingerich, BS, Millersville University
Clinical Plans: Surgery

Garrett Hall, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Clinical Plans: Psychiatry

Rebecca Hawk, BA, Davidson College
Clinical Plans: Emergency Medicine | North Carolina

Brieanna Jung, BS, University of Idaho
Clinical Plans: Cardiology | Northern Idaho

Yiannis Koutsofavas, BS, University of Rochester
Clinical Plans: Primary Care/Urgent Care | East Providence, RI

Jasmine Martínez Soto, BS, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Clinical Plans: Palliative Medicine or Psychiatry | Columbus, OH

Roy McClelland, BS, Lock Haven University
Clinical Plans: Surgical Specialty | State College, PA

Erica Shaye Nagy, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Clinical Plans: Orthopaedic Surgery or Family Medicine | New Jersey

Georgia Olsen, BS, University of Denver
Clinical Plans: Oncology | Seattle, WA

Elias Orfanides, BS, Alfred University
Clinical Plans: Emergency Medicine APP Fellowship | Rochester, NY

Nikki Short, BS, University of Alabama – Birmingham
Clinical Plans: Emergency Medicine | Knoxville, TN

Christopher Surkosky, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Clinical Plans: Orthopaedic Surgery | Camp Hill, PA

Maddie Thompson, BS, University of Michigan
Clinical Plans: Orthopaedics | Michigan

Jorge Tirado Perez, BSc, Elizabethtown College
Clinical Plans: Critical Care

Kyle Tkach, BS, University of Nevada – Reno
Clinical Plans: Rheumatology | California

Jacob Vondebur, BS, University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign
Clinical Plans: Emergency Medicine or Surgical | Chicago, IL

Jeremy Wasik, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Clinical Plans: Pediatrics | Pittsburgh, PA

Jamie Weakley, BA, SUNY Geneseo
Clinical Plans: Dermatology | Utica, NY

Ahmed Abdeen, BS, Virginia Commonwealth University
Residency: Surgery-Preliminary | Temple University Hospital | Philadelphia, PA

Muzna Ali, BS, Saint Michael’s College; MEd, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Internal Medicine | UMass Chan – Baystate | Springfield, PA

Annette Appiah, BS, Lebanon Valley College
Residency: Anesthesiology | Boston University Medical Center | Boston, MA

Chenée Armando, BA, Stockton University
Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery | University of Rochester/Strong Memorial | Rochester, NY

Zachary Haider Aukers, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: General Surgery | Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education | Jacksonville, FL

Katelyn Helen Baggett, BS, Villanova University
Residency: Internal Medicine | Johns Hopkins Hospital | Baltimore, MD

Hannah Catherine Bennett, BS, University of California, Santa Cruz; PhD, Penn State College
of Medicine
Residency: Neurology | Johns Hopkins Hospital | Baltimore, MD

Joanna Bhasker, BS, Juniata College
Residency: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | University of Minnesota Medical School | Minneapolis, MN

Gitanjali L. Bhushan, BS, MS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Internal Medicine | New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medicine Center | New York, NY

Elizabeth Anne Bolt, BS, University of Pittsburgh
Residency: Internal Medicine/Geriatrics Integrated | UPMC Medical Education | Pittsburgh, PA

*Avery Briguglio, BS, Temple University
Residency: Internal Medicine | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Annabelle Noel Brinkerhoff, BS, Lycoming College
Residency: Internal Medicine/Pediatrics | Prisma Health-University of South Carolina School of Medicine | Greenville, SC

Thomas Joseph Brouse, BA, Bucknell University
Residency: Family Medicine | Geisinger Health System | Wilkes-Barre, PA

Cynthia Elaine Burke, BS, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Residency: Radiology-Diagnostic | University of Rochester/Strong Memorial | Rochester, NY

Austin William Cassatt, BS, Lebanon Valley College
Residency: Anesthesiology | Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center | Winston-Salem, NC

*Ryan Juien Chang, BA, Washington University in St. Louis
Residency: Radiology-Diagnostic | Barnes-Jewish Hospital |St. Louis, MO

Ahyeon Cho, BA, University of Rochester
Residency: Internal Medicine | Brown University/Rhode Island University | Providence, RI

Avani Ayesha Chopra, BS, Bucknell University
Residency: Surgery-Preliminary | Westchester Medical Center | Valhalla, NY

Matthew Ciarletta, BS, York College of Pennsylvania

Alpha H. Cotay, BS, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Residency: Psychiatry | Garnet Health Medical Center | Middletown, NY

Milann Cox, BA, Franklin & Marshall College
Residency: Psychiatry | MedStar Georgetown University Hospital | Washington, DC

Nevada Cox, BS, Franklin & Marshall College; MS, Georgetown University
Residency: Psychiatry | Zucker School of Medicine-Northwell Zucker Hillside | Glen Oaks, NY

Stephanie Craig, BA, Northwestern University
Residency: Emergency Medicine | Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center | Winston-Salem, NC

Jennifer Lynn Crumling, BS, Albright College
Residency: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | Walter Reed National Military Medical Center | Bethesda, MD

Nicole Ann Crumling, BS, Albright College
Residency: Family Medicine | Martin Army Community Hospital | Fort Moore, GA

Danielle D’Amico, BS, The Pennsylvania State University; MBS, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Residency: Psychiatry | SUNY Upstate Medical University | Syracuse, NY

Hannah Elizabeth Dailey Rossi, BA, Washington & Jefferson College; MS, Johns Hopkins University
Residency: Internal Medicine | Allegheny General Hospital | Pittsburgh, PA

Mariana Dejuk, BS, University of Florida
Residency: Radiation Oncology | University of South Florida-Morsani College of Medicine | Tampa, PA

Himani Devabhaktuni, AA, Montgomery Community College; BS, MEd, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Neurology | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Jane Dimperio, BS, University of Pittsburgh
Residency: Obstetrics and Gynecology | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Dana K. Dirnberger, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Pathology | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Daniela Rose Dluzynski, BS, The Ohio State University
Residency: Obstetrics and Gynecology | University of Cincinnati Medical Center | Cincinnati, OH

Leana Dogbe, AS, Montgomery College; BS, Dickinson College
Residency: Vascular Surgery | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Yixuan Kaitlyn Du, BS, Stony Brook University
Residency: Internal Medicine | Montefiore Medical Center/Einstein | Bronx, NY

Cain Michael Dudek, BS, Pennsylvania College of Technology
Residency: Anesthesiology/Critical Care | Johns Hopkins Hospital | Baltimore, MD

Rachel Elizabeth Dum, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Neurology | University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA

*Kulsoom Durrani, BA, Johns Hopkins University; MS, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Residency: Urology | UMass Chan Medical School |Worcester, MA

Hanel June Watkins Eberly, BS, Brigham Young University
Residency: Otolaryngology | Yale-New Haven Hospital | New Haven, CT

Xuanjia Fan, BA, Johns Hopkins University
Residency: Anesthesiology/Research | Montefiore Medical Center/Einstein | Bronx, NY

Iman Farooqi, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Psychiatry | University of Texas Medical Center | Houston, TX

Britney E. Fitzgerald, BA, Washington & Jefferson College; MS, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Kelan B. Fogarty, BS, The Pennsylvania State University

Imane Kiara Forbes, BS, University of Connecticut
Residency: Anesthesiology | Temple University Hospital | Philadelphia, PA

Eric Isaiah Galloway, BS, Eastern University
Residency: Internal Medicine | University at Buffalo School of Medicine | Buffalo, NY

Jasmine Sharlene Geathers, BS, Xavier University of Louisiana; PhD, Penn State College of Medicine
Residency: Ophthalmology | Duke University | Durham, NC

Sarah Elizabeth Gehman, BS, University of Pittsburgh
Residency: Psychiatry | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Megan Elizabeth Gilroy, AA, Suffolk County Community College; BA, University at Albany, State University of New York; MA, Stony Brook University
Residency: Family Medicine | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Kirsten Gimbel, BS, University of Pittsburgh
Residency: Emergency Medicine | SUNY HSC Brooklyn | Brooklyn, NY

Danny R. Glickman, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Internal Medicine | Temple University Hospital | Philadelphia, PA

Chloe Charlotte Grzyb, BS, Johns Hopkins University
Residency: Internal Medicine | Johns Hopkins Hospital | Baltimore, MD

Emma G. Guare, BA, Princeton University
Residency: Internal Medicine | Johns Hopkins Hospital | Baltimore, MD

Sonia Hafiz, BA, Franklin & Marshall College
Residency: Obstetrics and Gynecology | University of Maryland Medical Center | Baltimore, MD

Hannah Han, BS, University of Pittsburgh
Residency: Family Medicine | Boston University Medical Center | Boston, MA

Mahpara Hasan, BS, Carnegie Mellon University
Residency: Psychiatry | Virginia Commonwealth University Health System | Richmond, VA

Madison Nicole Hearn, BS, Juniata College; MPH, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Residency: Otolaryngology/Research | Duke University Medical Center | Durham, NC

*Madison Heebner, BA, University of Pittsburgh; MEd, The Pennsylvania State University

Ian McKenzie Hidinger, BS, University of Pittsburgh
Residency: Family Medicine | UPMC St. Margaret | Pittsburgh, PA

Aidan J. Hintze, BS, Brigham Young University
Residency: General Surgery | AdventHealth Florida | Orlando, FL

Caitlin Brianne Hoffer, BS, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Residency: Family Medicine | Riverside Regional Medical Center | Newport News, VA

Alison Nicole Johnston, BS, George Mason University
Residency: Family Medicine | Lancaster General Hospital | Lancaster, PA

Sarahrose Mary Jonik, BS, Gettysburg College
Residency: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | Johns Hopkins Hospital | Baltimore, MD

Isha Joshi, BA, MBA, Stony Brook University
Residency: Plastic Surgery (Integrated) | Stony Brook Teaching Hospital | Stony Brook, NY

Samuel Luke Jump, BS, University of Southern California
Residency: Pediatrics | Duke University Medical Center | Durham, NC

Elizabeth R. Kane, BA, Colby College; MEd, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Obstetrics and Gynecology | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Rhea Kanwar, BS, Nova Southeastern University
Residency: Internal Medicine | Thomas Jefferson University | Philadelphia, PA

Vladimir Rouskov Khristov, BS, The Pennsylvania State University; PhD, Penn State College of Medicine
Residency: Pediatrics | UCLA Medical Center | Los Angeles, CA

*Andrew Kim, BS, Boston College
Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery | Johns Hopkins Hospital | Baltimore, MD

Hali Sieun Kim, BA, MS, University of Pennsylvania
Residency: Anesthesiology | New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University | New York, NY

Chekina Masanga Kiminu, BS, University of Maryland, College Park
Residency: Pediatrics | University of Rochester/Strong Memorial | Rochester, NY

Stephanie Ko, BS, Wilkes University
Residency: Emergency Medicine | Thomas Jefferson University | Philadelphia, PA

Ramya Harshavardhan Kolagani, BS, University of Maryland
Residency: Psychiatry | Meritus Medical Center | Hagerstown, MD

Matthew Joseph Kraus, BS, DeSales University
Residency: Internal Medicine/Emergency Medicine | Christiana Care | Newark, DE

Elizabeth A. Lavanga, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Vascular Surgery | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital | New York, NY

Stephen C. Layng, BS, United States Air Force Academy
Residency: Radiation Oncology | Ohio State University Medical Center | Columbus, OH

Timothy Quoc-Tien Lequang, BA, George Mason University; MS, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Residency: Neurology | University of Utah Health | Salt Lake City, UT

Calista Grace Long, BS, La Salle University
Residency: Dermatology | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Natella Maglakelidze, BS, The College of New Jersey; PhD, Penn State College of Medicine
Residency: Dermatology | University of Utah Health |
Salt Lake City, UT

Elizaveta Makarova, BS, Lafayette College
Residency: Urology | Duke University Hospital Program | Durham, NC

Caroline A. Maltese, BS, John Carroll University
Residency: Pediatrics | Children’s National Medical Center | Washington, DC

Shivani Mattikalli, BS, University of Maryland
Residency: Internal Medicine | University of Maryland Medical Center | Baltimore, MD

Courtney Elaine Herr McCrory, BA, Messiah University
Residency: Pediatrics | UPMC Medical Education | Pittsburgh, PA

Swathi Mettela, BA, CUNY City College; MEd, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia & Cornell | New York, NY

Christine Ann Milbrath, BS, Messiah University
Residency: Internal Medicine/Emergency Medicine | University of Maryland Medical Center | Baltimore, MD

Indigo Grace Milne, BS, University of Virginia
Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery | University of Connecticut School of Medicine | Farmington, CT

Anisha Mittal, BA, Fisk University; MEd, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Radiology-Diagnostic | Medical College of Georgia | Augusta, GA

Peter Francis Monahan, BS, University of Notre Dame
Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Agustey Mongia, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Family Medicine | Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center | Winston-Salem, NC

Samantha Augusta Murphy, BA, University of Pennsylvania
Residency: Obstetrics and Gynecology | St. Lukes Hospital | Bethlehem, PA

Stevie Muscarella, BS, The Ohio State University; MS, Case Western Reserve University
Residency: Obstetrics and Gynecology | Cleveland Clinic | Cleveland, OH

Jacob Leonard Nelsen, BS, Virginia Tech
Residency: Child Neurology | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, TN

Evan Nelson, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Emergency Medicine | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Kenny Nguyen, BS, University of California, Irvine
Residency: Surgery-Preliminary | University of California San Francisco-East Bay | Oakland, CA

Nkemjika Noble Nwaneri, BS, University of Michigan; MS, Case Western Reserve University
Residency: Medicine-Preliminary | University of Maryland Medical Center | Baltimore, MD

Daniella Anjolaoluwa Odutayo, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Obstetrics and Gynecology | University of Minnesota Medical Center | Minneapolis, MN

Matthew Thomas O’Neil, BA, Messiah University
Residency: Internal Medicine | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Madison Asha Oxford, BA, University of Virginia
Residency: Plastic Surgery (Integrated) | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Kristen Park, BA, Johns Hopkins University
Residency: Anesthesiology | New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University | New York, NY

Yash A. Patel, BA, CUNY Hunter College; MEd, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Internal Medicine | Stony Brook Teaching Hospital | Stony Brook, NY

Jonathan T. Pham, BS, University of California, San Diego
Residency: Anesthesiology | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Molly Madison Piper, BS, University of California, Los Angeles
Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery | UCLA Medical Center | Los Angeles, CA

Eion Ross Plenn, BA, University of Pittsburgh
Residency: Internal Medicine | Cleveland Clinic | Cleveland, OH

Umer Qureshi, BS, University of Pittsburgh; MEd, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Surgery-Preliminary | Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA

Aisha A. Rashid, BS, Carnegie Mellon University Residency: Family Medicine | Capital Health Regional Medical Center | Trenton, NJ

Kirsten A. Riggle, BA, MPH, University of Virginia
Residency: Pediatrics | UMass Chan Medical School | Worcester, MA

Daniel Grant Rittenhouse, BS, Grove City College
Residency: Pediatrics | UPMC Medical Education | Pittsburgh, PA

Andrew J. Rothka, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Surgery-Preliminary | University of North Carolina Hospitals | Chapel Hill, NC

Donna Saboori, BS, Albright College
Residency: Emergency Medicine | Yale-New Haven Hospital | New Haven, CT

Sara Pettey Sandifer, BS, Elizabethtown College
Residency: Radiology-Diagnostic | University of Arizona College of Medicine | Tucson, AZ

Austin William Herbert Schwartz, BS, Wake Forest University
Residency: Emergency Medicine | Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center | Winston-Salem, NC

Bao Yue Sciscent, BS, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Residency: Otolaryngology | University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA

Dhruvil Shah, BS, University of Pittsburgh; MEd, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Zucker School of Medicine-Northwell North Shore/Long Island Jewish Medical Center | Great Neck, NY

Ganesh Shenoy, BS, University of Pittsburgh; PhD, Penn State College of Medicine
Residency: Internal Medicine | Johns Hopkins Hospital | Baltimore, MD

Joshua Shoemaker, BA, BS, University of Pittsburgh; MS, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; MEd, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Internal Medicine | University of Michigan Hospital | Ann Arbor, MI

Hannah B. Short, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Radiology-Diagnostic | Boston University Medical Center | Boston, MA

Pritika Singh, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Dermatology | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Lydia R. Smeltz, BA, Duke University
Residency: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | UPMC Medical Education | Pittsburgh, PA

John Stanley Smith, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Surgery-Preliminary | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Danielle Mackenzie Somerville, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Obstetrics and Gynecology | UPMC Harrisburg | Harrisburg, PA

Katherine Spanos Sellar, BA, Dartmouth College
Residency: Surgery-Preliminary | UPMC Mercy Hospital | Pittsburgh, PA

Ashley Corrine Spencer, BS, The University of Scranton
Residency: Internal Medicine | University of Rochester/Strong Memorial | Rochester, NY

Jill Stachowski, BS, University of Notre Dame
Residency: Dermatology | University of Rochester/Strong Medical Center | Rochester, NY

Caleb Murray Stahl, BS, State University of New York at Oswego
Residency: Neurology | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Jacob R. Staub, BS, Westminster College
Residency: Surgery-Preliminary | Template University Hospital | Philadelphia, PA

Ashley Sun, BA, Columbia University; MPH, Harvard University
Residency: Plastic Surgery (Integrated) | UMass Chan Medical School | Worcester, MA

Meredith Grace Tate, BS, York College of Pennsylvania
Residency: Emergency Medicine/Family Medicine | Christiana Care | Newark, DE

Bryan Anton Tornabene, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Internal Medicine | Case Western/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center | Cleveland, OH

Peter Joseph Tortora, BS, University of Michigan; MA, Loyola University Chicago
Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery | University of Rochester/Strong Memorial | Rochester, NY

Claudia Mae Velasco, BS, Virginia Tech
Residency: Internal Medicine | Johns Hopkins Hospital | Baltimore, MD

Mark Anthony Volpe II, BS, Allegheny College
Residency: Psychiatry | Walter Reed National Military Medical Center | Bethesda, MD

Morgan Alyssa Voulo, BS, Sacred Heart University
Residency: Orthopaedic Surgery | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

David Edward Waldron, BS, BA, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; MEd, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Family Medicine | Forbes Family Medicine | Monroeville, PA

Olivia Paige Waldron, BS, Muhlenberg College
Residency: Plastic Surgery (Integrated) | University of Michigan Hospital | Ann Arbor, MI

Benjamin Philip Walters, BS, Michigan State University; MEd, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Anesthesiology | Cleveland Clinic | Cleveland, OH

Ashley Weems, BS, Fordham University
Residency: Family Medicine | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

Katherine Marie Wehrung, BS, University of Maryland
Residency: Anesthesiology | University of Maryland Medical Center | Baltimore, MD

Xiao Fan Wei, BS, University of Maryland
Residency: Neurology | Zucker School of Medicine-Northwell North Shore/Long Island Jewish Medical Center | Manhasset, NY

Hannah Eloise Wilding, BS, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Residency: Obstetrics and Gynecology | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, TN

Clara Marie Wruck, BS, The Ohio State University
Residency: Pediatrics | Nationwide Children’s Hospital | Columbus, OH

Kevin Lou Xu, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Anesthesiology | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | Boston, MA

Andrew Kieffer Yeich, BS, Juniata College
Residency: Psychiatry | Yale-New Haven Hospital | New Haven, CT

Yunting Yu, BS, Johns Hopkins University
Residency: Neurology | Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center | Boston, MA

Holden J. Zimmerman, BS, The Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Anesthesiology | Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center | Hershey, PA

*Graduating in Absentia

Karen E. Kim, MD, MS

Dean
Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Rural Health Research and Professor
Penn State College of Medicine
Physician-in-Chief
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Penn State University

Karen Kim, MD, MS, was named dean at the Penn State College of Medicine in 2023. As the Dorothy Foehr Huckand J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Rural Health Research, Kim leads the College of Medicine’s education, research, and clinical missions, the culture of innovation, and will focus on enhancing team-based interdisciplinary collaboration across the College of Medicine, Penn State Health, the University at large and across commonwealth campuses. As Physician in Chief, Kim plays a critical role in shaping the academic health system.

In addition to being dean, Kim is a nationally recognized leader in health disparities research, curricular innovation, and public policy. Her research focuses on the rigorous development and evaluation of multi-level strategies to advance cancer health equity among marginalized and vulnerable populations. As founder and director of the Center for Asian Health Equity community-academic partnership, Kim is a national leader in public policies for the inclusion of Asian Americans and underserved populations in research.

Prior to joining Penn State, Kim served as the Vice Provost for Research and Senior Research Officer at the University of Chicago, the Sara and Harold Lincoln Thompson Chair and Professor of Medicine, and Associate Director of the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center. During her tenure as Vice Provost for Research, Dr. Kim collaborated with divisions, schools, centers and institutes across the University and national laboratories to establish strategic research priorities, significantly increase interdisciplinary research and funding success and to enhance broader impact through inclusive innovation.

With extensive expertise in community-based participatory research (CBPR), dissemination and implementation science, intervention, and minority health research, Kim is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot Initiative, and the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Minority Health and the National Institutes of Health. Kim leads the State of Illinois’ colorectal cancer control program across urban and rural regions and has focused on developing innovative technology-based solutions to address gaps in healthcare services among federally qualified community and rural health centers.

In addition to her research, Kim is deeply committed to civic engagement and has dedicated significant time to advancing health through service to numerous nonprofit organizations and national boards. Kim has been nationally recognized for her advocacy and policy work and received the International Women’s Leadership Award, the Chicago Foundation for Women Impact Award, and the Cancer Prevention Laurel for Increasing Health Equity.

She is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Medical Association, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the American Public Health Association.

She is the College’s first female dean and the only current Korean-American woman to hold such a title nationally.

Kent Vrana, PhD, FAAAS, FASPET

Elliot S. Vesell Professor of Pharmacology and Chair Emeritus
Department of Molecular and Precision Medicine
Penn State College of Medicine

Dr. Kent Vrana is the Elliot S. Vesell Professor of Pharmacology (Chair Emeritus) in the Department of Molecular and Precision Medicine at the Penn State College of Medicine and Director of the PA-approved Medical Marijuana Academic Clinical Research Center at Penn State. He has a BS from the University of Iowa, and a PhD from the LSU Medical Center in New Orleans. He was a post-doctoral fellow in embryology and molecular biology at Johns Hopkins University. Following faculty positions at West Virginia and Wake Forest Universities, Dr. Vrana assumed his leadership position at Penn State in 2004. Dr. Vrana is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids, and associate editor of Pharmacology. He has co-authored more than 225 scientific articles, book chapters, and monographs (including two textbooks) and has had a distinguished career.

Dr. Vrana is an elected Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). He has received the Penn State College of Medicine Career Research Excellence Award and, in 2024, was honored as one of four recipients of the AAMC’s prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award. This recognition highlights his exceptional contributions to medical education and reflects a distinguished career in academic medicine and scientific research.

Bruce A. Scott, MD

President, American Medical Association

Bruce A. Scott, MD, was inaugurated as the 179th president of the American Medical Association (AMA) in June2024. In this role he serves as the primary spokesperson for the AMA. Concurrently he continues as a member of the AMA Board of Trustees, now for his 10th consecutive year.

Dr. Scott has been a leader in medicine throughout his career—prior to being voted president-elect in 2023, he served four years as speaker and four years as vice speaker of the AMA House of Delegates, presiding at the meetings of delegates from every state and specialty as they crafted policies for the medical profession. Before this he was a member of the House of Delegates for over 20 years and was the young physician member on the AMA Board of Trustees.

He previously served on the AMA Foundation’s Board of Directors and as the president of the foundation. Dr. Scott has been president of his county and state medical associations and served on the boards of the Greater Louisville Medical Society and the Kentucky Medical Association (KMA) for over 20 years. As a leader in these associations, he fought for access to care for vulnerable populations, improvement in public health and reduction of administrative burdens in health care. He was awarded the KMA Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his work on behalf of Kentucky’s physicians and patients.

In addition to his work within organized medicine, Dr. Scott is a member of the board of directors for Health2047, the AMA’s Silicon Valley-based innovation subsidiary that identifies and funds tech-enabled commercial health care enterprises. In this capacity he is helping shape the future of medicine from yet another fundamentally important perspective and platform.

Dr. Scott is passionate about practicing medicine. He is the president of his six-physician independent private practice group, medical director of a multispecialty ambulatory surgery center and holds a clinical appointment at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. His commitment to change in medicine is grounded in the barriers to care he strives to overcome in his daily practice.

A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Dr. Scott completed his medical education and residency at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, and a fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Subsequently he returned to his hometown of Louisville, Ky., to practice. He is board-certified in both otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery.

An author of myriad articles for peer-reviewed publications, as well as chapters in otolaryngology textbooks, Dr. Scott also speaks to physician audiences around the country on topics ranging from leadership and advocacy to sinusitis and clinical documentation. Dr. Scott has been happily married for over 30 years and is the proud father of three young adults.

Lynn Dietrich

Retired Professional Engineer (PE)

Lynn Dietrich was elected to the Board of Trustees by delegates from Agricultural Societies effective July 1, 2017.

He graduated from Penn State in 1973 with a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering and is retired as director of engineering for Manitowoc Cranes Inc. and is the former vice president of product development for Grove Manufacturing in Shady Grove, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Dietrich is a member of the Franklin County Farm Bureau, American Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania State Grange, and Cumberland Valley Grange. He has received the College of Agricultural Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award, the University’s highest individual honor.

Penn State

The Pennsylvania State University is a multi-campus, land-grant, public research university that educates students from around the world and supports individuals and communities through integrated programs of teaching, research, and service.

Penn State, founded in 1855 as an agricultural college, admitted its first class in 1859. The Pennsylvania legislature designated Penn State as the Commonwealth's sole land-grant institution in 1863, which eventually broadened the University's mission to include teaching, research, and public service in many academic disciplines. Penn State has awarded more than a half-million degrees and has been Pennsylvania's largest source of baccalaureate degrees at least since the 1930s.

Although the University is privately chartered by the Commonwealth, it was from the outset considered an "instrumentality of the state," that is, it carries out many of the functions of a public institution and promotes the general welfare of the citizenry. The governor and other representatives of the Commonwealth have held seats on Penn State’s Board of Trustees since the University's founding, and the legislature has made regular appropriations in support of the University's mission since 1887. Today, Penn State is one of four “state-related” universities (along with the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, and Lincoln University), institutions that are not state-owned and -operated but that have the character of public universities and receive substantial state appropriations. With its administrative and research hub at the University Park campus, Penn State has twenty-three additional locations across Pennsylvania. While some of these locations, such as the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, have specialized academic roles, they all adhere to a common overall mission and set of core values and strategic goals.

Our instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, professional, continuing, and extension education offered through both resident instruction and distance learning. Our educational programs are enriched by the talent, knowledge, diversity, creativity, and teaching and research acumen of our faculty, students, and staff.

Today Penn State awards more associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees than any other institution in the Commonwealth. Penn State programs show up in the top 10 in many national rankings. Graduates of the University join a family of some 775,000 alumni. The Penn State Alumni Association the largest dues paying organization of its kind—helps Penn Staters stay connected with each other and the University through a powerful network of more than 139 chapters and other affiliated groups across the United States and around the world.

Visit www.psu.edu to learn more.

Board of Trustees of The Pennsylvania State University

MEMBERS EX OFFICIO

Neeli Bendapudi
President, The Pennsylvania State University

Cynthia A. Dunn
Secretary, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Russell C. Redding
Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

Carrie Rowe
Acting Secretary, Department of Education

Joshua Shapiro
Governor, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR
Suzan T. Collins
David M. Davis
Daniel J. Delligatti
Kenneth C. Kane
David M Kleppinger
Daniel A. Onorato

ELECTED BY ALUMNI
Edward “Ted” B. Brown, III
Barry J. Fenchak
Christa A. Hasenkopf
Ali Krieger
Anthony P. Lubrano
Matthew J. McGloin
Carl P. Nassib
Joseph “Jay” V. Paterno Jr.
Brandon D. Short

ELECTED BY DELEGATES FROM AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES
Randall “Randy” E. Black
Donald W. Cairns
Valerie L. Detwiler
Lynn A. Dietrich
M. Abraham Harpster
Chris R. Hoffman

ELECTED BY BOARD REPRESENTING BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
Robert F. Beard
Robert E. Fenza
Naren K. Gursahaney
Karen H. Quintos
Mary Lee Schneider
Richard S. Sokolov

ELECTED BY BOARD REPRESENTING – AT-LARGE
Tracy A. Riegel
Julia Anna Potts
Matthew W. Schuyler

STUDENT TRUSTEE
Kevin B. Schuyler

ACADEMIC TRUSTEE
Nicholas J. Rowland

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT, ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Kelley M. Lynch

GOVERNOR’S NON-VOTING REPRESENTATIVE
Evan A. Myers

Penn State College of Medicine

This year, we celebrate our 55th Commencement ceremony. Penn State College of Medicine opened its doors to its first class of medical and graduate students in 1967.

We were the first medical school in the nation with a dedicated Department of Humanities and Department of Family and Community Medicine. Our founders understood that it wasn’t enough to teach students the science of medicine; they also needed to understand the humanity of medicine.

Our history is intertwined with the legacy of Milton S. Hershey. In 1963, The Milton S. Hershey Foundation offered $50 million to The Pennsylvania State University to establish a medical school in Hershey. With this grant, and $21.3 million from the U.S. Public Health Service, the University built a medical school, research center and teaching hospital – Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The University broke ground in 1966, and Penn State College of Medicine opened its doors to students in 1967. The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center accepted its first patients in 1970.

The original buildings at Hershey Medical Center included the Medical Science Building and University Hospital, Animal Research Farm, Laundry and Steam Plant and University Manor Apartments. Since 1970, the campus has grown from 318 to 552 acres. Many additions have been made to the academic and patient care facilities, reflecting the steady increase in patient demand for services, the need to expand research and training programs and the College’s commitment to be an innovator in improving health.

In 2016, the new University Technology Center opened, offering bold, new opportunities for clinicians and researchers to utilize “big data” to enhance patient care through disease modeling and predictors for disease.

Since the first commencement in 1969, Penn State College of Medicine students have become accomplished physicians and scientists. Including today’s graduates, the College of Medicine has now conferred master’s and doctorate degrees to over 4,500 physicians, nearly 1,400 scientists and other biomedical and public health professionals. To date, more than 4,000 resident physicians have been trained in medical specialties at the Medical Center.

In 2014, the College of Medicine began offering a master’s-level physician assistant program, with the first class of 30 students graduating in 2016.

Our regional medical campus at University Park also continues to grow. Since 2012, as many as 50 third- and fourth-year medical students have come to the regional campus for unique clinical opportunities and to participate in joint degree programs. In 2015, we began a new family and community residency program that brings six new family physicians to this region each year. In the summer of 2017, we began to offer a full medical school curriculum at the regional campus, with the students starting and completing their medical school studies at University Park.

Nursing students from Penn State College of Health and Human Development, as well as students from other colleges throughout central Pennsylvania, come to the Medical Center for their clinical experience. The extended Bachelor of Science degree program for nurses is offered in conjunction with the College of Health and Human Development. Additionally, a joint Doctor of Medicine/Master of Business Administration program is offered through the regional medical campus.

Continuing Education activities serve the College of Medicine, Penn State Health, and other healthcare professionals throughout Pennsylvania and beyond, with annual enrollments exceeding 60,000.

Basic science and clinical research to treat and cure major diseases are conducted at the College of Medicine and the Medical Center. This past fiscal year, this research was supported by a record $160 million in awards from federal, state and private agencies; businesses; and individuals. Nearly 550 clinical trials are underway.

In addition to being an exceptional setting for educational and research programs, the Medical Center offers a variety of high-quality healthcare services to patients throughout central Pennsylvania.

In addition to the main hospital, Penn State Children’s Hospital and Penn State Cancer Institute, Penn State Health includes Penn State Health St. Joseph in Reading. Penn State Holy Spirit and two adult acute care hospitals, Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center and Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center. Penn State Health also includes Penn State Rehabilitation Hospital, Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, outpatient surgery, an endoscopy center, and a growing network of more than 100 outpatient clinics throughout central Pennsylvania. Hershey Medical Center is a leader in providing leading-edge clinical programs in areas including cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, orthopedics, pediatrics, high-risk obstetrics and comprehensive breast care services.

Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health make up one of the nation’s premier university-affiliated academic health systems, recruiting faculty members who are internationally known for their accomplishments in research, education and patient care.

Graduate Student Oath

I have entered the serious pursuit of new knowledge as a member of the community of graduate students at The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. I will strive to uphold the values of integrity, professionalism and scholarship.

INTEGRITY

I will uphold academic and scientific honesty.

I will conduct and apply research objectively, using my knowledge responsibly.

I will not allow financial gain, competition, or personal ambition to cloud my judgment in the conduct of ethical research, and the advancement of public health.

PROFESSIONALISM

I will share knowledge and resources resulting from my research and experiences, within the limits of the law.

I will contribute to the public understanding of the scientific process and the impact of my results and interventions.

I will minimize the adverse effects of my scientific pursuits on society and the natural world.

SCHOLARSHIP

I will build a strong foundation of knowledge.

I will recognize the limits of my knowledge, and will pursue life-long learning.

I will fulfill my responsibility to mentor and instruct the next generation of scientific professionals.

Penn State College of Medicine is one of only a small number of schools with a professional oath for biomedical graduate students in training. In the fall of 2008, the leadership of the Penn State Hershey Graduate Student Association (GSA) decided to craft an oath for graduate students modeled on the idea of the Hippocratic Oath. After examining various professional oaths both within and outside the biomedical sciences, the GSA leadership decided that an oath based on the fundamental principles of integrity, professionalism, and scholarship would best reflect the core ethical responsibilities of biomedical scientists. Over the next several months, the oath was developed, revised, and presented to the Penn State Hershey graduate student body for comments. The final draft was then presented to the Penn State Hershey Academic Team, which endorsed the oath and the commitment to professional ethics that it represents.

The Graduate Student Oath was formally adopted by GSA in spring 2009, and the first Graduate Student Oath Ceremony was held on August 21, 2009, with twenty-three advanced students and more than forty new students participating. Approximately twenty faculty members and more than thirty family and friends witnessed this important event. The oath was revised by the GSA in 2014 to be inclusive of graduate students studying public health.

Physician Assistant Professional Oath

I pledge to perform the following duties with honesty and dedication:

• I will hold as my primary responsibility the health, safety, welfare and dignity of all human beings.

• I will uphold the tenets of patient autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence and justice.

• I will recognize and promote the value of diversity.

• I will treat equally all persons who seek my care.

• I will hold in confidence the information shared in the course of practicing medicine.

• I will assess my personal capabilities and limitations, striving always to improve my medical practice.

• I will actively seek to expand my knowledge and skills, keeping abreast of advances in medicine.

• I will work with other members of the health care team to provide compassionate and effective care of patients.

• I will use my knowledge and experience to contribute to an improved community.

• I will respect my professional relationship with the physician.

• I will share and expand knowledge within the profession.

These duties are pledged with sincerity and upon my honor.

The Oath of Modern Hippocrates, 1987

By all that I hold highest, I promise my patients competence, integrity, candor, personal commitment to their best interest, compassion, and absolute discretion, and confidentiality within the law.

I shall do by my patients as I would be done by; shall obtain consultation whenever I or they desire; shall include them to the extent they wish in all important decisions; and shall minimize suffering whenever a cure cannot be obtained, understanding that a dignified death is an important goal in everyone’s life.

I shall try to establish a friendly relationship with my patients and shall accept each one in a nonjudgmental manner, appreciating the validity and worth of different value systems and according to each person a full measure of human dignity.

I shall charge only for my professional services and shall not profit financially in any other way as a result of the advice and care I render my patients.

I shall provide advice and encouragement for my patients in their efforts to sustain their own health.

I shall work with my profession to improve the quality of medical care and to improve the public health, but I shall not let any lesser public or professional consideration interfere with my primary commitment to provide the best and most appropriate care available to each of my patients.

To the extent that I live by these precepts, I shall be a worthy physician.

About the oath

The Hippocratic Oath is traditionally administered to the young physician upon entering the profession. Although usually attributed to Hippocrates, it is probably an ancient Roman oath.

Hippocrates, the Greek physician called the Father of Medicine, lived from about 460 B.C. to 377 B.C. He placed medicine on a scientific foundation, freeing it from superstition, philosophy, and religious rites; gave sound and shrewd descriptions of many diseases; and raised the ethical standards of medical practice. His physiology, pathology, and therapeutics were based largely on the doctrines of his predecessors.

Bulger, Roger. “A Dialogue with Hippocrates and Griff T. Ross, M.D.”; In Search of the Modern Hippocrates, edited by Roger Bulger, 253. Iowa City: University of Iowa City Press, 1987.

Academic Procession

The Medical Center mace, which symbolizes authority, was presented by the students and staff of the Milton Hershey School to the College of Medicine during the dedication and first commencement ceremonies in June 1971. The mace was handcrafted from a beam of a barn formerly located on the Medical Center campus. Leading the procession is the College of Medicine marshal, followed by assistant marshals, followed by master’s degree candidates, doctor of philosophy degree candidates, physician assistant degree candidates, doctor of medicine degree candidates, faculty and the platform party.

Academic Dress

Gowns worn by those in the procession vary according to the degree held. Although the gown is more frequently black for academic degrees, certain universities have authorized the use of gowns of other colors. The academic gown has pointed sleeves for the bachelor’s degree, short or regular sleeves for the master’s degree, and round, full sleeves for the doctor’s degree. There are no trimmings on the bachelor’s and master’s gowns. The doctor’s gown, however, is faced in front with black velvet and has three bars of the same material across the sleeves. In some cases, the color of this velvet relates to the field in which the degree is granted.

The doctor’s hood is longer than the master’s hood and has distinguishing panels. Hoods are lined with the colors of the school that granted the degree, and the velvet border of the hood indicates the field in which the degree was granted.

Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Cords

In recognition of their academic excellence and membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) National Medical Honor Society, students receive green and gold honor cords to wear at their commencement ceremony.

Gold Humanism Honor Cords

In recognition of their humanistic qualities and membership in the Gold Humanism Honor Society, students receive gold honor cords to wear at their commencement ceremony.

Military Honor Cords

The military honor cords program was implemented to recognize students’ service to their country as well as their academic achievements.

Penn State graduates who have honorably served, are serving, or are commissioned to serve in the U.S. military are awarded an honor cord to wear at their commencement ceremony in recognition of their duty and sacrifice.

Degrees

Today the University is awarding both academic and professional degrees.

The degrees master of science and doctor of philosophy are academic degrees requiring scholarship and competence in research.

The degrees master of professional studies in homeland security, master of public health, master of physician assistant studies, and doctor of medicine are professional degrees requiring scholarship and competence in the application of the results of research to improve our response to natural and human-made disasters, to improve public health, and to deliver high quality health care, respectively.