Residents, fellows, faculty honored at 2017 Commencement ceremony

The Yale Department of Psychiatry honored residents, fellows, and faculty at its annual Residency & Fellowship Commencement Ceremony held June 23 at the Omni New Haven Hotel.

The event marked the graduation of 14 residents and 26 fellows.

The honorees included the following residents: Paola C. Ayora, MD; Ish Prasad Bhalla, MD; Emeric F. Bojarski, MD; Youngsun Theresa Cho, MD, PhD; Kali D. Cyrus, MD, MPH; Matthew M. Griepp, MD; Karsten M. Heil, MD; Rachel Brooke Katz, MD; Naomi Ella Bass Libby, MD; Phelan Elizabeth Maruca-Sullivan, MD; Francesco Carlo Peluso, MD; Hannah Elaine Reed, MD; Rachel L. Wurmser, MD; and Stephanie Cassandra Yarnell, MD, PhD.

Fellows honored were:

Addiction Psychiatry: Javier Ballester Gonzalez, MD; Kathleen Louise Broad, MD; Hector A. Colon-Rivera, MD; Jason I. Dailey, MD; Robert Joseph Feeley, MD; Brian A. Frankel, MD; Maria Gabriela Garcia Vassallo, MD; and Ramzi Mardam Bey, MD, MSc.

Forensic Psychiatry: Paul Abbott Bryant, MD; Tanuja Gandhi, MD; Varma Satya Sesha Sai Penumetcha, MD; Rafik Sidaros, MD; Mohit Singh, MD; and Celeste Erika Valencia, MD.

Geriatric Psychiatry: Marilise Hyacinth, MD, PhD; Kim Graham Johnson, MD; Adam Mecca, MD, PhD; and Sarah A. Nguyen, MD.

Psychosomatic Medicine: Mario Andres Caro Sabogal, MD; Ryan Thomas Peterson, MD; and Walter Piddoubny, MD.

Public Psychiatry: Ashleigh Colin, MBBCh, MA, and Walter Stanley Mathis, MD.

Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment: Benjamin Kelmendi, MD.

Young Adult Psychiatry: Maria Ghanbari Motlagh, MD.

Psychopharmacology/Schizophrenia Research: Mohamed Sherif, MD, MBBCh.

The list of awardees is below.

Faculty Awards

Stephen Fleck Award

Robert Ostroff, MD, and Gerard Sanacora, MD, PhD
Awarded to a faculty member (s) who demonstrates the highest standards of a clinician and educator, following in the footsteps of the late Dr. Stephen Fleck, a long-time member of the Yale faculty who served as a shining example of a clinician-scholar who insisted on giving the highest priority to patient care and teaching.

Chairman’s Award

Cindy Crusto, PhD
The Chairman's Award is given to a junior, full-time faculty member who has excelled in the department's goals of enriching knowledge, transmitting understanding and providing excellence in the delivery of care.

Outstanding Clinical Faculty Award

Katherine "Kiki" Kennedy, MD
The recipient for this award is chosen from the voluntary (clinical) faculty and has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to the department, on a completely voluntary basis. The areas of service include, but are not limited to, teaching, supervision, and committee work.

Resident Awards

Laughlin Foundation Merit Award

Youngsun Cho, MD, PhD
For more than thirty years, the Laughlin Family Foundation has honored outstanding residents in psychiatric training programs across the country. Award recipients are selected by the senior faculty at their universities. This award is presented to an outstanding fourth-year resident who combines clinical and scholarly excellence.

Resident Teaching Award

Ish Bhalla, MD; Emeric Bojarski, MD; and Chadrick Lane, MD
The Resident Teaching Award is given in memory of our former resident and colleague, Dr. James Longhurst. It acknowledges and recognizes the contribution of a Yale Psychiatry Resident as an outstanding teacher and role model. The residents are nominated for this award by students, peers, and faculty.

Ira Levine Award

Emma Lo, MD, and Myra Mathis, MD
The Ira Levine Award was established in 2004 to recognize outstanding PGY-2 psychiatry residents who best embody the qualities of clinical excellence, breadth of learning, and devotion to the care of severe psychiatric illness exemplified by Dr. Levine.

Chief Resident Certificates

Kali Cyrus, MD, MPH, and Phelan Maruca-Sullivan, MD

Awards Presented by the Psychiatry Residents' Association (PRA)

PRA Teaching Award

Zheala Qayyum, MBBS
This award acknowledges the outstanding contribution of one or more attending physicians to the education and development of the residents.

Benjamin S. Bunney Award

Myra Mathis, MD, and Chadrick Lane, MD
The Benjamin S. Bunney Award is awarded annually to a resident who has demonstrated exceptional service to the Psychiatry Residents’ Association (PRA) mission of advocacy for residents and patients, clinical care, and education.

PRA Outstanding Supportive Service Award

Gina Morrow, Emily Muscolino and Jennifer Dolan-Auten
This award goes to an outstanding nurse, social worker, or other support staff.