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Faculty, residents, and staff honored at 2014 psychiatry commencement

July 09, 2014

At its annual Residency & Fellowship Commencement Ceremony, Yale Department of Psychiatry announced recipients of national and departmental awards.

The event, held on June 6th at Davenport Residential College, marked the graduation of 18 residents and 29 fellows.

Download the 2014 Resident Commencement Booklet: This booklet includes a list of graduating residents, the biographies and reflections that were read during the ceremony, as well as each residents' future plans.

The list of awardees is below. When possible, excerpts from the remarks of award presenters have been included.

Faculty Awards

Stephen Fleck Award

Madelon Baranoski, PhD, MSN
Award to a faculty member 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.


"Dr. Baranoski is a teacher par excellence who has been an active member of the Law and Psychiatry Division and teacher in the Forensic Psychiatry Training Program. She is a widely recognized expert in her field. Her teaching is enhanced by her unique ability to bring her material alive by numerous real life clinical examples. She is a sought after expert in many criminal cases."

Chairman’s Award

Hochang (Ben) Lee, MD
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.


"Dr. Lee has had an enormous impact on the interface of psychiatry and other medical specialties in our department. He has energized the academic and clinical mission of the Psychological Medicine Service and expanded the range of collaborations between psychiatrists and other medical colleagues."

Outstanding Clinical Faculty Award

Susan Lewis, 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.


"Dr. Lewis has helped a generation of newly minted physicians make the difficult transition from the womb of medical school to the real clinical world of caring for very complex psychiatric patients. This caring clinician is an exemplary role model of a highly sophisticated and deeply caring physician."

Resident Awards

Laughlin Foundation Merit Award

Tobias Wasser, MD
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

Sarah Fineberg, MD, PhD and Arjune Rama, MD
The Resident Teaching Award acknowledges and recognizes the contribution of Yale psychiatry residents as an outstanding teacher and role model. Residents are nominated for this award by students, peers, and faculty.

Ira Levine Award

Ryan Blum, MD and Katherine Klingensmith, 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.

Howard Zonana Award

Tobias Wasser, MD
This award is presented to the graduating resident who has demonstrated developing expertise in the application of psychiatry to forensic cases or policy during the Yale residency.

Chief Resident Certificates

Sarah Hodulik, MD and Tobias Wasser, MD

Staff Award

Chairman's Service Award

Shane Seger, Communications Officer, Yale Department of Psychiatry
"For redefining what it means to be a member of our community by transforming the way that we communicate with each other."

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

Ayana Jordan, MD, PhD
The Benjamin S. Bunney Award is awarded annually to a resident who has demonstrated exceptional service to the PRA mission of advocacy for residents and patients, clinical care, and education.

PRA Supportive Services Award

Daniel Kazienko, Pharmacist, Connecticut Mental Health Center
This award goes to an outstanding nurse, social worker, or other support staff.