Graduating Medical Students Honored at Annual Warwick Evans Ceremony
Posted in News Stories | Tagged Commencement 2025, student achievement
(May 18, 2025) — School of Medicine faculty honored outstanding graduating medical students for excellence in various specialties, as well as research, outstanding patient care, academic achievement, leadership, advocacy and social justice, and community service during the Warwick Evans Awards Ceremony.
The annual event, named for the first Georgetown medical school graduate, was held May 16 in the storied Gaston Hall.
Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., MD, MHS, the School of Medicine’s executive dean, welcomed family and friends of the class of 2025, and reflected on the meaning behind the awards.
“One of the important attributes we look for in medical students is: Did you make the medical school better as you passed through? … How did you represent excellence in cura personalis while you were here? Did you have an impact throughout your journey including helping others? That is your legacy,” said Beauchamp, who is also executive vice president for health sciences at the medical center.
Student Reflections
The Class of 2025 chose Babatamilore “Tami” Alade (M’25) to deliver the student address at the ceremony. Alade was recognized earlier in the evening with two awards: the Raymond T. Holden Award for excellence in the field of obstetrics and gynecology and the Charles E. Becker, MD, Excellence Award for excellence in academic achievement, community service and research and for outstanding service to their class.
Reflecting on the moments when imposter syndrome can plant doubt and uproot confidence, Alade said, “Who are we not to be the leaders, movers and shakers of this next generation, the physician advocates and master clinicians who touch thousands of lives, improve the health care system, and leave this world just a little better than we found it. We are indeed more capable than we believe, and we do a disservice to ourselves and our future patients and colleagues when we construct our own glass ceilings.”
Alade shared three lessons to help guide her graduating classmates into their next phase of learning.
Lesson one: Always be present.
“To be a health care worker is to be engaged in some of the most intimate acts of the human experience,” she said. “We are partners of patients and families during some of their most critical moments in life, and although we don’t always have the answers or presence, our willingness to listen and just be there for a patient can often be more than any lab test or scan.”
Lesson two: Always be kind.
“Kindness acts as the root of our share of humanity,” Alade said. “Showing kindness costs very little, but can make our patients feel valued and cared for in a way that is priceless.”
Lesson three: Lift as you climb.
“In passing the torch forward, I encourage us all to take this same mindset to ensure all future leader learners have the opportunity to be invested in the same way as we were,” she said. “We are a culmination of those who came before, and we are responsible for uplifting those who follow.”
Alade concluded, “These three lessons, be present, kind, and lift as we climb, while simple, are the foundation blocks that I hope will lay the groundwork in pursuit of excellence.”
2025 Warwick Evans Awards Recipients
The most prestigious award, the Kober Award, was presented to Tianzhi (David) Tang (M’25). It recognizes academic excellence and is bestowed upon the medical student with the highest overall academic record and performance. The award was established by George M. Kober, MD, dean of the School of Medicine from 1901 to 1928.
Anesthesiology
The Bridget Fawcett MacNamara Award
Danielle Martin
The Milton Corn, MD Award
Ryeesa Amin
The Russell T. Wall Award for Excellence in Anesthesia
Dillon Williams
Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology
The Jack Chirikjian Award
Tianzhi (David) Tang
The Faustino R. Suarez, MD Award
Marc Farah
Bioethics
The Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics Award
Alexander Missner
Emergency Medicine
The Michael A. Rolnick, MD Award
Patrick Grasso
The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award
Ashlee Hawkins
Family Medicine
The Robert R. Huntley, MD Award
Emily Seiler
The Family Medicine Leadership and Advancing Student Interest Award
Sarah Laird
Internal Medicine
The Thomas F. Keliher Award
Lauren Clore (Missner)
Medicine
The William P. Argy, MD Teaching Award
Tyler Gentile
Microbiology & Immunology
The Mario Mollari Award
Micro: Tianzhi Tang
Immuno: Brendan Burke
Neurology
The Edward B. Healton, MD Clinical Scholar Award
Haidy Beshay
Neuroscience
Barbara Bregman Neuroscience Department Award
Marc Farah
Neurosurgery
The Stacy L. Rollins, Jr., MD Award
Georgia Wong
Obstetrics and Gynecology
The Raymond T. Holden Award
Babatamilore (Tami) Alade
Oncology
The Hematology/Oncology Award
Liddy Kasraian
The Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Award
Tianzhi (David) Tang
Ophthalmology
The Ophthalmology Achievement Award
Kelsey Donovan
Orthopaedic Surgery
The John N. Delahay, MD Award
Jordan Maurer
Otolaryngology
The Jennifer Woo, MD Memorial Award
Nadia Samaha
Pathology
The Donald M. Kerwin, MD Award
Kabir Al-Tariq
Pediatrics
The Phillip L. Calcagno, MD Award
Nirmal Maitra
Pharmacology & Physiology
The Frank G. Standaert Award
Grace Bloomfield
Physiology & Biophysics
The Lawrence S. Lilienfield, MD, PhD Award for Excellence in Physiology
Zahra Iqbal
Physiology – SMP
SMP Excellence in Academics Award
Claire Bartel, Gabriel Jabbour
Plastic Surgery
Christopher Attinger Award for Excellence in Plastic Surgery
Karen Li
Psychiatry
The Francis L. Clark, Jr. Award
Alexander Missner, Yunna Gu
Research
Steven R. Mitchell Scholars/MedStar Health Research Institute Scholars Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarly Activity
Kazi Kalam, Julian Marable
Surgery
The James A. Cahill, MD Award
Hugh Newcomb
Urology
The William C. Maxted, MD Award
Samuel Moffet
Office of International Programs
International Programs Award
Felipe Quinones
Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
The Heinz Bauer, MD, PhD Award
Georgia Wong
School of Medicine Dean’s Office
The Learning Societies Award
Kelsey Donovan
The Michael J. Caruso, MD Memorial Award
Kazi Kalam
The Medical Education Development & Culture Award
Soobin Wang
The Edward Bunn, SJ Award
Claire Bartel
The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award
Anna Stephan
The Health Justice Scholar Award
Anna Stephan, Roland Zama
The Health Justice Alliance Award
Hazel Lindahl
The Stephen Ray and Ellen Mitchell Leadership Award
Hugh Newcomb
The Georgetown Clinical Society Award
Ryeesa Amin, Alan Balu, Sandeep Kowkuntla
The Student Mentorship Award
Ariana Turk
The Jesuit Leadership and Service Award
Brendan Burke, Marcus Cunningham, John Railey
The Charles E. Becker, MD Excellence Award
Tami Alade
The Sarah E. Stewart Award
Yasmina Sirgi, Raksha Pothapragada
The Donald M. Knowlan, MD Award
Hugh Newcomb
Kober Medal
Tianzhi (David) Tang
AHEC Primary Care Awards
Lauren Clore Missner
Peter Manfredonia
Emily Seiler
Anna Stephan
Center for Health Equity Award
Yingqi (Rachel) Chen
Marguerite Furlong
Georgia Wong
RJCC Racial Justice Advocacy Awards
Alice Bell
Haidy Beshay
Inochi Gonzalez Calvo
Ryan Greguske
Bailey Liter
Alexandra Morris
Emily Seiler
Yasmina Sirgi
Nicole Utah
Georgia Wong
Roland Zama
Mason Zhu