Fourth-year doctoral candidate Robert “Bobby” Dawson, M.S., came to UF to pursue research in medical physics alongside some of the biggest names in the field. He recognized the unique ability to collaborate with mentors across campus as a student in the Medical Physics Graduate Program, the oldest medical physics program in the United States.

“I feel like you gain a lot from working with people who do completely different things, and it accelerates how much you learn,” Dawson said.

During his time at UF, Dawson served as the president of the Society of Health and Medical Physics. In addition, he was a teaching assistant for multiple classes, where he helped develop course materials.

Under his adviser, Wesley E. Bolch, Ph.D., a distinguished professor at the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, Dawson studies computational dosimetry and creates 3D virtual models of substructures of the body. In addition, as part of a fellowship with the National Institutes of Health, he develops full-scale models based on CT scans to quantify the risk of inducing other types of cancer while undergoing radiation treatment.

Dawson is currently living in Boston for his NIH fellowship and finishing his dissertation. After graduating this year, he will continue as a postdoctoral fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital. In the future, he plans to pursue medical school.

“For me, receiving this honor represents validation of my research in general, even my adviser’s research,” he said. “To have it recognized by the broader community shows that what we care about is important. It’s recognition of our program, too.”

Fourth-year medical student Austin Eason didn’t have a second thought about accepting the offer to attend the UF College of Medicine after seeing how his values aligned with the college’s during his interview.

“From beginning to end, the UF community has been really supportive of me, from admitting me and welcoming me with open arms, to now providing me with an honor and recognition,” Eason said.

A first-generation college student, he started medical school interested in pediatrics but fell in love with psychiatry during his inpatient rotation at the UF Health Psychiatric Hospital. His interest developed during a consult rotation through UF Health Shands Hospital, where he was able to interact with medically complex patients and see how physical symptoms impact emotional stressors.

Now, Eason, co-chair of the college’s psychiatry committee and president of UF’s student chapter of the American Medical Association, is preparing to graduate in May and begin his psychiatry residency in July at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. In the future, Eason hopes to pursue a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry.

In the long-term, he plans to continue conducting research. He’s also passionate about mentoring other first-generation students, sharing his experience as an executive member of the college’s first-generation and low-income student organization.

Eason hopes his recognition in the UF Hall of Fame will help the field of psychiatry gain more exposure.

“It’s a recognition of the years of effort that have been put in,” Eason said. “I feel like it’s also recognition of my mentors’ trust and effort in me, and how they’ve paved this path for me to succeed in terms of my research endeavors, clinical efforts and educational experiences.”