UF Medicine faculty, staff honored with 2026 Superior Accomplishment Awards
Twenty UF Medicine faculty and staff and faculty members recognized for excellence in their fields
2026 UF College of Medicine UF Superior Accomplishment Award winners for Division 5.
Photo by Nate Guidry
April 16, 2026 — This year, 20 University of Florida College of Medicine faculty and staff from the Gainesville and Jacksonville campuses earned Superior Accomplishment Awards.
The UF Superior Accomplishment Awards program recognizes faculty and staff members who go above and beyond to advance the mission of the university and have created an impact on the quality of life provided to students and employees. This program is designed to recognize outstanding faculty and staff for their dedication to their jobs and their service to the community at large.
Division 5 winners
Individual Employee Performance Award
- Kari Bastow, Department of Radiation Oncology
- Hallie Cason, Department of Surgery
- Danielle Ivanov, Communications, Office of the Dean
- Trecia Jasper, Department of Neuroscience
- Amber Jones, Office of the Dean, College of Medicine – Jacksonville
- Mandi Shaffer, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Shelby Smith, Office of Graduate Education
- Emily Stokes, Office of the Dean, College of Medicine – Jacksonville
- Rebecca Wakeman, Department of Anesthesiology
- Ricky Whitney, Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics
- Benice Ylagan, Department of Emergency Medicine
Rookie of the Year Award
- Shreyas Kalikar, M.S., Quality and Patient Safety Initiative
Sustained Excellence Award
- Matthew Garber, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine – Jacksonville
- Phi Nguyen, Department of Physiology and Aging
- Agnes Niedbalska, Office of Development and Alumni Affairs
- Brenda Tieden, Department of Radiology
Team Collaboration Award
Bystander Overdose Action Team
- Joel Rowe, M.D., Department of Emergency Medicine
- Heather Dempsey, PA-C, UF Student Health Care Center
- Robert Baez, Department of Epidemiology
- Jennifer Royer, Gatorwell Health Promotion Services
- Sarah Vas, M.D., Department of Psychiatry
