Celebrating four years of excellence
Medical students in the Class of 2026 recognized with awards at commencement gala May 15
May 18, 2026 — Members of the UF College of Medicine Class of 2026 gathered at the Alachua County Sports & Events Center May 15 to celebrate their achievements over the last four years in a commencement gala, which this year combined the senior awards banquet and pre-commencement reception. As the medical students prepared to cross the stage during commencement this weekend, the gala served as a time to reflect and honor their hard work, as well as to recognize some of their most impactful mentors.
View photos and the list of 2026 honorees below.
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Student Recognition from Program Evaluation & Student Assessment Committee
- Lindsey Brinkley
- Akshay R. Reddy
Golden Apple Award
- Phase 1 – Basic Science: Fundamentals of Microbiology & Immunology
- Phase 2 – Clinical Science: OB-GYN
- Sub I’s: Internal Medicine
Hugh M. "Smiley" Hill, M.D., Outstanding Resident Educator Award
- Gainesville: Anna Hansen, M.D.
- Jacksonville: Junaid Essa, D.O.
Last Lecture Award
- Neal Holland, D.O.
Hippocratic Award
- Faculty: Diane Howell, M.D.
- Student: Ian Griffin
The W. Patrick Duff, M.D., Medical Student Advocate Award
- Muna Canales, M.D., M.S.
Craig Tisher Award
- Michael J. Diaz
Joseph C. Fantone, M.D., Award for Excellence and Innovation in Medical Education
- Danielle L. Snyder
Student Excellence in Medical Education Award
- Danielle L. Snyder
- Shmuel Fogel
- Ethan Freid Kramer
- Daniel Byrd Mestre
- Amanda Acevedo
- Justin Daniels
- Sarah Jane Murphy
Excellence in Public Health Award
- John W. Figg
Career Advisor of the Year Award
- Taylor Gray, D.O.
Eugene Tubbs M.D.-J.D. Memorial Award
- Jamie Warner Kaehli
- Emily Jane Draper
- Mariam Yousry Farag
Haufler Psychiatry Award
- Austin John Eason
- Sheldon W. Joseph
- Jed Thomas Casauay
- Hannah Rains
Judy Duff Memorial Award
- Priyanka Devaguptapu
Thorkild W. Andersen Award
- Cecilia Rose Varga
Office of Student Counseling Service Award
- Gracie Baum
- Maisha Corrielus
- Priyanka Devaguptapu
- Austin John Eason
- Mariam Yousry Farag
- Adia Gomes
- Galyna Khramova
- Hugh Nguyen
- Alexyss Clair Rose Rainford
- Jamie Warner Kaehli
- Maggie Zawoy
J.S. Gravenstein, M.D., Award for Excellence in Anesthesiology
- Austin Kansol
Excellence in Community Health Award
- Nicole Diaz
Excellence in Family Medicine Award
- Rashida (Jewel) Ahmed
Excellence in Primary Care Sports Medicine
- Deja Jahne’ Blunt
The Stanton K. Wesson Student Excellence Award
- Jamie Warner
Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award
- Gainesville: Maggie Zawoy
- Jacksonville: Ricardo M. DeLeon II
A.J. Block Critical Care Medicine Award
- Waverly Dawn Leonard Via
American College of Physicians Award
- Raja Amjad Al-Bahou
Richard Conti, M.D., Excellence in Cardiovascular Medicine Award
- Sajan Shroff
Outstanding Medical Student in Hematology and Oncology
- Maïsha Corrielus
Samuel D. Harris Award for Excellence in Pulmonary Medicine
- Danny Dang
William Osler Award in Internal Medicine
- Cecelia Mayo Miller
Albert L. Rhoton Jr. M.D., Neurosurgical Excellence Award
- Aashay Minesh Patel
American Academy of Neurology Award
- Akansha Davé
Okun Family History of Medicine Distinguished Scholar Award
- Anjlika Chalamgari
Excellence in Ophthalmology Award
- Alyssa Rose Pasvantis
W.F. Enneking, M.D., Award
- Victoria Bindi
George T. Singleton, M.D., Award for Excellence in Otolaryngology
- Colyn White
Dean Mitchell Baker Award
- Priyanka Devaguptapu
Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Luther W. Holloway Award
- Juliana Peña Lopez
Guillermo J. Perez Memorial Scholarship Award
- Aleeza Kessler
Hugh and Cornelia Carithers Award in Child Health and Human Development
- Anna Walls
Michael and Mary Solowy Memorial Award
- Gracie Reign Baum
- Vivienne Samantha Vinton
STOP! Children's Cancer Hematology/Oncology Award
- Tala Sartawi
Excellence in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Award
- Jonah K. Maggard
Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Ethan Martin Jetter
Peter Regan, M.D., Award
- Austin John Eason
Excellence in Radiation Oncology Award
- Amanda Acevedo
Excellence in Radiology Award
- Oluwaferanmi Toluwanimi Dada
Juri V. Kaude, M.D., Ph.D., Medical Student Research Award in Radiology
- Ian Griffin
Dr. Robert R. Donahoe Memorial General Surgery Award
- Phillip Mackie
Edward R. Woodward, M.D., Surgical Award
- Griffin Patrick Stinson
Excellence in Urology Award
- Emily Jane Draper
Teacher of the Year
- Neal Holland, D.O.
- Lauren Schmidt, M.D.
