April 5, 2024

By August Ryan

The annual Golden Apple Awards recognize outstanding service, teaching and mentoring by Drexel University College of Medicine faculty and professional staff. The honorees are nominated by each class of medical students who vote to determine the award winners.

Non-faculty awards are given to acknowledge professional staff who have provided outstanding service to the student body and the College. The awards for professional staff are voted on by the entire student body. The Special Recognition Awards are voted on by the Student Government Association.

The 2024 Golden Apple Award recipients are:

Class of 2027

Foundations of Basic Science – Year 1

• Patrick W. Frank, DC, Neurobiology & Anatomy (West Reading)
• Kirsten Larson, PhD, Microbiology & Immunology (Philadelphia)
• Jed Shumsky, PhD, Neurobiology & Anatomy (Philadelphia)
• Kathryn Veazey, MS, PhD, Neurobiology & Anatomy (West Reading)

Frontiers – Year 1

• Edward Gracely, PhD, Family, Community & Preventive Medicine (Philadelphia)
• Meera Harhay, MD, MPH, MSCE, Nephrology & Hypertension (West Reading)

Student Government Association Award

• Andrea Bensusan, Academic Coordinator (West Reading)

Student Body Award

• Bisan Salhi, MD, PhD, Emergency Medicine (West Reading)
• Sara S. Solomon, MS, Neurobiology & Anatomy (Philadelphia)

Class of 2026

Foundations of Basic Science – Year 1

• Caitlin Howe, PhD, Neurobiology & Anatomy (Philadelphia)
• Dana Peterson, PhD, Neurobiology & Anatomy (West Reading)
• Todd Strochlic, PhD, VMD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (Philadelphia)

Foundations of Patient Care – Year 1

• Daniel V. Schidlow, MD, Pediatrics, Pharmacology & Physiology, and Medicine (West Reading)
• Emily Spengler, MD, Pediatrics (Philadelphia)

Case-based Learning – Year 1

• Mark Greco, MD, Medicine (Philadelphia)
• Vivek Joshi, MD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (West Reading)

Health Advocacy Practicum – Year 1

• Elissa Goldberg, MSS, LSW, Program Director (Philadelphia)
• Renee Kottenhahn, MD, Pediatrics (West Reading)

Foundations of Basic Science – Year 2

• Hwyda Arafat, MD, PhD, MSc, MEdL, Medicine (West Reading)
• Cheryl Hanau, MD, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine (Philadelphia)

Case-based Learning – Year 2

• Kelly Brenan, MD, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine (Philadelphia)
• Linda Console-Bram, MS, PhD, Pharmacology & Physiology (West Reading)

Health Advocacy Practicum – Year 2

• Steven Rosenzweig, MD, Emergency Medicine (Philadelphia)
• Eugene York, MD, Medicine (West Reading)

Frontiers – Year 2

• Esther Chernak, MD, MPH, FACP, Medicine (Philadelphia)

Class of 2025

Resident Physician

• Iman Khan, MD, Internal Medicine, Tower Health – Reading Hospital
• Reshma Samkutty, MD, Internal Medicine, Tower Health – Reading Hospital
• Aaisha Shah, MD, Internal Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital

Attending Physician

• S. Ausim Azizi, MD, PhD, Neurology, Crozer-Chester Medical Center
• Lorraine Cummings, MD, OB/GYN, WellSpan York Hospital
• Nathalie S. May, MD, Drexel Internal Medicine
• Ghazi Mirrani, MD, Cardiology, Tower Health – Reading Hospital
• Nathaniel Robertson, MD, Internal Medicine, Tower Health – Reading Hospital
• Jayaram Thimmapuram, MD, Academic Hospitalist, WellSpan York Hospital
• Jin Yoo, MD, Hospital Medicine, San Leandro Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente

Class of 2024

Resident Physician

• Jagdish Balaji, MD, Internal Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital
• Destinee Hua, MD, Internal Medicine, Cape Fear Valley Hospital System
• Robert Libera, DO, Internal Medicine, Tower Health – Reading Hospital
• Brigid Prayson, MD, Internal Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital

Attending Physician

• Richard Hamilton, MD, Emergency Medicine, Crozer-Chester Medical Center
• Daphne Hasbani, MD, PhD, Neurology, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
• Christos Kessaris, MD, Anesthesiology, Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital
• Rachel Odeyemi, DO, Academic Hospitalist, Crozer-Chester Medical Center
• J. Ander Pindzola, MD, Pathology, WellSpan York Hospital
• Ryan D. Schreiter, DO, Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, Temple University Hospital
• Rajesh P. Thirumaran, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Mercy Catholic Medical Centers