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College of Medicine Winners Announced at 2026 Graduate Student Excellence Awards

May 19, 2026

The 2026 Graduate Student Excellence Awards were announced at a ceremony on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Congratulations to the College of Medicine award recipients and nominees!

2026 Awards Recipients & Nominees

Outstanding Mentorship Awards: Sponsored by Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs in the Pennoni Honors College

  • Office of Graduate Studies Award Winner
    • Nusaiba Ahmed
      PhD Program in Biochemistry of Health and Disease
      Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies
  • Nominees
    • Yash Agarwal
      PhD Program in Pharmacology and Physiology
    • Jagger Godarzi
      MD Program
    • Jaclyn Lo
      MD Program
    • Danny Mahmoudi
      MD Program
    • Anthony Moreno Sanchez
      PhD Program in Neuroscience

Drexel Common Good Awards in Scholarship, Civic Engagement & Community Building: Sponsored in part by the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement

  • Nominee
    • Taylor Flynn
      PhD Program in Neuroscience

Research Excellence Awards for Post-Candidacy, Pre-Candidacy, Terminal Master’s, Most Original & Creative Work (All degree levels)

  • Nominees – Post-Candidacy
    • Emily Bitsko 
      PhD Program in Microbiology and Immunology
    • Ijeoma Okpue
      PhD Program in Microbiology and Immunology

Outstanding Dissertation Awards 

Drexel Common Good Awards in Scholarship, Civic Engagement & Community Building: Sponsored in part by the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement

  • Office of Graduate Studies Award Winner
    • Emily Bitsko 
      PhD Program in Microbiology and Immunology 
  • College/School Finalist
    • Ijeoma Okpue
      PhD Program in Microbiology and Immunology

Teck-Kah Lim Graduate Student Excellence Award

  • Nominee
    • Yash Agarwal 
      PhD Program in Pharmacology and Physiology

Teaching Assistant Excellence Awards

  • Office of Graduate Studies Award Winner
    • Mary Marino
      PhD Program in Microbiology and Immunology
  • Nominees
    • Jagger Godarzi
      MD Program
    • Danny Mahmoudi
      MD Program
    • Ugo Okolie
      MS Program in Biomedical Studies
    • Jackson Stromberg
      MD Program