Main ContentAwards and Recognition
The UMMC GWIMS chapter will present four awards this year to outstanding UMMC faculty members. These four awards will be designated for early, middle, and late career faculty members.
Nominations for the 2023 Awards are being accepted until Friday, June 16, 2023. Submit awards nominations using this online form. Award winners will be announced at the end of June.
2022 honorees
Award | Honoree |
LouAnn Woodward, MD Late-Career Faculty Award | Babette LaMarca, PhD Chair Dept. Pharmacology & Toxicology School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences |
Mid-Career Faculty Award | Kedra Wallace, PhD Associate Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs School of Population Health |
Early-Career Faculty Award | Ana Palei, PharmD, PhD Assistant Professor Dept. Surgery-Trauma/Critical Care School of Medicine |
Trainee Award | Lohitha Kalluri School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences |
2021 honorees
Click here to view the video announcement of the 2021 GWIMS Awards awardees.
Award | Honoree |
LouAnn Woodward, MD Authentic Leadership Award | Nita Maihle, PhD Assoc. Director of Basic Science Research Cancer Center & Research Institute Professor Dept. Cell and Molecular Biology School of Medicine |
Helen Barnes, MD Diversity and Inclusion Award | Michelle Owens, MD Medical Director Maternal-Fetal Medicine Professor Dept. Obstectrics and Gynecology School of Medicine |
Innovation Award | Mohadetheh Moulana, PhD Director Curriculum Development Assistant Professor Dept. Pshychiatry and Human Behavior School of Medicine |
Resilient Spirit Award | Bhagyashri Navalkele, MD Medical Director Division of Infectious Diseases Dept. Medicine Assistant Professor School of Medicine |
Emerging Star Award (Student/Residents/Fellows) | Megha Satpathy Graduate Research Assistant PhD Candidate Dept. Biomedical Materials Science School of Dentistry |
Rising Star Award (Early-Career Faculty) | Caroline Compretta, PhD Co-Director Community Engaged Research Core Assistant Professor Dept. Preventive Medicine School of Population Health |
Shining Star Award (Mid-Career Faculty) | Crystal Lim, PhD Director Psychology Internship Program Associate Professor Dept. Psychiatry and Human Behavior School of Medicine |
Trailblazer Award (Male Faculty) | Vikas Majithia, MD Chief Division of Rheumatology Dept. Medicine Professor School of Medicine |
Trainee Recognition Award | Mary Nittala, PhD Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dept. Radiation Oncology School of Medicine |
2020 honorees

2019 honorees
LouAnn Woodward, MD Authentic Leadership Award - Loretta Jackson-Williams, MD
Helen B. Barnes, MD Diversity and Inclusion Award - Felicia Tardy, MD
Innovation Award - Barbara Alexander, PhD
Resilient Spirit Award - Julie Schumacher, PhD
Emerging Star Award - Erin Taylor, PhD
Rising Star Award - Felicitas Koler, MD
Shining Star Award - Jennifer Sasser, PhD
Trailblazer Award - Alan Jones, MD

Back row (L-R): Jennifer Sasser, Felicia Tardy, Alan Jones, Loretta Jackson-Williams
Front row (L-R): Barbara Alexander, Erin Taylor, Julie Schumacher
2018 honorees
LouAnn Woodward, MD Authentic Leadership Award - Jane Reckelhoff, PhD
Helen B. Barnes, MD Diversity and Inclusion Award - Juanyce Taylor, PhD
Innovation Award - Alexandra Castillo, PhD
Resilient Spirit Award - Penni Lowery, NP
Emerging Star Award - Ashley Albert, MD
Rising Star Award - Anju Sukumaran, MD
Shining Star Award - Mobolaji Famuyide, MD
Trailblazer Award - Abhay Bhatt, MD

(L-R): Ashley Albert, Anju Sukumaran, Abhay Bhatt, Juanyce Taylor
2017 honorees
LouAnn Woodward, MD Authentic Leadership Award - LouAnn Woodward, MD
Helen B. Barnes, MD Diversity and Inclusion Award - Helen B. Barnes, MD
Innovation Award - Merry Lindsey, PhD
Resilient Spirit Award - Bettina Beech, MD
Emerging Star Award - Kristine DeLeon-Pennell, PhD
Rising Star Award - Sarah Sterling, PhD
Shining Star Award - Pia Chatterjee Kirk, DM
Trailblazer Award - Robert Prodell, MD