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.
2023 honorees
Award | Honoree |
LouAnn Woodward, MD Late-Career Faculty Award | Sara Gleason, MD Professor and Interim Chair Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior School of Medicine |
Mid-Career Faculty Award | Denise Cornelius, PhD Associate Professor Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences |
Early-Career Faculty Award | Lorena Amaral, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences |
Trainee Award | Elizabeth Gordineer, Graduate Student Neuroscience PhD Program School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences |
2022 honorees
Award | Honoree |
LouAnn Woodward, MD Late-Career Faculty Award | Babette LaMarca, PhD Chair Department of 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 Department of 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 Department of Cell & Molecular Biology School of Medicine |
Helen Barnes, MD Diversity and Inclusion Award | Michelle Owens, MD Medical Director Maternal-Fetal Medicine Professor Department of Obstectrics & Gynecology School of Medicine |
Innovation Award | Mohadetheh Moulana, PhD Director Curriculum Development Assistant Professor Department of Pshychiatry & Human Behavior School of Medicine |
Resilient Spirit Award | Bhagyashri Navalkele, MD Medical Director Division of Infectious Diseases Department of Medicine Assistant Professor School of Medicine |
Emerging Star Award (Student/Residents/Fellows) | Megha Satpathy Graduate Research Assistant PhD Candidate Department of Biomedical Materials Science School of Dentistry |
Rising Star Award (Early-Career Faculty) | Caroline Compretta, PhD Co-Director Community Engaged Research Core Assistant Professor Department of Preventive Medicine School of Population Health |
Shining Star Award (Mid-Career Faculty) | Crystal Lim, PhD Director Psychology Internship Program Associate Professor Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior School of Medicine |
Trailblazer Award (Male Faculty) | Vikas Majithia, MD Chief Division of Rheumatology Department of Medicine Professor School of Medicine |
Trainee Recognition Award | Mary Nittala, PhD Postdoctoral Research Fellow Department of 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