Ceremony video will be available soon.
Program
TUESDAY, MAY 25TH 2021 • ELEVEN O’CLOCK
Commencement Opening
Nadege Dady, Ed.D.
Dean of Student Affairs
Grand Marshal
Harold Sirota, DO, FACOFP
Chair of the Department of Primary Care
Chairman Student Promotion Committee
Pledge of Allegiance
Mariluz P. Mojica Henshaw, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Biochemistry
National Anthem
Chantell Melgarejo, OMS IV
Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine – Middletown Campus
Invocation
Rabbi Moshe D. Krupka
Executive Vice President
Touro College & University System
Introduction
Kenneth Steier, DO, MBA, MPH, MGH, MHA
Executive Dean and Chief Academic Officer
Touro College Greeting
Patricia Salkin, JD
Senior VP & Provost, Touro College & University System
Touro College Greeting
Alan Kadish, MD
President, Touro College & University System
Greetings
Kenneth Steier, DO, MBA, MPH, MGH, MHA
Executive Dean and Chief Academic Officer
Keynote Speaker
Frantz Duffoo, MD, FACP
Designated Institutional Official, Garnet Health
Student Address
Shannon Sunny, OMS IV
Class of 2021
Special Message
David A. Forstein, DO, FACOOG, Dist.
Provost, Rocky Vista University
Presentation of Awards
Administration
Presentation of the Candidates for the Degree Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
Kenneth Steier, DO, MBA, MPH, MGH, MHA
Executive Dean and Chief Academic Officer
Tassel Ceremony
Kenneth Steier, DO, MBA, MPH, MGH, MHA
Executive Dean and Chief Academic Officer
Conferral of Degrees
Alan Kadish, MD
President, Touro College and University
Osteopathic Oath
Barbara Capozzi, DO
Dean of Clinical Education
Closing Remarks
Kenneth Steier, DO, MBA, MPH, MGH, MHA
Executive Dean and Chief Academic Officer
Recessional
Nadege Dady, Ed.D.
Dean of Student Affairs
TouroCOM Leadership
Dear Graduates,
Congratulations to the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating class of 2021!
Today, we honor and celebrate the culmination of your hard work and your commitment to fulfilling your dreams. I am proud of you for making it this far, and I am confident that you will continue to transform your aspirations into realities.
Commencement is not only a day for celebration; it is also a day for reflection. Many of you made great sacrifices in order to reach this landmark, and all of you have overcome challenging obstacles to be here. Whatever path you follow from here, I am certain that Touro has provided you with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve your goals. In the pursuit of our mission to educate and model the values of compassion, service and social justice, I am confident that we have instilled in you a commitment to help humankind. You are ambassadors of our institution and our mission. Your service to your communities attests to the value of your education. Now is the time to apply all you have learned at Touro and live with passion and purpose.
As alumni, you are members of the Touro family. I invite you to join us in alumni activities, stay connected, and share the stories of your success with us so that we may continue to take pride in your achievements. You will always remain a part of Touro’slegacy and future.
Best wishes,
Alan Kadish, MD
President
Touro College & University System
Patricia Salkin was appointed Provost of the Graduate and Professional Divisions of Touro College in August 2016 after having served as dean of the Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center (2012-2016) and interim Provost of the Graduate and Professional Divisions (2015-2016).
Provost Salkin previously served as associate dean, director of the Government Law Center and she held the Raymond and Ella Smith Distinguished Professorship at the Albany Law School. Salkin is a nationally recognized scholar on land use and sustainable development law and policy, having authored more than one hundred books, chapters, articles and columns on related topics. She is a leading scholar on the subject of the intergration of health impact assessment and local land use decision-making.
Provost Salkin has held many leadership positions in the American Bar Association, the American Planning Association and the New York State Bar Association, and she has served as a consultant to the National Governors Association, National Academy for Public Administration and the American Institute of certified Planners of the New York State Office of Professional Medical Conduct.
Patricia E. Salkin, JD
Senior Vice President and Provost
Touro College & University System
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the TouroCOM Class of 2021 for this great achievement.
Having graduated from medical school, I know how hard you have worked to make this day a reality. Two years of basic and clinical sciences and then two years of hospital rotations. The many hours in the Anatomy Lab, the OMM Lab and the Simulation Lab. Not to mention all the quizzes, course exams and high-stakes board exams. You learned how to interview patients, how to examine them, and how to demonstrate your professionalism and empathy. This was not an easy journey, and you should be very proud of your success.
It has been my pleasure to work with all you for these last four years. Whether it was lecturing in the classroom, providing advice one on one, or playing basketball at the YMCA, we have made a lifelong connection. You have matched to excellent residencies all over the country, and your potential to do good is limitless.
In addition, your last year of medical school was complicated by the COVID-19 global pandemic. You responded most admirably, and many of you volunteered to help fight this disease and save lives. Thank you for that.
With great pride, I look forward to following your career as you proceed through residency and into medical practice. Please keep in touch and keep Touro updated on your progress. Although you worked very hard and made many sacrifices, I hope that you have fond memories of your time as a medical student at TouroCOM. You will always be in my thoughts and prayers.
Congratulations!
Kenneth Steier, DO, MBA, MPH, MGH, MHA
Executive Dean and Chief Academic Officer
Class of 2021,
It has been a pleasure and an honor to work with you, from the first interview and campus visit, to this final step in your training with us.
I have grown with deeper understanding of accomplishment and a greater appreciation for hard work as we met throughout the year to teach and learn and as we watched you achieve your successes on the way to reaching your goals. Thank you.
We should all turn our appreciation to the Administrators and Administrative Assistants within the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine who regularly support our efforts and who encourage this unique opportunity for students to develop their interests in the Biomedical Sciences. Some of these marvelous leaders are here today and join me in thanking them.
I believe that our teachers are the heart of this program and they have demonstrated their dedication with each hour of lecture and discussion. We owe any success of this program directly to all of them.
To the Parents and Families, I wish for you all of the satisfaction which accompanies the attainment of high goals by one of your own. I feel that you will continue to gain in satisfaction as your student continues to reach for higher and higher outcomes.
My best wishes to you,
Arthur Prancan, PhD
Director, Masters Program
Preclinical Dean
Dear Class of 2021,
It gives me great pleasure to celebrate this milestone with you. I have watched you commit to your dreams and work very hard towards accomplishing this goal.
Know that the late nights and dedicated hours to studying and planning were not in vain. Rather than consider this the end of the program, I challenge you to consider this the start of a new season for your continued development and obtainment of your dreams. The hard work you put into enhancing your knowledge will open the doorway to additional opportunities with either the College of Osteopathic Medicine or other graduate and professional programs.
As I discuss your accomplishments a special note and recognition is extended to the loved ones in your lives who sacrifice what is necessary to support you in the achievement of your cherished goals.
You truly deserve this celebration. Congratulations!
Sincerely,
Nadege Dady, Ed.D
Dean of Student Affairs
Candidates For Degree
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Degree Candidates
The asterisk next to the degree candidates name indicates the graduates completed their degree requirements with an academic standing in the top 10% of the Class of 2021.
An asterisk (*) indicates Cum Laude, a double asterisk (**) indicates Magna Cum Laude, and a (***) indicates Summa Cum Laude.
A degree candidate listed in bold indicates participation in Sigma Sigma Phi, the National Honorary Osteopathic Service Fraternity.
The student listing in this program is not an official roster of graduates. It is a listing of candidates for degrees.
Fatima Aguilar*
Mehreen Ahmed
Amos Alcius
Hibah Ali
Aura Amoros
Elena Anigati
Ronny Antony
Nikitha Ashok
Connor Bailey
Abigail Bailey***
Corrado Ballaera
Daniela Ben Neriah**
Iman Ben-Hamza**
Jacob Blair
Stephanie Bogin
Nicholas Burstein
Mishelle Centeno-Gavica**
Jenifer Centeno-Gavica**
James Chan
Jenica Chandran
Mike Chin
Steve Choi*
Stacey Damito***
Shachi Dave
Shabnam Dehghani***
Thomas DiChiara
Vincent Dong**
Michael Dorritie*
Omnia Elkoush
Sarah Fahmy
Mehlika Faire
Elie Flatow*
Kristen Gavidia***
Angela Gerona
Antony Gonzales
Daniel Grossman
Caroline Guirguis
Mohammed Hasan**
Natalie Haugen
Adam Hen
Eliezer Hernandez-Linarte***
Brian How
Nicholas Ingram*
Tiguiran Kane
Julia Kang
Nathan Kang
Hanaa Khadraoui
Sejal Khan
Kalim Khan***
Tae Un Kim
Oleksiy Kyrychenko
George Lau
Marco Lawandy
Sek Eun Lee*
Sarah Li***
Samantha Lichtschein**
Sarah Louis
Ryan Margolin***
Danielle Marsh
Nora Martini
Lorraine Mascarenhas
Ojirese Momoh
Nicole Morales**
Khaled Moumneh*
Waseem Muhammad
Kelly-Ann Mungroo***
Ramona Myers
Andrew Nolasco***
Ihiechi Ohia-Enyia***
Shreel Parikh*
Jaykumar Patel
Sagar Patel**
Neel Patel
Nathan Plaskett
Sadaf Popal
Nicholas Profaizer
Ana Quintero
Anisha Rajavel
Albana Ramadani
Zachary Sandman
Krystal Savice
Oliver Sax***
Steven Shapiro
Alex Shaykevich
Sagar Sheth
Avni Sheth***
Bath-Sheva Sholomson*
Umamah Siddiqui
Natalya Sobolevskaya
Benjamin Souferi
Melanie Spall
Estefania Steiner
Ashley Stock
Shannon Sunny***
Celine Teoh
Tobin Thuma*
Benjamin Traisman***
Kelly Tram**
Sercan Ture
Tarun Uppalapati***
Sreenath Varma***
Natasha Vartak
Sheyla Wagner
Peter Wan
Lili Wang
Ka Yuk Wong***
Sai Yetrintala
Gregory Yim**
Tamar York***
Sophia Youn
Ta’Loria Young
Lizbeth Zambrano
Annette Zhandosova
YaQun Zhou
January 2021 Graduates
Srilatha Eadara
Katerina Jurkoshek
Lauren Keibel
Inderpreet Singh
Noor Taied
Awards
Students who performed at the top of the class in the respective courses are recognized by their faculty:
Dean’s Award
This award is given to the student who has achieved the highest academic standing within the graduating class; in recognition of personal achievement and success demonstrated in didactic studies and on clinical rotations.
Excellence in the Preclinical Years Student Award
This award is given to the student selected by the Preclinical Dean of the graduating class in recognition of personal achievement and success demonstrated during the didactic component of the DO program.
Excellence in the Clinical Years Student Award
This award is given to the student selected by the Clinical Dean of the graduating class in recognition of personal achievement and success demonstrated on clinical rotations.
DO Student of the Year Student Award
This award is given to a student of the graduating class in recognition of outstanding service to Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, leadership and research and dedication to the profession.
Excellence in Public Health Award
This award is presented to a graduating student in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the area of public health.
Sheldon S. Sirota Medal of Honor
This award was established in recognition of the tireless work and accomplishments of Sheldon Sirota, DO, in advocating for opportunities for persons to pursue a career in osteopathic medicine. Dr. Sirota, the first recipient, received the award at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine’s inaugural graduation ceremony in gratitude for his work to establish four colleges of osteopathic medicine as well as countless graduate medical education programs.
Donna Jones Moritsugu Memorial Award
This award is given to the spouse of one graduating osteopathic medical student. The recipient exemplifies the role of a professional’s partner who provides immeasurable support of his or her mate, family, and the osteopathic profession while being an individual in their own right.
Preceptor of the Year Award
This award is given to the physician selected by the Awards Committee from nominations provided by the graduating class in recognition of outstanding clinical service, and commitment to medical education.
Medical Society of the State of New York Community Service Award
The Medical Society’s Community Service Award is designed to recognize a graduating student at each medical school for time and effort given selflessly, whether related or unrelated to the field of medicine.
American Medical Women’s Association Glasgow-Rubin Award
The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) has awarded the Glasgow-Rubin Certificates of Commendation for Academic Achievement to women who graduate in the top percent of their medical school graduating classes.
Research Award
This award is presented to a graduating student in recognition of their achievements in the area of research in Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine.