Rockford - WIFR- The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford will celebrate Convocation for the Class of 2012 on Saturday, April 28, at 11:00 a.m. at the Coronado Theatre in Rockford.

Martin S. Lipsky, MD, Regional Dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford; Timothy N. Koritz, MD, PhD, Board of Trustees, University of Illinois; and Saul J. Weiner, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Educational Affairs, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago will provide opening remarks.

Dr. Lipsky will also provide the following special awards: Distinguished Teaching Award, Michael A. Werckle, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties; Distinguished Service Award, Ramaswamy Kalyanasundaram, PhD, Professor and Head, Department of Biomedical Sciences; and Distinguished Community Award, The Bridge Clinic of Rockford and Rockford Infectious Disease.

Margaret T. Maynard, PhD, Assistant Dean for Medical Education and Evaluation will present the James E. Rebel Award to be announced at the ceremony.

Additional University of Illinois College of Medicine Student Awards will be given as follows:

Charles Spencer Williamson Award (Medicine), Minjoung Go
David Mortimer Olkon Scholarship (Psychiatry), Christine C. Chiu
Excellence in Emergency Medicine, Abhista Vallabhaneni
Excellence in Family Medicine Award, Jillian R. Kaskavage
Excellence in Obstetrics and Gynecology Award, Manda J. Notzon
Excellence in Pediatric Medicine Award, Jillian R. Kaskavage
Granville A. Bennett Award, Rebecca L. Sorenson
James Scholar Award, Manda J. Notzon
Otto Saphir Scholarship (Excellence in Pathology, Junior Year), Richelle A. Stillwagon
Raymond Zbick Memorial Award (Anesthesiology), Nora E. Gutiérrez
Tom C. Reeves Memorial Award (Outstanding Classmate, Junior Year), Ami P. Thakor
Urban Health Program Award, Maritza G. Gonzalez

Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, sponsored by the The Arnold P. Gold Foundation will be presented to Maritza G. Gonzalez, ’12, and Michael A. Werckle, MD.

The Class of 2012 selected the following professors to received Golden Apple Faculty Teaching Awards: Connie M. Vitali, MD - Pathology, M2 Year, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Pathology; Errol C. Baptist, MD - Clinical Clerkship, M3 Year, Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics; Ilche T. Nonevski, MD - Clinical Clerkship, M4 Year, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties and Atisak Sapying, MD - Primary Care Experience, Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Michael A. Werckle, MD, will provide faculty remarks and Ammar M. Ali will be the class speaker. Glenn Netto, MD, president of the Rockford Medical Alumni Association will welcome the graduates the Association.

Students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement earn the distinction of Graduation with Honors. Honors graduates are selected College-wide based on academic performance throughout their four years of medical school and include: Minjoung Go, Jacob S. Thomas, Jillian R. Kaskavage, Kathryn P. Winkler and Ami P. Thakor.

Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society was founded at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1902. Its purpose is to recognize and perpetuate excellence in the medical profession. Members are elected on the basis of scholarship, personal character and potential leadership and include: Minjoung Go, Jacob S. Thomas, Jillian R. Kaskavage, Kathryn P. Winkler and Ami P. Thakor

Students selected for membership in the Gold Humanism Honor Society exhibit outstanding humanism in medicine and integrity as medical students. The Gold Foundation defines humanism as “encompassing those attitudes and behaviors that emanate from a deep sensitivity and respect for others.” This year, Azzah I. Arikat, Maritza G. Gonzalez, Divya B. Bhatt, Jillian R. Kaskavage, Joshua O. D. Carpenter, Helena M. Orbach, Christine C. Chiu, Ashlyn B. Turner, Minjoung Go and Kathryn P. Winkler were selected for membership.
Class of 2012

(Name, Home Town, Undergraduate Degree, Specialty, and Residency)

Ammar M. Ali
Greenfield, Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin at Madison
Emergency Medicine
Beaumont Health System, Royal Oak, Michigan

Jimena B. Alvarez Soto
Lima, Peru
Brigham Young University
Obstetrics-Gynecology
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas

Erik W. Anderson
Colorado Springs, Colorado
University of Chicago
Georgetown University, MS
Ophthalmology
John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, Illinois
Exempla St. Joseph Hospital, Denver, Colorado (Preliminary Medicine)

Azzah I. Arikat
San Diego, California
University of California - San Diego
Internal Medicine
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California

William R. Bailey
Springfield, Illinois
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
General Surgery
SIU School of Medicine & Affiliated Hospitals, Springfield, Illinois

Divya B. Bhatt
San Diego, California
University of Pennsylvania
Boston University, MA
Internal Medicine
University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois

Paras B. Bhavsar
Danville, Illinois
University of Illinois at Chicago
Anesthesiology
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
University of Chicago NorthShore Hospital, Evanston, Illinois (Transitional)

Nicholas G. Brown
Northbrook, Illinois
Indiana University
Internal Medicine
University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado

Ashlea L. Canady
Ogden, Illinois
Illinois Wesleyan University
General Surgery
University of Illinois-St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria, Illinois

Erin E. Canopy
Hopedale, Illinois
Augustana College
Preliminary Surgery
University Hospitals and Clinics, Columbia, Missouri

Clayton A. Carmody
Fullerton, California
University of Chicago
Orthopaedic Surgery
Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida

Joshua O. D. Carpenter
Galesburg, Illinois
Western Illinois University
Family Medicine
Quad Cities Genesis, Davenport, Iowa

Christine C. Chiu
Hacienda Heights, California
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Psychiatry
University of California, San Francisco, California

Erica D. Davis
Charleston, Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Family Medicine
St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Edgewood, Kentucky

Saleh M. Eftaiha
Chicago, Illinois
Loyola University of Chicago
Rush University, MS
General Surgery
University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois

Johnny A. Eguizabal
Vacaville, California
University of California at Davis
Family Medicine
Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Long Beach, California

Christopher R. Fosco
Park Ridge, Illinois
University of Chicago
Preliminary Surgery
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California

Carolina A. Freire
Fremont, California
University of California at San Diego
Emergency Medicine
Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Minjoung Go
Diamond Bar, California
University of California at Berkeley
University of Southern California, MPH
Internal Medicine
Stanford University Programs, Stanford, California

Maritza G. Gonzalez
Chicago, Illinois
University of Illinois at Chicago
Obstetrics-Gynecology
University of Arizona Affiliated Hospitals, Tucson, Arizona

Chad M. Gridley
Rock Falls, Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Research
Robotics Research Fellowship, Children’s Hospital Boston
Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Nora E. Gutiérrez
Houston, Texas
University of St. Thomas
Anesthesiology
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas

Adam J. Henson
Marion, Illinois
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Family Medicine
Union Hospital, Terre Haute, Indiana

Blanca E. Herrera
Calumet Park, Illinois
University of Chicago
Roosevelt University, MA
Emergency Medicine
St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio

Christopher J. Howse
Assumption, Illinois
Millikin University
Family Medicine
University Hospitals and Clinics, Columbia, Missouri

Erica L. Ibendahl
Okawville, Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
General Surgery
University Hospitals and Clinics, Columbia, Missouri

Jillian R. Kaskavage
Oregon, Illinois
Benedictine University
Pediatrics
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland

Nathan T. Kenyon
Rockford, Illinois
Northern Illinois University
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
University Hospitals and Clinics, Columbia, Missouri
Broadlawns Medical Center, Des Moines, Iowa (Transitional)

Muhibb N. Khan
La Canada, California
University of California at Los Angeles
Anesthesiology
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois (Preliminary Medicine)

Mario Lopez
Chicago, Illinois
University of Illinois at Chicago
Preliminary Surgery
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

Audreen Louis
Chatham, Illinois
Northwestern University
Southern Illinois University at Springfield, MS
Pediatrics
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana

Robert J. Lukavsky
Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University
General Surgery
Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Michael C. V. McCarty
Rockford, Illinois
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Emergency Medicine
New York Hospital Medical Center Queens, Flushing, New York

Jennifer T. Nguyen
Simi Valley, California
University of Southern California
Neurodevelopmental Disabilities/Child Neurology
Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California (Preliminary Pediatrics)

Manda J. Notzon
Auburn, California
University of California at Berkeley
Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition, MS
Obstetrics-Gynecology
Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York

Helena M. Orbach
Naperville, Illinois
Johns Hopkins University
Obstetrics-Gynecology
SUNY Health Science Center, Brooklyn, New York

Meghan C. Romba
Park Ridge, Illinois
Elmhurst College
Illinois Institute of Technology, MS
Neurology
University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, Seattle, Washington

Natalie J. Sgarlata
Sycamore, Illinois
Purdue University
Pediatrics
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, Illinois

Rebecca L. Sorenson
Orinda, California
Stanford University
Ophthalmology
Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania (Preliminary Medicine)

Blake A. Spindler
Effingham, Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
General Surgery
Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Rochester, Minnesota

Nicole C. Steineke
Schaumburg, Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Family Medicine
University of Chicago NorthShore, Glenview, Illinois

Richelle A. Stillwagon
Butte, Montana
University of Montana at Missoula
Ophthalmology
Summa Health System, Akron, Ohio
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona (Preliminary Medicine)

Ami P. Thakor
Chatsworth, California
University of California at San Diego
Internal Medicine
UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California

Jacob S. Thomas
Mesa, Arizona
Brigham Young University
Internal Medicine
UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California

Matthew R. Thomas
West Dundee, Illinois
Loyola University of Chicago
Family Medicine
University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford, Illinois

Ashlyn B. Turner
Burlington, Iowa
University of Iowa
Pediatrics
St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri

Abhista Vallabhaneni
Novi, Michigan
University of Michigan
Emergency Medicine
University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois

Nathan G. Wetters
Columbia, Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Orthopaedic Surgery
Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois

Kathryn P. Winkler
Mt. Prospect, Illinois
Illinois Wesleyan University
Ophthalmology
Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
MacNeal Hospital, Berwyn, Illinois (Transitional)

Kenny K. Wu
San Gabriel, California
University of California at Berkeley
Emergency Medicine
Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California

Andrew J. Zidow
Peru, Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Family Medicine
University of Illinois Methodist Medical Center, Peoria, Illinois

Class of 2012 Residency Training by Specialty

ANESTHESIOLOGY
Paras B. Bhavsar
Nora E. Gutiérrez
Muhibb N. Khan

Emergency Medicine
Ammar M. Ali
Carolina A. Freire
Blanca E. Herrera
Michael C. V. McCarty
Abhista Vallabhaneni
Kenny K. Wu

FAMILY MEDICINE
Joshua O. D. Carpenter
Erica D. Davis
Johnny A. Eguizabal
Adam J. Henson
Christopher J. Howse
Nicole C. Steineke
Matthew R. Thomas
Andrew J. Zidow

INTERNAL MEDICINE
Azzah I. Arikat
Divya B. Bhatt
Nicholas G. Brown
Minjoung Go
Ami P. Thakor
Jacob S. Thomas

Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
Jennifer T. Nguyen

NEUROLOGY
Meghan C. Romba

OBSTETRICS and GYNECOLOGY
Jimena B. Alvarez Soto
Maritza G. Gonzalez
Manda J. Notzon
Helena M. Orbach

Ophthalmology
Erik W. Anderson
Rebecca L. Sorenson
Richelle A. Stillwagon
Kathryn P. Winkler

Orthopaedic Surgery
Clayton A. Carmody
Nathan G. Wetters

PEDIATRICS
Jillian R. Kaskavage
Audreen Louis
Natalie J. Sgarlata
Ashlyn B. Turner

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Nathan T. Kenyon

PSYCHIATRY
Christine C. Chiu

Research
Chad M. Gridley

GENERAL SURGERY
William R. Bailey
Ashlea L. Canady
Saleh M. Eftaiha
Erica L. Ibendahl
Robert J. Lukavsky
Blake A. Spindler

SURGERY, PRELIMINARY
Erin E. Canopy
Christopher R. Fosco
Mario Lopez