Psychology > Undergraduate > Honors and Awards > 2022 Awardees
2022 Awardees
The Dr. Effie Mitsis Memorial Award
For a graduating senior who will be attending a graduate program in Neuroscience.
Winner: Esther Rotlevi
Esther is a double major in Neuroscience and History with a minor in Jewish Studies and Honors in Math and Natural Science. She has studied the psychiatric condition misophonia, and conducted research on epigenetic chromosomal protein interactions. As a MARC scholar, Esther explored adult neurogenesis and epigenetics in songbirds using fluorescence microscopy. She has presented her research at numerous conferences. Esther will begin the PhD program in Neurobiology and Behavior at Columbia University this fall, where she will continue to explore behavioral research at the genetic level.
The Dr. Moira Fitzpatrick LeMay Memorial Scholarship
For a student of junior standing who demonstrates academic excellence.
Winner: Claudia Hakimi
Claudia Hakimi is a Psychology major with a minor in Anthropology, and a member of the Macaulay Honors College. After graduation, Claudia hopes to pursue a career in either school psychology or school counseling.
The Gregory Razran Award
For the highest Psychology GPA and an overall GPA of at least 3.50.
Winner: Ashley Brier
Ashley Brier graduates with honors in Psychology, and a double minor in Anthropology and Philosophy. On weekends, she volunteers at a food pantry that serves hundreds of families. Ashley intends to become an elementary school teacher. This fall, she will begin the Masters in Childhood Education program at Hunter College.
The Harold Schuckman Memorial Award
For a student who will be attending a graduate program in Psychology.
Winner: Aviva Rubenstein
Aviva graduates with honors in Psychology. She also minored in Student Personnel where she cultivated her passions through the Peer Counseling program as both a counselor and a coordinator. Aviva’s ultimate goal is to work as a school psychologist, and in the fall she will begin the masters program in School Psychology at Adelphi University.
The Thomas E. Frumkes Award
For excellence in Psychological research.
Winner: Mana Hashimoto
Mana graduates with honors in Psychology. Her research interests center around understanding discrimination in hiring contexts for individuals with different physical disabilities. She has presented her research at various conferences. She is also a recipient of the Molly Weinstein Award which recognizes her distinguished record of scholarship and intention to pursue teaching. In the fall, Mana will begin the Social-Organizational Psychology master’s program at Columbia University’s Teachers College.
The Wilma A. Winnick Award
For a student who has made substantive contributions to the Psychology department.
Winner: Julissa Osorno
During her time at Queens College, Julissa served as a peer advisor in Psychology and assisted at the Queens College Psychological Center. She also was a member of the undergraduate curriculum committee. Julissa will be attending St. John’s graduate program this fall.
The John V. Conti Award
For a student who will be attending a graduate program in psychology or a related profession.
Winner: Rawdah Rahim
Rawdah graduates with honors in Psychology and a minor in Political Science. Her main interests are working with children who have developmental disabilities and in neurological rehabilitation. This fall Rawdah begins the masters program in Occupational Therapy at Columbia University.
The Mitchell L. Kietzman Award
For excellence in Psychological research.
Winner: Rose Linn
Rose graduates with honors in Psychology and a minor in Political Science. She has assisted in research on the impact of sexual trauma and presented her work at conferences. Rose has also been involved in numerous psychology clubs and the undergraduate psychology committee. After graduation Rose intends to further pursue her studies in graduate school.
The Max and Edith Weiner Award
For work with Alzheimer’s disease patients.
Winner: Vivian Quynh Nhu Chu
Vivian is a doctoral student specializing in Neuropsychology in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. Under the mentorship of Dr. Nancy Foldi in the Neuropsychology Laboratory of Aging and Dementia, Vivian is investigating the cognitive markers and brain-behavior relationships of Alzheimer’s disease. Her research interests include extending etiological models of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease by identifying neuropsychological changes that are indicative of underlying neurodegeneration and predictive of cognitive decline.
The Arthur A. Witkin Award
For a student who has done well in the field of Psychology and plans to attend a graduate program in Psychology.
Winner: Gordon Bi
Gordon graduates with honors in Psychology and a minor in Health Sciences. He has done neuroscience research on food addiction and also studies communication in autistic children with their siblings. This fall, he will be studying at Baruch College for a Master of Science in Industrial Organizational Psychology.
The Daniel V. Caputo Award
For a student who is committed to pursuing a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology.
Winner: Ezra Hermann
Ezra is a student in the Macaulay Honors College graduating with honors in Psychology. He is also a recipient of the Belth Award, in recognition of academic excellence. Ezra conducts research on social anxiety disorder and depression, and works as a crisis consultant, advising on multiple high-profile cases. His future goals are to work with at-risk youth. In the fall Ezra begins the doctoral program in School Psychology at Fordham University.
The David Friedman Neuroscience Award
For a student who will be attending a graduate program in Psychology or Neuroscience devoted to human research.
Winner: Nora Wolf
Nora is a Macaulay Honors College student graduating with honors in Psychology and also majoring in Neuroscience. During her time at QC, Nora researched neurogenesis of learning, and has investigated the development of event memory in children. She also participated in a summer research program at Princeton University where she studied event cognition in individuals with mental impairments. Nora will be a graduate student at UC Davis’ Psychology Ph.D. program this fall, putting her on her path to become a cognitive neuroscientist.
The William N. Schoenfeld Award
For the second highest Psychology GPA and an overall GPA of at least 3.50.
Winner: Jessica Chen
Jessica double majored in Elementary Education and Psychology, and graduated summa cum laude. She volunteered her time in Transitions to Teaching, which is a school club dedicated to helping students on the path to becoming a teacher in NYC. Jessica will continue her education in the Queens College TESOL graduate program.
The Dr. Andrea Li Memorial Award
For a student who has demonstrated excellence in psychological research and has served the college and/or community.
Winner: Michael Amrami
Michael graduates summa cum laude from Macaulay Honors College, received honors in Psychology, and also majored in Neuroscience. Michael was an NIH MARC U-STAR biomedical research fellow, serving as a surgical technician and investigating chronic pain conditions. He has presented his research at multiple conferences. Michael is involved in promoting STEM fields with low-income children and helping ill children cope using positive psychology. Michael’s goal is to become a physician and researcher and plans to build a mental health platform that serves Jewish-Israeli towns surrounding Gaza. Michael was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue a Master’s in Public Health at the University of Haifa.
The Sara Mayes and Phyllis Glanz Endowed Fellowship for Alzheimer‘s Disease Research
For a graduate and doctoral student pursuing research on Alzheimer’s Disease.
Winner: Melissa Pocsai
Melissa is a third-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Queens College. She works under the supervision of Dr. Nancy Foldi in the Neuropsychology Laboratory of Aging and Dementia. Melissa’s research interests include understanding brain-behavior relationships in the risk and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. She seeks to integrate clinical, neural, and cognitive-behavioral mechanisms of psychopathology to better serve vulnerable populations. Melissa intends to use this award to expand her knowledge and to network with others who support those afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease. Melissa looks forward to bridging her research and clinical interests as she begins a clinical externship at Montefiore Medical Center this summer.
Honors
| Jason Abraham | Fozia Din | Colvender Lal | Janalyn Robles |
| Avner Abramov | Esther Doris | Gianna Laspisa | Rosa Rodriguez |
| David Abramov | Vasilios Drimonas | Daniel Latai | Franklin Rodriguez |
| Erica Abramova | Kimberly Ebrani | Joey Yee Yen Lau | Orli Rofeim |
| Angel Acosta | Alyssa Edmond | Rose-Ericka Laurent | Loriann Rosario |
| Annesa Afridi | Samuel Eliav | Emily Lee | Ruben Rosario |
| Samantha Agola | Stephanie Elliott | Elaine Lee | Oshumare Rose |
| Saarah Ahsan | Sara Evans | Joseph Lee | Tova Rosen |
| Asha Aihlmai | Zainab Farooqi | Rivka Leibowiz | Aviva Rubenstein |
| Mah Noor Akhtar | Rose Fattakhov | Daniella Levin | Brenda Ruiz |
| Khadiza Akhter | Michael Fazylov | Adira Levine | Rebecca Russo |
| Fathema Akhter | Izabella Fejer | Abigail Levy | Joanna Rutkowska |
| Lutfi Alam | Nathan Fernandez | Zao Huan Li | Miriam Sacks |
| Sara Alexander | Yaquelin Fernandez | Justine Liew | Ayelet Sadigh |
| Emy Alvarenga | Daniella Finkel | Gabriela Lima | Rebecca Saffra |
| Natalie Alvarez | Aislinn Fitzgerald | Mengting Lin | Gabrielle Safier |
| Arianna Alvero | Danielle-Mae Francis | Rose Linn | Andrian Sakul |
| Elana Alyaszadeh-Cohen | Alexia Francis | Tiffany Livian | Francesca Salvati |
| Aida Aminpour | Deanna Franklin | Jonathan Louie | Chesky Samet |
| Michael Amrami | Risa Friedman | Kevin Macedo | Allison Sanasie |
| Angelica Mae Ancheta | Eliana Friedman | Katherine Mack | Karen Sanchez Perez |
| Jacob Appel | Abraham Fuzaylov | Sara Malek | Lior Sanilevich |
| Ofir Asolin | Julia Gannotti | Vasiliki Mamalakis | Ana Santiago |
| Emily Atar | Fransua Garcia | Dalia Mandelbaum | Jasmilkis Santos Osorio |
| Aviva Attar | Andrea Garcia | Kristina Martinez | Pamela Sarner |
| Aleena Babu | Michelle Garcia | Yael Maryles | Tsipora Sassoon |
| Michelle Bae | Evdokia Gasparis | Angela Masullo | Eden Schebovitz |
| Brian Baez | Rebecca Gelbstein | Keya Mathieu | David Schiffer |
| Satmir Bajraktari | Michelle Ghadamian | Kristina McDougal | Talia Schlesinger |
| Rachel Bang | Geraldine Giraldo | Rohit Mehandru | Elian Segev |
| Joanna Bartoszek | Olga Gkika-Mantadakis | Erica Mercado | Sophia Sergiadis |
| Katherine Batista | Kallie Gonzalez | Alexandra Miller | Rebecca Shmuel |
| Shenel Beadle | Samantha Gonzalez | Ester Mirzakandov | Anashuya Shrestha |
| Elizabeth Beck | Hailey Greenberg | Shira Mirzakandov | Hannah Sigman |
| Nasima Begum | Stephen Greenberger | Genesis Montoya | Kayla Silverstein |
| Philippe Bernardin | Daniella Greenfield | Priscilla Morales | Joseph Siri |
| Michali Betesh | Zvi Grossman | Antonia Morris | Erin Slomnicki |
| Gordon Bi | Miguel Guerrero | Gloria Mourcous | Simmi So |
| Karen Biderman | Adriana Guerrero | Anna Moy | Shirah Soleymani |
| Esther Biegeleisen | Shaina Habenstrict | Jonathan Munarov | Monica Soni |
| Daniel Binyaminov | Alysha Habib | Violet Munarova | Devora Spielman |
| Kayla Blonder | Yael Halbfinger | Salwa Murshed | Gabriella Spirgel |
| Julia Blumenthal | Noa Haliva | Jyot Nagpaul | Nicholas Surijpaul |
| Sharon Borenstein | Chava Hamer | Taneisha Nandalall | Safia Syed |
| Dina Boutehsaz | Janos Harkay | Fathima Saffra Naushad | Hafsa Syed |
| Elena-Maria Bran | Mana Hashimoto | D’Angeleze Navarro | Hannah Tanzer |
| Ashley Brier | Ezra Hermann | Sakina Niazy | Hannah Tanzer |
| Kayla Burgos | Tasnim Hossain | Tasneem Nishat | Kimia Tavakoly |
| Tiffany Cabezas | Alison Huang | Lissette Nivicela | William Torres |
| Ivana Calderon | Tammi Fatima Hussain | Danielle Nussbaum | Veronica Torres |
| Andrea Campbell | Abby Hyman | Leila Ojeda | Tatiana Torres |
| Yurileidy Carela | Sarah Ildza | Ilssy Ortega | Christopher Tran |
| Macela Carmo dos Santos | Taliah Ilyadi | Amber Ostrow | Katelyn Urena |
| Bryan Caro | Milana Inoyatova | Gizem Ozdemir | Scott Valladares |
| Donald Carucci | Deidre Ippolito | Phoebe Padget | Jessica Vaysman |
| Jaritza Castillo | David Ivry | Bai Pan | Lucas Vazquez |
| Alexander Castillo | Julia Izak | Richu Panicker | Giuliana Vitale |
| Ashley Celik | Eta Jacobson | Idelisse Parache | Kristi Vongli |
| Nadia M Chalco | Jonathan Jacques | Marlyn Paulino | Cayla Waltzer |
| Shifali Chambers | Isatou Jaiteh | Dai Pedroza | Becky Wang |
| Jessica Chen | Hafsa Jawed | Naomi Peretz | Bella Weiss |
| Judith Choe | Heaven Jenkins | Nelsy Perez Collado | Zehava Weiss |
| Nyrene Choudhury | Crystal Jia | Krisza Phanartzis | Tori Williams |
| Sara Clayton | Theresa Jones | Anna Pirog | Nora Wolf |
| Janice Clements | Adina Kadosh | Kristina Placco | Chin Wui Wong |
| Daniella Cohen | Elizabeth Kagan | Julia Andrea Placido | Victoria Wong |
| Katie Cortes | Rivka Kail | Tareah Price | Milana Yakubova |
| Isabella Cuadros | Daniela Kandkhorova | Lea Quezada | Jessica Yakubova |
| Brianna Cuomo | Diana Kataev | Angelyz Quiles | Hodaya Yazdanpanah |
| Jessica Dalonzo | Corrine Kaufman | Michele Radparvar | Yael Yehoshua |
| Jessica Damatova | Supreet Kaur | Natalie Rafailov | Brianna Yonke |
| Alia Dass | Eric Khaimov | Rawdah Rahim | Xinru Yu |
| Maxwell Davydov | Nabiha Khan | Rabia Rahyab | Michelle Yusupov |
| Monica De Castro | Stephanie Khodzandi | Nathaniel Rakhman | Kimberly Zambrana |
| Janettza De Jesus | David Khorsandi | Shivani Rambharat | Erica Zaretsky |
| Jesse De La Cruz | Julia Klein | Ana Ramos | Lital Zeidman |
| Jessica De Leon | Sara Kohan | Arly Ramos | Yuerong Zhou |
| Lacey Deans | Daniel Konchakovskiy | Andrea Ramos | Kevin Zhou |
| Melissa Delligatti | Caralyn Kramer | Kaur Ravinder | Monika Zieba |
| Jillian Depasquale | Eliana Kutner | Stephanie Razo | Rebecca Zilberberg |
| Lashmi Devi | Ariella Kutoff | Ariana Rivas | Debra Zylberminc |
| Melissa Rivera |