Decker College holds year-end awards ceremonies
Graduates in nursing, public health are honored for their achievements

Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences is located in a former Endicott Johnson Shoe Corp. shoe and box factory on Corliss Avenue in Johnson City, N.Y. Image Credit: Jonathan Cohen.
May 20, 2022
Binghamton University’s Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences held two year-end awards ceremonies on May 20, to recognize students. The Division of Nursing held a ceremony at 10 a.m. in the University’s Watters Theater, while the Division of Public Health celebrated students at a 1 p.m. event in Academic Building A.
Division of Nursing awards
Undergraduate
- SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence: Maeve Kelly
- President’s Award for Undergraduate Student Excellence: Maeve Kelly
- Decker Foundation Award for Academic Excellence: Fiona Fung and Elizabeth Hickey
- Decker Foundation Award for Clinical Excellence: Pavel Nikulin
- Decker School of Nursing Academic Excellence Award: Olivia Klingbeil, Brooke Maietta and Julianna Moses
- Dennis Jimenez Memorial Award: Brendan Finn and Grace Schaefer
- Grace L. Penny Memorial Award: Maeve Kelly
- Heidi and Joel Thirer Award for Leadership and Community Service: Sara Bocian, Samantha Cosme, Shira Ellenbogen and Madison Kozlowski
- Jessica Mally Memorial Award: Colleen Germain and Gerard O’Reilly
- Martha Harnick Bress Memorial Award: Lara Hamburger
- Mary Pillepich Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice: Kelly Hu
- Robert Diute Memorial Award: Cindy Lam
- Sara Ainspan Memorial Award: Tara Mandel
- UHS Professional Nursing Practice Award: Nicole Keefe
Graduate
- Binghamton University Distinguished Dissertation Award: Carrie Rewakowski, MS ’19, PhD ’21
- Excellence in Advanced Nursing Award in Adult Gerontological Nursing: Allison Hawk ’16
- Excellence in Advanced Nursing Award in Family Nursing: Melissa Boeker ’18
- Excellence in Advanced Nursing Practice Award in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Brandon Collings
- Excellence in Advanced Nursing Practice Award, PhD in Nursing Program: Edwin Torres ’10, MS ’14
- Excellence in Advanced Nursing Practice Award, Post-Master’s Certificate Program: Dara Yastrzemski, certificate ’21
- Grace L. Penny Memorial Award: Angie Kilburn
- Jose Reichel Research Fund Award: Jolene Kittle
- Robert Diute Memorial Award: Kate Morris Halahan
Division of Public Health awards
- Academic Excellence in Public Health Award: Samantha Black ’18, Annie DePugh, Amy Fassold and Jennifer Herd ’20
- Advocacy in Public Health Award: Chiedozie Onyeukwu ’20
- Excellence in Community Engagement Award: Sam Pomichter ’20
- Excellence in Public Health Practice Award: Emilee Bobik ’20
- Professionalism in Public Health Award: Catherine Ayiku ’20
- Public Health Achievement Award: Sophia Gelard ’20, La’Myia Glasgow ’20, Sara Herskowitz ’20, Susan Hoskins, Aysha Mahmood ’21 and Emily Missavage
- Public Health Community Service Award: Jasmine Thorson ’20
- Public Health Leadership Award: William Bauer III ’20 and Candice O’Connor ’20
- Public Health Trailblazer Award: Chelsea Ogindo ’20
- Scholarship in Public Health Award: Samantha Spallina, MS ’20