Congratulations to the Class of 2024!
Class of 2024 Heading link
The University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford held its 50th Annual Convocation Ceremony for the Class of 2024 on Friday, April 26, 2024, at the beautiful Coronado Theater in downtown Rockford.
Fifty-one graduates participated in the ceremony. Alex S. Stagnaro-Green, MD, MHPE, MHA, regional dean at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford and Mark I. Rosenblatt, MD, PhD, MBA, MHA, executive dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, provided opening remarks.
Distinguished alumnus Leslie Walker-Harding, MD ’90, who is the Ford/Morgan Endowed Professor, chair of the Department of Pediatrics, and an associate dean at the University of Washington School of Medicine, was the alumni speaker and Addie Billington, Class of 2024 graduate, provided the class remarks.
Watch the 2024 convocation ceremony.
Graduating medical students receive honors and awards
The University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford recognizes the following student honors:
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
This national medical honor 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 based on scholarship, personal character and potential leadership. Students elected to AΩA receive the organization’s insignia key and wear the green and gold cords.
Student recipients are Hunter Aldred, Marjorie Baker, Addie Billington, Christina Bloomfield, Abby Brown, Peter Cirrincione, Samantha Hawkins, Madison Hoenle, Lincoln Johnson and Gabrielle Mitchell.
Graduation with Honors
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. The Honors medallion represents the College’s founding goals of education, research, medical care and public service; the green ribbon is the color of the discipline of medicine.
Graduation honors were given to Hunter Aldred, Daniel Bicklein, Addie Billington, Christina Bloomfield, Abby Brown, Peter Cirrincione, Nathan Corman, James Gustafson, Samantha Hawkins, Madison Hoenle, Colton Johnson, Lincoln Johnson, Rachel Kim, Dylan Klingler, Ellie Lieb, Gabrielle Mitchell and Zachary Sanders.
Gold Humanism Honor Society
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.” The image on the medallion, a stethoscope in the form of a heart, represents the humanistic goals of the foundation.
Honor Society inductees are Ryan Alderman, Hunter Aldred, Marjorie Baker, Tatiana Betancur Giraldo, Daniel Bicklein, Addie Billington, Alexandria Choi, James Gustafson, Madison Hoenle, Erik Kerber and Rachel Kim.
James Scholar Program
The program was established for undergraduate students on the Urbana-Champaign Campus in 1959. The James Scholar Program at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford began in 1972. The James Scholar Program is an academic honors program for highly qualified students that stresses independent study and requires a robust research project culminating in a presentation at the campus Research Day. James Scholar graduates are designated by Edmund J. James medallions on blue ribbons.
James Scholar graduates are Christina Bloomfield, Peter Cirrincione, Gabrielle Mitchell, Claire Roesler and Sydni White.
College of Medicine Rockford Student Awards
•James E. Rebel Award: Lincoln Johnson
•Dr. Assir Daniel DaSilva Scholarship: Sydni White
•Dr. Gary Button Rural Primary Care Medicine Award: Adrienne Fouts
•Dr. Glenn D. Netto Humanitarian Award: Ryan Alderman, Christina Bloomfield
University of Illinois College of Medicine Student Awards
•Adolph A. Rostenberg, Jr. Award in Dermatology: Taylor Broder
•Craig E. Booher MD Community Health Scholarships: Marjorie Baker Daniel Bicklein
•David Mortimer Olkon Award – Department of Medicine: Abby Brown
•David Mortimer Olkon Award – Department of Psychiatry: Vladislav Milanovic
•Dr. Arthur Rettig Award for Excellence: Samantha Hawkins, Dayne Hester, Madison Hoenle
•Dr. Charles Spencer Williamson Award in Internal Medicine: Dylan Klingler
•Dr. Errol and Rosemary Baptist Award for Excellence in Pediatrics: Madison Hoenle
•Dr. Robert H. Harner Award for Excellence in Cardiology: Kelly Fan
•Donald H Wortmann Outstanding Student in Pediatrics Award: Rachel Kim
•Excellence in Clinical Dermatology Award: Marjorie Baker
•Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award: Nathan Corman
•Excellence in Family Medicine: Hunter Aldred
•Excellence in Obstetrics and Gynecology Award: Addie Billington
•Gary and Terry Rifkin Critical Reasoning Award: James Gustafson
•Granville A. Bennett Award: Addie Billington
•Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award: Madison Hoenle
•LP Johnson Family Physician Award: Ryan Alderman
•Outstanding Performance on Surgery-Among Students choosing Surgical Career: Lincoln Johnson
•Outstanding Performance on Medicine: Christina Bloomfield
•Outstanding Performance on Surgery: Colton Johnson
•Raymond Zbick Memorial Award in Anesthesiology: Gabrielle Mitchell
•Tom Reeves Memorial Award (Outstanding Classmate, Junior Year): Addie Billington
•UIC COMR Lillie and Seymour Green Distinguished Graduate Award: Addie Billington
•USPHS Excellence in Public Health Award: Addie Billington
Golden Apple Faculty Teaching Awards
Chosen by the Class of 2024
Paul Chastain, PhD
Department of Health Sciences Education
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Hugh Clements-Jewery, PhD
Department of Health Sciences Education
TJ Webb, MD
Department of Family and Community Medicine
Charles R. Welford, MD
Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties