2024 – 2025 Health Department Award Recipients

Meghan Miskovic: Community Health Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement

Presented annually in the Spring semester to a senior Community Health major who exemplifies academic excellence, commitment to helping others on campus or in the community and shows great promise in the Community Health field.

Allie Schwerthoffer: Health Care Management Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement

Presented annually in the Spring semester to a senior Health Care Management major who exemplifies academic excellence and commitment to helping others on campus or in the community and shows great promise in the Health Care Management field. 

Kathleen Byrne: Human Services Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement  

Presented annually in the Spring semester to a senior human services major who exemplifies academic excellence, commitment to helping others on campus or in the community and shows great promise in the human services field. 

Riley Friel: Joseph F. Governali Award for Excellence in Health Education  

Given to an undergraduate health major in the Spring semester who shows professional promise through exemplary performance across both academic and field work/student teaching responsibilities; and who demonstrates a passion for health education and community service characteristic of Dr. Governali's long tenure in the SUNY Cortland Health Department.  

Brianna Sanchez Soriano: Ross L. Allen Award

Presented annually in the Spring semester to a senior health major who displays administrative leadership potential, academic excellence, and the qualities of warmth and sincerity so characteristic of Ross Allen throughout his personal and professional life.

Joshua Carguello: Leonard T. Gath Award 

Presented annually in the Spring semester to a senior health major based upon leadership and the humanitarian concern for the safety and wellbeing of others so characteristic of Leonard Gath throughout his personal and professional life.

Riya Abraham: Charles N. Poskanzer Award 

Presented in the Spring semester to a senior health major who demonstrates a commitment to both community service and academic excellence and who possesses the caring nature and leadership skills exemplified by Charles Poskanzer throughout his 40-year career in the Health Department.  

Katelyn Jones: Gustave B. Timmel Award 

Presented in the Spring semester to a senior health major based on academic excellence and possession of that unique combination of keen insight, genuine caring, and helpfulness, qualities so characteristic of Gustave Timmel throughout his personal and professional life.

Alina Chojnowski: Katherine Allen Whitaker Award

Presented annually in the Spring semester to a senior health major based on academic excellence and the qualities of compassion and concern that characterized Katherine Allen Whitaker throughout her personal and professional life.   

Allie Schwerthoffer: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Health Award

Presented annually in the Spring semester to a senior health major that displays passion and high level of commitment for DEI in and out of the classroom through engaging in advocacy efforts, facilitating opportunities to bring people with different backgrounds together, academic pursuits, creating and promoting programs/events, participating in DEI campus committees, or furthering DEI work in a student organization.

Mikkel Kohn: ESG & NCHEC Outstanding Undergraduate Major of the Year Award

Presented by Eta Sigma Gamma (ESG) and the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) to a senior undergraduate health major in recognition of outstanding academic performance in health. 

Travis Muhlnickel: Outstanding Graduate Student Award

Presented annually to a graduate student in health education based upon outstanding academic performance, dedication to health education and potential for leadership.