Scholarships & Awards

Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship

‌Class of 2020

Jiun-Yiing Hu, is a recipient of the 2017 Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship from Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), a medical honor society. Ms. Hu will be using the award to carry out research on "Characterizing Cortical and Subcortical Volumetric Change in Patients Receiving Whole Brain Radiation Therapy for Brain Metastases". More specifically, the project is looking at quantifying changes in the “memory zones” of the brain from whole brain radiation which is given to cancer patients with brain metastases.

Currently, Ms. Hu’s software based auto-segmentation expertise is being used to develop a technique to measure these memory zones of the brain. According to her academic mentor, Pranshu Mohindra, MD, MBBS, the success of “her research could help to establish a useful tool or an objective end-point for clinical trials testing brain radiation”. Tejan Diwanji, MD, a former UMSOM student and current UMMC radiation oncology chief resident, has been integrally involved in Ms. Hu’s project as her resident mentor.

The fellowship supports medical student research for clinical investigation, basic laboratory work, epidemiology, social science/health services, leadership, or professionalism through a $5,000 award with up to $1,000 in travel reimbursement to present research results. As noted on the AOA website, the fellowship program is in honor of Carolyn L. Kuckein who was a "long-time administrator of AOA and an honorary member of the society, who died in 2004".

With only one candidate nomination from each medical school allowed, applications go through a rigorous internal review. UMSOM’s committee unanimously determined that Ms. Hu’s project encompassed all the characteristics of a highly competitive project that could compete in the national competition.

Class of 2021

Netsanet Woldegerima, is a recipient of the 2018 Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship from the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) medical honor society. The fellowship supports medical student research for clinical investigation, basic laboratory work, epidemiology, social science/health services, leadership, or professionalism through a $5,000 award with up to $1,000 in travel reimbursement. The internal review process is very rigorous and only one candidate nomination is allowed from each medical school.

Available Scholarships and Awards

• Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship
• AOA Professionalism Award
• Helen H. Glaser Student Essay Awards
• Medical Student Service Leadership Project Award
• Pharos Poetry Competition

Listed by Year

All Volunteer Faculty Award winners were inducted in February.