Alumni Award nominations close Dec. 31: Help us recognize transformational leaders
Help the NEOMED Alumni Association recognize transformational leaders for the 2026 NEOMED Alumni Awards. These awards honor alumni and friends who demonstrate exceptional leadership, service and impact in their fields and communities.
Nomination deadline: Dec. 31, 2025
Recipients will be recognized at a special Alumni Awards Dinner on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at NEOMED.
Each year, the NEOMED Alumni Association presents four awards:
Emerging Leader Award
Honors recent graduates (within 15 years of graduation) who demonstrate significant professional achievement and embody NEOMED’s core values.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Given intermittently to individuals who have provided exemplary service to their profession, NEOMED and/or the NEOMED Alumni Association over the course of their lifetime.
Distinguished Service Award
Awarded annually to an individual whose time, talent and dedication have made a significant impact on NEOMED—whether through teaching, mentoring, volunteering, or service to the University.
Distinguished Alumni Award
The highest honor NEOMED bestows upon its graduates. This award recognizes alumni who have gone beyond their roles as health care providers to become leaders in research, service, education or community impact.
Help us celebrate alumni and friends who embody NEOMED’s mission and values! To nominate and view past recipients, please visit the NEOMED Alumni Association website.
Have questions? Please contact Laura De’Armond Szucs, Director of Alumni and Donor Engagement at ldearmondszucs@neomed.edu.
Looking Back at the 2025 Award Recipients
The 2025 Alumni Awards honored an exceptional group of alumni and friends whose accomplishments reflect the strength of the NEOMED community.
Congratulations again to this transformational group of recipients!
Emerging Leader Award
Jaclyn A. Boyle, Pharm.D. (’12)
Associate dean of Student Success and Practice Transformation at NEOMED, Dr. Boyle is widely recognized for her leadership in professional development, practice transformation and organizational well-being. She serves in multiple state and national roles through ASHP and OSHP and works as a career, executive and business coach.
Rahul C. Damania, M.D. (’16)
A pediatric critical care physician at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, Dr. Damania is also an innovator in medical education. He directs NEOMED’s USMLE Step 1 AIMS Review Course, co-hosts the PICU Doc on Call podcast, and is the founder of HyGuru, an AI-supported educational platform with a global reach.
Distinguished Service Award
Joseph C. Bernard
A beloved former instructor and director of NEOMED’s gross anatomy laboratories, Joe Bernard helped shape generations of clinicians. He co-developed NEOMED’s body donation memorial service, established student traditions, and earned repeated “Teacher of the Year” honors during his tenure.
Lifetime Achievement Award
James R. Boex, Ph.D.
Dr. Boex served NEOMED for three decades in influential academic and administrative roles before continuing his career at the University of Cincinnati. His leadership in public health, medical education and accreditation has earned regional and national recognition.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Magdi H. Awad, Pharm.D., M.S. (’17)
A professor of Pharmacy Practice at NEOMED and founding director of pharmacy at AxessPointe Community Health Centers, Dr. Awad has advanced clinical pharmacy services, improved community health access and held leadership roles statewide and nationally.
James R. Borchers, M.D., M.P.H. (’00)
President and CEO of the U.S. Council for Athletes’ Health and CMO for the Big Ten Conference, Dr. Borchers is a national leader in sports medicine, athlete safety and clinical education.
Kim L. Stearns, M.D. (’85)
An orthopedic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and chief of surgery at Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital, Dr. Stearns has served professional sports organizations for decades and made significant contributions as a clinician, educator and researcher.