27 Inducted Into UB Chapter of AOA Honor Medical Society

Published March 25, 2014 This content is archived.

Story by Alexandra Edelblute

In recognition of their academic excellence and commitment to the medical profession, 26 medical students and one faculty member were inducted into the national honor medical society Alpha Omega Alpha during a March 20 ceremony.

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Initiation is ‘Great Accomplishment’

Election to AOA is a lifelong honor that signifies a commitment to scholarship, leadership, professionalism and service to the art of healing.

“Being inducted to AOA is a great accomplishment for UB medical students,” said Erin Michelle Armenia, an initiate who gave a talk on AOA’s history.

“We have all chosen a trade that requires an immense amount of devotion and dedication,” she emphasized. “Our commitment is reflected by our desire to serve our patients well when we graduate.”

The student inductees are:

Class of 2014

  • Rachel E. Aliotta 
  • Matthew R. Austin 
  • Henry Bacher 
  • Jane Truesdale Caty 
  • Elizabeth Rose Heller 
  • Lunan Ji 
  • Lisa Nicole Linde 
  • Neel H. Patel
  • Cynthia N. Schreiner
  • William H. Sipprell III
  • Samuel Peter Wiles 
  • Jennifer Zabinsky

Class of 2015

  • Erin Michelle Armenia
  • Kyle Couperus-Mashewske
  • Gretchen DeLuke 
  • Brendan Michael Filardo
  • Jesse Goitia 
  • Joseph R. Lang 
  • Thomas Michael Malikowski
  • Jennifer Milillo
  • Lindsey Picard 
  • Ryan A. Rimmer
  • Christopher T. Sciria 
  • Peter Johnston Shaughnessy 
  • Nikhil Singh
  • Sharon Zhuo

Ettinger is Faculty Inductee

Murray J. Ettinger, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of biochemistry, also was inducted.

Ettinger was recognized for two programs he established for first-year students in the medical education program.

He created a tutoring program through which medical students facing academic challenges learn from more experienced students. He also established a problem-based learning program to help students better understand and approach medical diagnoses.

Lecture Spotlights Buffalo’s Renewal, New Med School

Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, gave opening remarks.

The distinguished lecturer was campus architect Robert Shibley, FAIA, AICP, dean of the University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning. He presented “In Context: The School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, UB Downtown and the Remaking of Buffalo.” His talk highlighted Buffalo’s resurgence, including UB’s state-of-the-art medical school, scheduled for completion in late 2016.

Officers of UB’s Epsilon New York AOA chapter led the induction ceremony, including President Gerald Sufrin, MD; Vice President Linda Wild, MD; Secretary and Treasurer Christopher S. Cohan, PhD; and Councilor Frank T. Schimpfhauser, PhD, who handles the chapter’s nomination process.