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University of Rochester faculty regularly earn regional, national, and international awards and honors for their professional contributions to research, scholarship, education, and community engagement.
As part of an ongoing series, we’re spotlighting their accomplishments.

Matt BaileyShea’s book wins Wallace Berry Award
At a recent conference in New Orleans, Matt BaileyShea, chair of the Arthur Satz Department of Music, was awarded the 2022 Wallace Berry Award from the Society for Music Theory for his book Lines and Lyrics: An Introduction to Poetry and Song (Yale University Press, 2021). The award is given to a distinguished book by an author of any age or career stage. BaileyShea has been teaching music theory in the music department and at the Eastman School since 2003.
- Find out when BaileyShea began connecting poetry and song lyrics.
Susan Blaakman named a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing
Susan Blaakman, a professor of clinical nursing and the director of the Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program, was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing’s 2022 Class of Fellows. She joins several other current faculty members who have become fellows of the AAN (FAANs) throughout the years, including Mary Carey, Margaret Carno, K.C. Clevenger, Lisa Kitko, Sally Norton, Daryl Sharp, Karen Stein, and Meghan Underhill-Blazey.
- Learn more about Blaakman.

Krystel Huxlin elected to Optica’s 2023 fellow class
Krystel Huxlin, the James V. Aquavella, MD Professor and director of research for the department of ophthalmology, was selected as a fellow for her innovative approaches to visual restoration, encompassing optics, ocular biology, laser tissue-interaction, and visual behavior. Optica (formerly OSA) is dedicated to promoting the generation, application, and dissemination of knowledge in optics and photonics worldwide. Huxlin is among 109 members from 24 countries elected to the society’s 2023 fellow class.
- Read more about Optica’s newest fellows.
Jennifer Kyker wins prize for article about the ground-bow in Africa
Jennifer Kyker, an associate professor of ethnomusicology at the Eastman School of Music and an associate professor in the Arthur Satz Department of Music, has won the Society for Ethnomusicology’s Klaus P. Wachsmann Prize for Advanced and Critical Essays in Organology. Kyker’s article, “Music Under the Ground: Ethnomusicological Research on the Ground-Bow in Africa,” appeared in the journal Ethnomusicology. She situates her work with Zimbabwean bow players, including Sekuru Compound Muradzikwa, into dialogue with over a century of literature on the ground-bow throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The article also earned an honorable mention for the society’s Bruno Nettl Prize, which recognizes an outstanding publication contributing to or dealing with the history of the field of ethnomusicology.
Ann Leonhardt-Caprio’s article wins American Heart Association Council award
Ann Leonhardt-Caprio—the program coordinator of Strong Memorial Hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Center, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing, and an alumna of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program—received the American Heart Association (AHA) Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing’s 2022 Stroke Article of the Year Award. The article, “A Multi-Component Transition of Care Improvement Project to Reduce Hospital Readmissions Following Ischemic Stroke,” appeared in the April 2022 issue of The Neurohospitalist.
- Check out what Leonhardt-Caprio has to say about the award.
Alec O’Connor honored by accreditation council
Alec O’Connor, the William L. Morgan, Jr. Professor in Medicine and the associate director of the internal medicine residency program, earned the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). O’Connor was nominated for the award by his peers and the internal medicine chief residents for his innovative spirit and for serving as an incredible role model.
- Read more about O’Connor’s teaching contributions. (URMC Intranet login required)

Kathy Rideout’s article on doctor of nursing practice degrees wins journal award
School of Nursing Dean Emerita Kathy Rideout is a recipient of Nursing Outlook’s 2022 Excellence in Education Award. Rideout collaborated with seven other nurse leaders to explore the state of nursing doctoral education and provide recommendations for standardizing the requirements for DNP programs. The journal’s award recognizes their article, “Doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree in the United States: Reflecting, readjusting, and getting back on track,” which was published in 2020.
Bruce Smoller receives lifetime achievement award
The College of American Pathologists recognized Bruce Smoller, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, for his long and distinguished career at the CAP22 national conference. He formerly chaired the department and has published more than 235 original articles, 39 book chapters, and 13 textbooks on dermatopathology, receiving numerous awards for his work.
- See what Smoller had to say about this recent honor. (URMC Intranet login required)
Rochester Academy of Medicine recognizes several Rochester faculty members
The Rochester Academy of Medicine is a community-based organization of health care experts seeking to advance learning, encourage service, and initiate collaboration. Twelve individuals from the University, including several faculty, were recently recognized by the academy.
Lifetime Achievement Awards
- Nancy “Nana” Bennett received the Dr. Albert David Kaiser Medal, given to a physician who exemplifies outstanding professional and personal qualities and lifetime service in medicine, public health and community welfare. Bennett is the founder and director of the Center for Community Health & Prevention, and codirector of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute.
- Susan McDaniel, the Dr. Laurie Sands Distinguished Professor of Families and Health, received the Dr. Madeline H. Schmitt, PhD, RN, FAAN Award for Interprofessional Education, which recognizes a professional who has broken barriers in health care and continues to change the landscape of health care education and practice.
Distinguished Service Awards
- Sukardi Suba – Medical Center, School of Nursing
Distinguished Service Award: Early Career - Mehmed Emre Aktas – University of Rochester
Distinguished Service Award: Health Care Individual - Janice Schriefe – Medical Center
Distinguished Service Award: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Academic Awards
- Silvia Sörensen, Rachel Missell, Alexander Eustice-Corwin, Dorine Otieno – Warner School of Education
Carter & T. Franklin Williams Geriatric Award for “Perspectives on Aging-Related Preparation” in the Journal of Elder Policy - Michael Privitera, Kate MacNamee – Medical Center
Robert L. Berg, MD Community Health/Health Care Crisis Award
Student Scholarship Award
- Ericka Scott – School of Medicine and Dentistry
Dr. Lemuel A. Rogers’ Memorial Scholarship
Read more about the academy’s awardees. (URMC Intranet login required)