2025 Susan B. Anthony Legacy Awards - Susan B. Anthony Center

The Susan B. Anthony Legacy Awards are a 75 year plus tradition honoring exceptional women from the University of Rochester community and their achievements. The Susan B. Anthony Center presents the awards annually to professional women leaders and University of Rochester undergraduate women. The event will include a breakfast buffet and ceremony to honor the 2025 award winners.

Except for reserved spots, campus parking lots will be open to the public.

Saturday, April 26th
10:30am – 12:30pm EDT
Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons, UR River Campus

RSVP required.

Award Winners

Read more about the history of the awards and their descriptions here.

Susan B. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award

Susan Hyman, MD

Susan L Hyman MD, Professor of Pediatrics, is a Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician who served as division chief of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics at the University of Rochester, Golisano Children’s Hospital for 15 years. She received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Brown University, completed a residency in Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Fellowship in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities at the Kennedy Krieger Institute of the Johns Hopkins Hospital. UR sponsored her participation in the ELAM (Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine) program in 2011. Her clinical work and research during her 30 years on the faculty at the University of Rochester focused on assessment and management of children and youth with autism and other developmental disabilities. Her research funders have included the NIH, Department of Defense, and Autism Treatment Network. A professional goal was to improve the care of individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families which she did through her work for the Executive Committee of the Council on Children with Disabilities and chair of the Autism Subcommittee of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She was on the Board of Autism Up and the Autism Family Foundation locally and the scientific advisory committee for the Autism Science Foundation, Autism Speaks, Department of Defense Autism Initiative, among others. She had excellent mentorship at UR from Patricia Rodier, PhD and Tristram Smith, PhD and tried to “pay it forward” with attention to the educational and mentorship needs of clinical and research trainees and junior faculty in pediatrics, psychology, nursing and other members of the interprofessional team in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

Susan B. Anthony Lifetime Service Award

Carolyn Patterson

Susan B. Anthony Emerging Leader Award

Laura Stamm, PhD

Laura Stamm is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Health Humanities & Bioethics at the University of Rochester Medical Center where she also serves as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Department of Medicine. Additionally, she is a current Health Equity Scholars for Action fellow with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, carrying out a national study on the impact of gender-affirming care legislation on providers’ practices. Dr. Stamm’s research takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the impact of social and political forces on the provision of health care to marginalized communities. Her work appears in various journals and media outlets, including TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly, Cancer, The Hill, and Journal of Primary Care and Community Health.

Student Awards

Susan B. Anthony Scholarship

Lizmairi Vargas Santa ’26

Lizmairi Vargas Santa is a Junior double majoring in Economics and Business with a minor in Spanish studies. Lizmairi was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New Jersey since she was 10 years old. Lizmairi has had a passion for education equality in the Dominican Republic since her middle school years. She has conducted research and has designed and led conferences in the Dominican Republic with the aim of uncovering the hardships of young students in the south of Dominican Republic. Lizmairi is a Handler Scholar, the Barbara Douglas-Lindo Women in Leadership Awardee and the 2023 Delno Sisson Prize recipient. In 2024, Lizmairi was the Davis Projects for Peace recipient of the University of Rochester. She travelled to the Dominican Republic and hosted a seminar to help young students empower themselves through community activism and advocacy. Today, Lizmairi is the 2024-2025 president of the Douglass Leadership House and the founder of Creando Futuros Brillantes, a non-profit organization seeking financial and developmental support to help young students reach their goals on her beautiful island, the Dominican Republic.

Mykaila Meunier ’26

Mykaila Meunier is a first generation college student pursing a major in biology at UR. Beyond her academics, she is a coxswain on UR’s women rowing team. Throughout her time at the university, Mykaila has been involved in many clubs and has demonstrated her leadership by serving on executive boards. Currently, she is president of the res life DLion organization after taking up the VP role the previous year. Through this org, Mykaila as a chair member of the First Year Residential Experience (FYRE) and the dlions have strived to connect first year students through social engagement and community service opportunities.

Fannie Bigelow Prize

Raquel Williams ’25

Raquel Williams is a senior at the University of Rochester, double majoring in Health Policy and Black Studies with a minor in Political Science. In addition to academics, Raquel has been an integral member of the varsity basketball team while also using their platform to advocate for equity and inclusion. Recognizing the need for community and support among Black student-athletes, she founded and is the President of the Black Student Athlete Coalition, fostering community, mentorship, and systemic change on campus. This led to her being the first U of R delegate and current president of the UAA Black Letter winning Athlete Coalition (UAA BLAC), the first Division 3 cross-conference Black student athlete group.

Additionally, Raquel has been actively involved in the campus community, being on executive boards for both the Black Students’ Union and the Committee of Political Engagement, further demonstrating their commitment to advocacy, civic engagement, and social justice. Beyond their extracurricular leadership, Raquel conducts research in Political Science, analyzing legislators’ voting patterns on historical issues with modern-day consequences. Their leadership, scholarship, and dedication to creating lasting change has all been inspired by making a difference both in and out of the classroom.

Juliana Montes ’25

Juliana Montes is a first generation Mexican American student from Phoenix Arizona. She is an ECO scholar, Kearns Scholar, and Brady scholar who has held several positions on the Spanish and Latina Student Association (SALSA), Spanish and Latino Students In training for Awareness (SALSITA), and the Frederick Douglass Leadership House (DLH), some of those being the Vice President of SALSA, and Co-president of SALSITA. If that is not enough, she has also been working 3 campus jobs while in these roles. She is a communications assistant at the Center for Community Engagement, a community ambassador at Innovation Square through Reslife, and a speaking fellow for the Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program, where she is also currently the President of the Speaking Fellows. Juliana has been able to do all this while also creating her own interdisciplinary major in Cognitive Ethnomusicology.

If there are three things Juliana is passionate about, they are community, education, and expression. Throughout her time at the University of Rochester, Juliana has given several presentations, here at U of R or at the National Association of Communication Center’s conferences, focused on bringing more awareness, representation and respect to minorities, specifically from black and brown communities, in higher education and in the workplace. Juliana is not only determined to make her voice heard, but those in her community or outside of it whose voices have continued to be diminished.

Sue S. Stewart Award

Jaydee Ortez ’25

Jaydee Ortez is a senior at the University of Rochester, double majoring in Psychology and American Sign Language. A first-generation Latine woman from Chicago, Illinois, she is deeply committed to advocating for underrepresented communities, particularly Black and Latine adolescents in urban cities. Throughout her time at the University of Rochester, Jaydee has held various leadership roles within the Spanish and Latino Students’ Association. Currently, she serves as the Programming Chair for Adelante Juntos, where she fosters meaningful community engagement between UR students and the local Latine Rochester community, with a focus on supporting Latine undocumented populations. Passionate about social justice and identity development, Jaydee aspires to pursue a PhD in Human Development. Her goal is to empower minority groups and contribute to research that advances their acceptance and integration with their communities.

Jane R. Plitt Award

Alana Eisenberg ’25

Alana Eisenberg is a 4th year Neuroscience major and psychology minor from Madbury New Hampshire. Alana is passionate about advocacy, mentorship, and direct support for women facing systemic barriers. As a respondent for the SAAVE Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Hotline, she provides survivors with a compassionate ear and essential resources, deepening her understanding of the challenges women face. Through the Storybook Project,
she helps parents including incarcerated mothers maintain connections with their children, offering them moments of dignity and humanity. Additionally, as a caregiver for a teenager with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and a mentor to undergraduate women in neuroscience, she is committed to fostering confidence and self-advocacy. She is grateful for her time at the University of Rochester and looks forward to completing her Community Health Fellowship with Project Horseshoe Farm next year.

Dean Ruth A. Merrill Award

Gulsinam Akhmadzhanova ’26

Gulsinam Akhmadzhanova is a first-generation, pre-medical student in her third year at the University of Rochester, double majoring in Mathematics and Psychology. Her journey began in 2005 when she and her family sought refuge in Rochester, NY, as Meskhetian immigrants. The unwavering support of the Rochester community helped her family navigate the challenges of resettlement, shaping her deep commitment to giving back. With a passion for service, Gulsinam has dedicated herself to addressing health disparities and fostering community well-being. She has worked extensively with non-profit organizations, particularly InterVol, to support efforts combating the Social Determinants of Health. Her hands-on experience as a home health aide, patient care technician, and research assistant has further reinforced her desire to serve others.

On campus, Gulsinam is an active student leader. She serves as Vice President of the Class of 2026 Council, a teaching assistant, and an event planner, helping organize meaningful celebrations and initiatives for the student body. After graduation, Gulsinam plans to continue her education in medicine. She aspires to make a lasting impact in the field of healthcare, using her civic engagement and advocacy to address disparities and improve patient outcomes as a future physician.