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Dean’s Honors Day highlights the incredible faculty and work happening at 91����Ƶ Langone Health, and 91����Ƶ Grossman Long Island School of Medicine hosted its third annual event this year. On October 21, faculty, colleagues, and loved ones gathered at the Garden City Hotel Grand Ballroom to honor excellence, awarding attendees with promotions, elevations to chair, elections to division or director leadership, and special awards for distinguished work.

“Today, we are here to recognize our staff for their extraordinary accomplishments in clinical care, education, and research,” said Joseph J. Greco, MD, executive vice president and chief of hospital operations at 91����Ƶ Langone Hospital—Long Island, opening the ceremony. “Thank you, not only to all of the faculty being honored but also to the peers and mentors who help our school, our hospital, and our health system be the No. 1 health system for Long Island.”

“This evening isn’t just about titles or distinctions. It’s about what those honors represent—the creativity, the compassion, and the perseverance that drive quality, safety, discovery, and care across our health system,” said Alec C. Kimmelman, MD, PhD, dean of 91����Ƶ Grossman School of Medicine and CEO of 91����Ƶ Langone Health. “Whether you are a clinician, an educator, a scientist, or a mentor, your impact isn’t measured only in papers or procedures. It’s measured in the lives you change, the doctors you shape, and the communities you serve.”

“There is so much that we have accomplished together in these short six years as a school and so much to be proud of. I want to express my deepest gratitude for your dedication, your commitment, and the enthusiasm with which you approach every aspect of your work,” said , dean of 91����Ƶ Grossman Long Island School of Medicine. “You are not only educators, researchers, and clinicians; you are mentors, innovators, and role models. Through your leadership and passion, you have helped solidify our institution's reputation as a beacon of medical excellence.”

This year’s ceremony bestowed four awards, Distinguished Clinician, Distinguished Educator, Distinguished Scientist, and the Dean’s Excellence Award, on proud faculty members representing excellence in their respective fields. An additional award, the Distinguished Faculty Mentor, was also added to the festivities, recognizing career-long excellence in mentorship.

John K. Maesaka, MD, professor in the Department of Medicine, and this year’s Distinguished Faculty Mentor, was unfortunately unable to attend the ceremony. “A mentor to generations of physicians and researchers, Dr. Maesaka’s legacy is marked by intellectual rigor, curiosity, and a commitment to challenging conventional wisdom,” said Dean Ayala. “His work has sparked national and international debate, earned publication in leading journals, and continues to shape the future of nephrology.”

Dean’s Honors Day Honorees

The following faculty members were honored at the event.

Distinguished Educator
Ralph K. Della Ratta, MD
Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine
Course Director, Practice of Medicine

“Dr. Della Ratta has taught medical students, interns, and residents since 1989, serving as director of the medicine clerkship for 25 years and later as the practice of medicine course director at 91����Ƶ Grossman Long Island School of Medicine since 2019,” said Dean Ayala. “His excellence in teaching has been recognized through numerous awards, including the 91����Ƶ Winthrop Residency Attending Teacher of the Year Award, the Aesculapius Excellence in Teaching Award (SUNY Renaissance School of Medicine), the NYACP Laureate Award, the 91����Ƶ Grossman Long Island School of Medicine’s Excellence in Teaching and Humanism in Medicine award, and induction into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.”

Dean’s Excellence Award
Wendy L. Kinzler, MD
Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 91����Ƶ Grossman Long Island School of Medicine
Associate Dean, Graduate Medical Education
Designated Institutional Official

“Dr. Kinzler is a highly accomplished physician and educator whose career spans clinical excellence, educational leadership, and institutional service,” said Dean Ayala. “Dr. Kinzler continues to practice clinically as a professor in maternal–fetal medicine and remains deeply committed to the school’s mission through her contributions in education, research, mentorship, and clinical care.”

Distinguished Clinician
Vijaya L. Atluru, MD
Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Neurology

“Dr. Atluru’s compassionate care is inspired by her own childhood experiences and her deep fascination with the brain. As the first in her family to pursue medicine, she serves as a role model and mentor to future physicians,” said Dean Ayala. “Her decades-long career reflects an unwavering dedication to advancing pediatric neurology and improving the lives of her patients through personalized, forward-thinking care.”

Distinguished Scientist
Nazeeh N. Hanna, MD
Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Foundations of Medicine
Chief, Neonatology, 91����Ƶ Langone Hospital—Long Island
Director, Women and Children Research Laboratory, 91����Ƶ Langone Hospital—Long Island

“For over two decades, Dr. Hanna’s [National Institutes of Health]–funded research has advanced the fields of reproductive immunology and neonatal health, with groundbreaking studies on placental and milk-derived extracellular vesicles and microRNAs,” said Dean Ayala. “His work has deepened understanding of preterm birth, neonatal dysphagia, and the protective effects of breast milk in premature infants.”