Student Awards and Recognition

Award for Advocacy and Volunteerism in Genetic Counseling

This award recognizes one graduate each year who exemplifies the goals of advocacy, service, and outreach in support of the field and improved patient care, essential components of the genetic counseling profession.

The Excellence in Counseling Award 

The excellence in counseling award is presented at graduation to the student who exemplifies the best counseling skills in his/her clinical placements and has strong academic credentials. The Excellence in Counseling Award committee, composed of clinical supervisors and previous award recipients, reviews the students nominated for the award.

Genetic Counseling Distinguished Student Award

One student from each graduating class is chosen by the Genetic Counseling Program leadership for both academic excellence (GPA, as provided by the Registrar's office) and application of counseling theory to provide personalized and empathetic patient care.

LabCorp Genetic Counseling Award

The University of Pennsylvania Master of Science in Genetic Counseling Program is one of only two selected by LabCorp (formerly Integrated Genetics) to participate in this program. Interested students apply for this two-year scholarship following the announcement of the Match, and the selected student receives a substantial scholarship award during each of their two academic years as well as a summer stipend to defray expenses for a required eight-week prenatal genetic rotation at a LabCorp clinical site between the first and second years of the program.  Upon graduation, scholarship recipients are expected to meet the requirements for and accept an offer of employment for three years with LabCorp at one of its many clinical locations.

LEND - The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

The LEND program at CHOP is funded by a grant from the Maternal Child Health Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Applicants for the LEND fellowship have a particular interest in pediatrics, neurodevelopmental disability, advocacy, and underserved populations. LEND supports fellows in developing expertise and skills in these areas and provides an opportunity to work with interdisciplinary teams and directly with community programs designed to improve care for these populations.  Fellows spend one day each week with the LEND team and receive a substantial stipend.  More about the LEND program at CHOP.

LEND has been a fantastic experience. I enjoy learning with and from students from other disciplines, such as occupational therapy, nutrition, nursing, social work, and psychology. Together, we learn how to use an interdisciplinary approach in clinic and in research by observing the Regional Autism Center (RAC), interacting with families outside of clinic, and collaborating on projects.  Nicole Kasatkin

The Marie Barr Genetic Counseling Research Award – CdLs and Related Diagnoses

This is a competitive award given each spring to a first-year student with strong academic and counseling credentials who is interested in completing a thesis project on Cornelia de Lange syndrome or other rare developmental diagnoses. The award honors the late Marie Barr, one of the first genetic counselors in the Philadelphia area. It seeks to "promote the development of expertise in genetic counseling issues related to rare developmental diagnoses." The award was established in 2014 by Marie's husband, Laird Jackson, MD, and Ian Krantz, MD, director of the Center for Cornelia de Lange Syndrome and Related Diagnoses at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  It includes a stipend of $2,000 to fund the student's thesis project.

Published Research Award

This award is presented on Thesis Day to the graduate from the previous year who is the first in the graduating class to have their thesis research accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. 

Special Recognition

Class of 2024

Camille Brown - North American Mitochondrial Disease Consortium 2023/2024 Gateway to Mitochondrial Medicine Grant

Mackenzie Coston - Best Student Abstract, 2024 Pennsylvania Association of Genetic Counselors Conference

Ingrid Lee - Top Abstract Commendation, ACMG Annual Meeting 2024

Apurba Mainali - Perelman School of Medicine Master's Student Colloquium Best Abstract Award Winner, 2024

Anna Prentice - Top Abstract Commendation, ACMG Annual Meeting 2024

Class of 2023

Brielle Gehringer - Best Student Abstract, 2023 Pennsylvania Association of Genetic Counselors Conference

Kellyn Madden - Perelman School of Medicine Master's Student Colloquium Best Abstract Award Winner, 2023

Class of 2022

Allayna Frank - Best Student Abstract, 2022 Pennsylvania Association of Genetic Counselors Conference

Class of 2021 

Avi Anantharajah - recipient of a Student Annual Conference Scholarship funded by NSGC.  His article, “Redefining Medical Mistrust in the Post-Pandemic Era,” was selected for publication in the Genetic Counselor Insights section of Perspectives in July 2021.

Jamie Atondo - first place in the Pennsylvania Association of Genetic Counselors' annual essay contest

Brigitte Cronier - honorable mention in the Pennsylvania Association of Genetic Counselors' annual essay contest

Michaela Mundt - Best Student Abstract Award at the 2021 Pennsylvania Association of Genetic Counselors Conference for “Genetic counseling supervisors’ perceptions on working with multiple programs”