Faculty
Bérénice Benayoun
Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star in Aging Research Award, American Federation for Aging Research
Pinchas Cohen
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Kelvin J. A. Davies
USC Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award
Cristal Hill
Nathan Shock New Investigator Award, Gerontological Society of America
Mara Mather
USC Mentoring Award for Faculty Mentoring Faculty, Postdoctoral Scholars, Medical Residents, and Fellows
Students
Adam Hruby
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Vandita Gorla
First Prize, Life Sciences, USC Undergraduate Symposium for Scholarly and Creative Work
Maria Oorloff
First Prize, Life Sciences II, USC Undergraduate Symposium for Scholarly and Creative Work
Faculty
Jennifer Ailshire
Provost’s Mentoring Award, University of Southern California
Bérénice A. Benayoun
Rising Star Early Career Faculty Award, Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education
Donna Benton
Health Equity Award, University of California, Los Angeles
Pinchas Cohen
Distinguished Professor, University of Southern California
Edward L. Schneider
Clark Tibbitts Award, The Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education
Kate Wilber
Donald P. Kent Award, Gerontological Society of America
Students
Vandita Gorla
Honorable Mention, 2023 Geroscience Los Angeles Meeting, The Los Angeles Aging Research Alliance
Josh Senior
2nd Place, Undergraduate Research Award Life Sciences Category, Undergraduate Research Symposium
Best Flash Talk category, 2023 Geroscience Los Angeles Meeting, The Los Angeles Aging Research Alliance
Faculty
Bérénice Benayoun
R35 Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award, National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Eileen Crimmins
Election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Kelvin Davies
Nicolaus Copernicus Medal, University of Ferrara, Italy
Henry Jay Forman
Nicolaus Copernicus Medal, University of Ferrara, Italy
Josh Johnson
AGHE Part-Time/Adjunct Faculty Honor, Gerontological Society of America
Jon Pynoos
M. Powell Lawton Award, Gerontological Society of America
Students
Ahmicqui Bribiescas-Page (Master’s Student)
Outstanding Dietetic Student in a Coordinated Program, California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (CAND)
Karina Castillo (Master’s Student)
Exxat Diversity and Inclusion Award
Eunyoung Choi (Doctoral Student)
USC Student Recognition Award
Lauren Sutherlin (Master’s Student)
USC Latino Alumni Association Scholarship
Faculty
Bérénice Benayoun
Nathan Shock New Investigator Award, The Gerontological Society of America
Eileen Crimmins
USC Mentoring Award, Faculty Mentoring Faculty, Postdoctoral Scholars, Medical Residents, and Fellows
Irene B. Taeuber Award, Population Association of America
Administration
Maria Henke
Administrative Leadership Honor, The Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education
Students
Ariana Chen (Undergraduate Student)
Discovery Scholar Distinction
Karina Castillo (Master’s Student)
Dolores Nyhus Graduate Fellowship Fund, California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation
Ryan Doyloo (Undergraduate Student)
Renaissance Scholar Distinction;
Discovery Scholar Distinction
Hannah Fried (Master’s Student)
Corrine Williams Scholarship, California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation
Astoria Ho (Undergraduate Student)
Renaissance Scholar Prize Winner
Raelyn Mariel Kelley (Undergraduate/Master’s Student)
USC Provost’s Award
Alumni
Ranier Castillo, MSNHL ’20, R/LDN, ACSM-CPT
Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year, New Mexico Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Morgan Levine, PhD ’15
Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star Award in Aging Research
Faculty
Sean Curran
2020 Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star Award in Aging Research
American Federation of Aging Research
Susan Enguídanos
USC Mentoring Award – Faculty Mentoring Graduate Students
Bérénice Benayoun
GCRLE Junior Scholar Award
Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences Award
Jessica Y. Ho
Hanson-Thorell Family Research Scholarship
Andrei Irimia
Hanson-Thorell Family Research Scholarship
Min-Kyoung Rhee
USC General Education Teaching Award
Students
Alexander Maher (Undergraduate Student)
The Okin Award
Vanessa Ocon (Undergraduate Student)
USC Renaissance Scholar Distinction;
USC Discovery Scholar Distinction
Sharon Talasazan (Undergraduate Student)
USC Discovery Scholar Distinction
Bianca Paulus (Master’s Student)
USC Latino Alumni Association Scholarship
Kaytee Hadley (Master’s Student)
Ltc. Eleanor L. Mitchell Memorial Scholarship, AND Foundation
Conscience Princesse Bwiza (Master’s Student)
International Fellowship, American Association of University Women
Other
Min Hoo Kim (Postdoctoral Fellow)
GCRLE Junior Scholar Award
Stephanie Riemer, RDN, MSNHL ’17 (Alumni)
Outstanding Preceptor of the Year for the Western Region, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (CAND)
Ranier Castillo, R/LD, MSNHL ’20 (Alumni)
Outstanding Dietetic Student in a Coordinated Program, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (CAND)
Faculty
Bérénice Benayoun
2019 Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award
The Genetics Society of America (GSA) and the Gruber Foundation
Navigage Foundation Grant Award
Rose Hills Foundation Innovator Grant Program
Pinchas Cohen
Irving S. Wright Award of Distinction
American Federation of Aging Research
Kathleen H. Wilber
Elaine M. Brody Thought Leader Award
Gerontological Society of America
Jennifer Ailshire
USC Mentoring Award – Faculty Mentoring Graduate Students
Sean Curran
USC Provost’s Mentoring Award
Reginald Tucker-Seeley
Hanson-Thorell Family Research Scholarship
Marc Vermulst
Hanson-Thorell Family Research Scholarship
Mireille Jacobson
Navigage Foundation Grant Award
Kelvin Davies
USC Distinguished Professor Award
Fellow, American Aging Association
Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award, Sorbonne Université, Institut Pierre and Marie Curie, Institut Pasteur, CNRS, and INSERM
Students
Stephanie Bolton (Graduate Student)
Student Leadership Award
Juan Bravo (Doctoral Student)
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Rochelle Lai (Graduate Student)
Outstanding Dietetic Student in a Coordinated Program, California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Ranier Castillo (Graduate Student)
SCAN Dietetic Internship Award
Alumni
Katy Fike MS ’06, PhD ’09 (Alumni)
AFAR Icon of Aging Award
Faculty
Caleb Finch
Honorary Doctorate, École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), France
Cary Kreutzer
Outstanding Dietetics Educator Award – West Coast Region, Nutrition and Dietetic Educators and Preceptors Group, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Jennifer Ailshire
USC Graduate School Mentoring Award
Jessica Ho
IPUMS Research Award, Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota
Kelvin Davies
Officer, National Order of Merit, France
USC Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Inductee
Fellow, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Fellow, The Linnean Society of London
Pinchas Cohen
Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) Award
Top 50 “Influencers in Aging,” PBS Next Avenue
Students
Christina Sisliyan ’19 (Undergraduate Student)
Young Investigator Award, Society for Redox Biology and Medicine (SfRBM)
Gerson Galdamez (Doctoral Student)
National Health Policy Research Scholars program
Sara Gallant (Doctoral Student)
Postdoctoral Fellowship, BrightFocus Foundation;
The Psychonomic Society and Women in Cognitive Science Travel and Networking Award for Junior Scientists, The Psychonomic Society
Lauren Brown (Doctoral Student)
Poster Presentation Honor, Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science (IAPHS);
USC PhD Achievement Award
Sarah Wong ’18, Christina Sisliyan ’19 (Undergraduate Students)
Travel Awards, American Association for the Advancement of Science/National Science Foundation Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference
Science, Technology, and Research (STAR): Honored at USC Good Neighbors Campaign Dinner
Alumni and Fellows
Mafalda Cacciottolo (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Research Star Award, Los Angeles Neurological Society Neuroscience Research Competition
Gretchen Alkema, Kathy Black
Top 50 “Influencers in Aging,” PBS Next Avenue
Faculty
Christian Pike
Sex and Gender in Alzheimer’s (SAGA) Research Grant, Alzheimer’s Association
David Lee
Junior Faculty Grant, American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR)
Donna Benton
Hanson-Thorell Family Research Scholarships
“A Call for Boldness” Biddy Mason Unsung Shero Legacy Honoree, Women’s Group of Greater Los Angeles County
Eileen Crimmins
Signed Registry of Membership, National Academy of Sciences
Kelvin Davies
Hiram J. Friedsam Mentorship Award, Association for Gerontology in Higher Education
Named Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Scotland
Denham Harman Award for Lifetime Achievement in Research, American Aging Association (AGE)
Kelvin Yen
Hanson-Thorell Family Research Scholarship
Susan Enguidanos
Funding Award, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
Students
Carly Roman (Doctoral Student)
Research Fellow, National Science Foundation
Catherine Perez (Doctoral Student)
R36 Research Dissertation Award, National Institute on Aging
David Markovich (Master’s Student)
Grant Award, Brighten Award for Entrepreneurial Gerontology Competition
Jennifer Robinette (Doctoral Student)
K99 Pathway to Independence Award, National Institute on Aging
Joseph Reynolds (Doctoral Student)
Scholarship, Glenn Foundation for Medical Research / American Federation for Aging Research
Kelly Durbin (Doctoral Student)
Two-Year F31 Predoctoral Fellowship, National Institute on Aging
Kenneth Wilson (Doctoral Student)
F31 Grant, National Institute on Aging
Laura Corrales-Diaz Pomatto (Doctoral Student)
Minority Travel Award for the 2017 American Society for Cell Biology Meeting
Honorable Mention for the Rockwell Dennis Hunt Scholastic Award
Sarah Wong (Undergraduate Student)
Travel Awards to Attend 23rd Annual Meeting of the Society of Free Radical Biology and Medicine (SFRBM), USC Student Government (USG)
Barden and Centennial Scholarship, USC Skull and Dagger Foundation
Fellows and Researchers
Briana Kennedy (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Three-Year F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Institute on Aging
Christopher Beam (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Grant, Alzheimer’s Association
Mafalda Cacciottolo (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Best poster presentation, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center 1st ANNUAL FINCH AD SYMPOSIUM
Vincent Bonet-Costa (Postdoctoral Researcher)
Post-Doctoral Travel Award to attend the 2017 SFRBM Meeting, University of Southern California
Valter Longo, Min Wei, Roberta Buono, Sebastian Brandhorst (Assorted Scientists)
USC Stevens Center for Innovation Commercialization Awards, USC Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI)
Faculty
Eileen Crimmins
Elected to National Academy of Sciences
Elizabeth Zelinski
Distinguished Faculty Honor, Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE)
Greg Bearce (Lecturer)
Part-Time Faculty Recognition, Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE)
Kelvin Davies
Named Fellow of the Academy of Europe (Academia Europaea)
Sir Trevor Slater Award and Gold Medal of the International Society for Free Radical Research, Biennial International Congress of SFRR International and the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine in San Francisco, CA
Paul Irving
Influencer in Aging, Next Avenue
Pinchas Cohen
Administrative Leadership Award, Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE)
Valter Longo
Friedrich Merz Guest Professorship
Boerhaave Lecture, Dutch Society for Research on Aging (DuSRA)
Alumni
Brian Kaskie, PhD ’98
2016-2017 Health Policy and Aging Fellow, Majority Staff of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging in Washington D.C.
Faculty
Christian Pike
Mellon Mentoring Award, University of Southern California
Kelvin Davies
Named Fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry
Phoebe Liebig
Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award, 34th Annual USC Academic Honors Convocation
Sean Curran
Ewald W. Busse Research Award in Biomedical Sciences Category, The Duke University Center of the Study of Aging and Human Development
Susan Enguidanos
Named Fellow of Gerontological Society of America (GSA), 2015 GSA Annual Scientific Meeting
Tara Gruenewald
Mellon Mentoring Award, University of Southern California
Students
Catherine Perez (Doctoral Student)
Minority Issues in Gerontology Student Poster Award and the Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization (ESPO) Poster Award, Gerontological Society of America (GSA)
Jaclyn Portanova (Doctoral Student, Project Lead)
Best Presentation and Best Poster – Social Research, Policy, and Practice Category, UCLA Research Conference on Aging
Jeanine Yonashiro-Cho (Doctoral Student)
SRPP Section’s Outstanding Student Poster Award, Gerontological Society of America (GSA)
Laura Corrales-Diaz Pomatto (Doctoral Student)
Young Investigator Award, Society for Redox Biology and Medicine
Jacqueline DuPont MSG ’95, 2022
Mei-Lee Ney, 2019
Jeannine English, 2018
Peter Mullin, 2017
Rick Matros MSG ‘78, 2016
Jacqueline DuPont MSG ’95
Marilou Hamill
Mark Hamill
Eunice Launer Harris
Dr. Li Li
Rick Matros MSG ’78
Peter Mullin
Mei-Lee Ney
Keith Renken
Shari Thorell
Edna Ulasewicz
Kesten Memorial Lectureship
The Esther and Isadore Kesten Memorial Lectureship was established in 1973 by Alan Davis, son of Sophie and Leonard Davis, in memory of his grandparents. The funds from this endowed lectureship allow the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the Andrus Research Center to annually honor an individual whose research in gerontology has contributed significantly to our understanding of the aging process.
Hanson-Thorell Family Research Award
Two Hanson-Thorell Family Research Awards are awarded each year to support two junior faculty members as they explore new avenues of research.
Designed to give junior faculty members a head start, the awards are supported in part by Board of Councilors Chair Shari Thorell and her husband Bob. The award originated with funding from Shari’s father and former Board of Councilors Chairman Al Hanson.