Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences celebrated students in the Class of 2026 for their academic achievements during its May 13 convocation ceremony.
The ceremony, hosted by Dr. Barbara Hempstead, dean of Weill Cornell Graduate School, honored students who are graduating with their master’s degrees, as well as those who earned special awards and prizes for their accomplishments in research, scholarship and service. The ceremony also recognized exemplary graduate school faculty.
2026 Award Winners
Distinguished Student Commencement Speaker Award
Kenneth Wayne Johnson
Pharmacology Program
(Mentor: Conor Liston, M.D., Ph.D.)
Julian R. Rachele Prize
Daniel Barnett, “Mitochondrial complex III-derived ROS amplify immunometabolic changes in astrocytes and promote dementia pathology.” Nature Metabolism. (Mentor: Anna Orr, Ph.D., Adam Orr, Ph.D.)
UkJin Lee, “Postmitotic transcription and 3D regulation show locus-specific and differentiation-specific responses to cohesion depletion.” Nature Genetics. (Mentor: Effie Apostolou, Ph.D.)
David P. Hajjar Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring Award
Minkui Luo, Ph.D.
Member, Sloan Kettering Institute
Chemical Biology Program
Program Specific Teaching and Mentoring Awards