Class of 2024 Special Honors and Awards

Robert Moore Award for Excellence in Scholarship

The Robert Moore Award is a $1,000 award that is presented to a doctoral student whose defended dissertation meets high standards of scholarship.

Tessa Jones

Global Social Work Impact Award

This award honors a student who demonstrates a strong commitment to enhancing social work practice within the context of global interdependence, social work engagement abroad, and/or practice with diverse globally connected populations in the United States.

Wenyao Stephanie Wang

Impactful Community Program Award

This award honors a program or initiative facilitated by a group, council, or student that promoted the mission of NYU Silver while enhancing the community and improving student life at the School.

Peer Support Leadership Program

• Tania Abrar Hameed
• Samantha Luxmikanthan
• YeBin Shiny Park
• Stephanie Secaira
• Stephanie Allison Varela
• Kira Weilerstein

Social Work Values in Practice Award

This award recognizes a student that best exemplifies one or more of the social work core values: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, and/or competence in the classroom, placement, and/or greater community.

Mashrafi Nur Anwar
Vivi Pham

Social Workin’ It Award

This award recognizes a student who demonstrates exemplary dedication in fostering inclusive communities, a genuine commitment to connecting people, and cultivating an environment at Silver where all members feel valued and supported.

Daniel Ni
Daniella Acosta

Community Catalyst Distinction Award

This award honors graduating student leaders who in the face of challenges emanating from the COVID pandemic, harnessed their social work skills to empower others, lead initiatives that foster connections and ignite change, and enhance community spirit.

Andy Gabriel Checo
Raeli Chesser
Gerri Kelli Naomi Connaught
Samantha Luxmikanthan
Charles W Russell
Ben Sher
Enya Tellez
Sadie Zuch

Cara Haefner Scholarship

This scholarship in memory of alumna Cara Dawn Haefner, MSW ’14, is awarded annually to one student at Silver’s Rockland County Campus.

Natalis Urena Mendez

NYU Student of the Year, New York State Society for Clinical Social Work, Rockland Chapter

Jessica Castillo

Excellence in Clinical Social Work Essay Contest Winner, New York State Society for Clinical Social Work, Rockland Chapter 

Natalie Kinoian

Excellence in Clinical Social Work Essay Contest Runners Up, New York State Society for Clinical Social Work, Rockland Chapter 

Natalis Urena Mendez
Shaniya Warren

Undergraduate Founder’s Day Awards

The University honors undergraduate students with superior academic records by designating them Founder’s Day Scholars. The award recipients have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5.

Ella Abourjaily
Isabella Couto
Maija Dixon
Rebeca Noemi Espinosa Delgado
Darrion Hun
Allie Hunter
Becky Lifshitz Isaac
Asha MacKay
Christine O'Connor
Kristen Raisner
Karol Rubiano
Nina Sasakawa
Yasmin Sobhanian
Ella Sunshine
Enya Tellez

Pi Pi Chapter Graduating Students

Phi Alpha Honor Society invites into membership those who have achieved excellence in scholarship and demonstrated their dedication to humanitarian goals. Now in its fourteenth year, the Pi Pi Chapter of Phi Alpha is the largest student organization at the Silver School of Social Work. In addition to maintaining exceptionally high standards of academic achievement, each member of the Pi Pi chapter volunteers time to charitable organizations in the community.

Molly Abrams
Abiola Brooks
Eliane Isabella Cook
Caitlin Frankel
Karen Duchensky Gorman
Allie Hunter
Sayran Ihsan
George M McDowell
Christine O’Connor
Freddy W Sanchez
Lauren Steciak

MSW Orientation Leaders welcome new students to Silver and help them adjust to life as a MSW student. Orientation leaders are assigned a group of new students that they lead and support with a specific focus on MSW Student Orientation and the first six weeks of the spring semester.

Elodie Bretous
Katherine Esposito
Simran Gupta *
Samantha Luxmikanthan *
Giselle Mora *
Daniel Ni
John Norris
John Martin Pino *
Melissa Cenona Rivera-Llaguno *
Dymond Santos
Stephanie Secaira
Anastasia Steel
Stephanie Varela *

* Student Group Leader

Silver Peer Leaders were the first to welcome new Silver undergraduate students to the community over the summer, during orientation, and beyond. They served as role models, advocates, and mentors for incoming first year students.

Andy Gabriel Checo *
Corinne Grayson *
Shoma Nasrin Nahar
Maya Elizabeth Vazquez *

* Student Group Leader

Silver Champions is an ambassador program that connects prospective and newly admitted students with current MSW students or MSW alumni. Champions are volunteers who draw upon their experiences to highlight the opportunities and benefits of an NYU education. They have the necessary skills to help newly admitted and prospective students throughout the application process and serve as mentors.

Casey Accardi
Anamaria Alvarez
Maria Fernanda Amado Cordova
Lexi Cardenas
Junghee Cho
Katherine Esposito
Julianna Emily Curran Frank
Caitlin Frankel
Paige Graning
Tania Abrar Hameed *
Miku Isobe
Jeremy Johnston
Aysha Khawaja
Ally Kuhn
Landzie Lindor
Emely Lopez
Samantha Luxmikanthan *
Gitanjali Malapatti *
Deirdre Marcigliano
Shazakye Mustafa
Keana Nelson
Zoe Ngai
Marisa Lynn Office
Jennifer Joan Piehler
Charles W Russell *
Ashley Schlemmer
Charlie Ying Thao
Irine Thomas
Molly Michele Tierney
Stephanie Allison Varela *
Juliana Venditti

* Student Group Leader