“The Maimonides Awards recognize excellence and commitment. These award recipients represent those qualities and more and we’re eager to see the positive contributions they will make in their respective healthcare fields and society overall. Touro is a recognized leader in the health sciences, it is now the responsibility of each of our graduates to help carry that tradition of excellence forward,” said Steven Lorenzet, Dean of the School of Health Sciences. He implored the graduates to use the knowledge and skills they developed at the School of Health Sciences to make a positive change in the lives of the people and patients they will serve.

Kevin Souvenir, newly minted Doctor of Physical Therapy, who won the 2023 Maimonides Award is already employed at two physical therapy practices including an outpatient specialty clinic that focuses on holistic wellness and an outpatient orthopedic clinic catering to athletes, dancers, and men with pelvic floor dysfunction.

“I’m the first person in my family to receive a doctorate and I would not have made it to this point without the support of the people closest to me. Everything I am, everything I do, everything I will be is because of them. My life’s motto is ‘movement is medicine’ so as a physical therapist, I’m grateful for the incredible opportunity to assist my patients in reducing their pain and discomfort, while addressing their motor impairments to improve their quality of life. I also hope to one day teach in the field so I can play a key role in cultivating the next generation of practitioners,” said Souvenir.

The other award recipients include: Maya Perry and Danielle V. Dahan of the Occupational Therapy program; Vanessa Leverich of the Physical Therapy program; Cassandra Gutierrez of the Speech and Language Pathology program; and Aviva Lieberman of the nursing program.