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Alumni Award Winners

Congratulations to the 2026 Alumni Award recipients.

We are proud to recognize their professional achievements and contributions to medicine, and honor them as representatives of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

One of our most fundamental tenets is the strength and spirit of our alumni community, which has proven true now more than ever before. Together, we all share in the pursuit of excellence—in our work and in supporting one another. We recognize this year’s Alumni Award recipients for exemplifying that pursuit and celebrate their commitment to the values that define a Temple Made physician: exceptional care for their patients, generosity of spirit and a passion for serving others.

Sue Kressly, MD

Sue Kressly, MD ’86, FAAP
PAGE M. AND HENRY P. LAUGHLIN ALUMNI OF THE YEAR

Sue Kressly, MD ’86, FAAP is a pediatrician, healthcare leader, and advocate for children’s health who has played a prominent role in advancing pediatric care in the United States. Board-certified in pediatrics and clinical informatics, Dr. Kressly has devoted her career to improving the health and well-being of children through clinical practice, medical leadership, and national policy advocacy. 

Dr. Kressly was the founding owner of Kressly Pediatrics, an independent pediatric medical home in Warrington, Pennsylvania. Through her clinical work, she has emphasized family-centered care, preventive medicine, and innovative practice models that strengthen the relationship between pediatricians and the families they serve. 

Nationally, Dr. Kressly is widely recognized for her leadership within the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). In 2025, she served as President of the AAP, representing more than 67,000 pediatricians and pediatric specialists across the United States. During her presidency, she focused on critical issues affecting children and adolescents, including access to healthcare, pediatric mental health, vaccine confidence, and strengthening the pediatric workforce. 

Throughout her career, Dr. Kressly has been a strong advocate for transforming pediatric practice to better meet modern healthcare challenges. She has contributed to initiatives that promote value-based care, improve care coordination, and integrate mental and behavioral health services into pediatric settings. Her work also includes mentoring physicians and supporting policies that protect children’s health and development. 

A Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP), Dr. Kressly is widely respected for her commitment to child advocacy, evidence-based medicine, and community engagement. 

Lynne Holden, MD

Lynne Holden, MD '91
MEDICAL ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Lynne Holden, MD ’91 is a distinguished emergency medicine physician, educator, and national leader in advancing diversity in the biomedical workforce. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Howard University and her medical degree from Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine. She completed her residency in the Jacobi/Montefiore Emergency Medicine Residency Program, where she served as chief resident. 

Dr. Holden serves as a practicing emergency medicine physician at Montefiore Health System and is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where she is among the first Black women to hold such a position nationally. She currently serves as Senior Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Outreach. 

A nationally recognized thought leader, Dr. Holden is Co-founder and President of Mentoring in Medicine, Inc. (MIM), which has impacted tens of thousands of students and families since 2007. Through early academic enrichment, parent programming, mentoring and leadership development, MIM has equipped nearly 1,200 students to realize their dream to successfully gain admission to health profession programs with 602 becoming physicians.  

Her leadership extends to organizations such as the American Board of Emergency Medicine, Friends of the National Library of Medicine and the National Medical Association where she served as past Chair of the Emergency Medicine Section.  

Dr. Holden was previously recognized as the Lewis Katz School of Medicine’s Gallery of Success recipient in 2023. 

Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr. MD

Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr. MD '81
MEDICAL ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., MD ’81, is a distinguished orthopedic surgeon specializing in Adult Hip and Knee Reconstruction. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Saint Joseph’s University before earning his medical doctorate from The Lewis Katz School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center before pursuing advanced fellowships with Dr. Thomas Mallory at Joint Implant Surgeons in Columbus and Dr. Gerard Engh at Anderson Orthopaedic Institute in Arlington, Virginia. 

Dr. Lombardi joined Joint Implant Surgeons in 1987, helping grow the practice—now JIS Orthopedics—into a leading multi-specialty group. His vision led to the development of New Albany Surgical Hospital in 2003, now part of Mount Carmel Health System, and later the creation of White Fence Surgical Suites, where over 18,000 outpatient joint replacements have been performed. 

A Clinical Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University, Dr. Lombardi has authored hundreds of scholarly works and holds multiple patents in orthopedic technology. He has served as President of The Hip Society and The Knee Society and remains active in global education. 

Committed to humanitarian care, he founded Operation Walk USA and also volunteers internationally. His service has earned numerous honors, including an honorary doctorate from Ohio Dominican University in 2011 and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons Humanitarian Award in 2015.

Lawrence I. Kaplan, MD

Lawrence I. Kaplan, MD’86, MHPE, MACP
MEDICAL ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD

Lawrence I. Kaplan, MD’86, MHPE, MACP, is a distinguished general internist and educator with more than four decades of experience in academic medicine. He currently serves as Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Interprofessional Education at Katz, where he plays a central role in advancing ambulatory and community-based education. Throughout his career, Dr. Kaplan has demonstrated a deep commitment to training future healthcare professionals and improving collaborative practice across disciplines. 

He has contributed extensively to national medical education efforts, serving on key committees for organizations such as the American Board of Internal Medicine, the Society of General Internal Medicine, the National Board of Medical Examiners, and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. His work has included curriculum development, assessment design, and accreditation review. A prolific scholar, Dr. Kaplan has authored more than 60 publications, including articles, book chapters, abstracts, and reviews. 

Recognized for his excellence in teaching and service, Kaplan has received multiple honors, including Mastership in the American College of Physicians and Temple University’s Great Teacher Award. He has served on the Board of Directors for Katz’s Medical Alumni Association since 2008.

Jennifer Caruso, PA-C

Jennifer Caruso, PA-C ‘21
EMERGING LEADER AWARD

Jennifer Caruso, PA-C ‘21 is a dedicated advocate for pediatric patients and their families. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences at Northeastern University before earning her Physician Assistant degree from Katz in 2021. 

After working for three years at New York-Presbyterian Hospital as an inpatient Physician Assistant on the Malignant Hematology team, Jen returned to her hometown of Boston to fulfill her dream of working at Boston Children’s Hospital on the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Team.  

Caruso is the Co-Founder and President of the Swirls Around the World Foundation, a nonprofit foundation that honors the life and legacy of her cousin, Matthew “Swirls” Cirelli, that focuses on supporting children and young adults battling cancer, along with their families.  

Her advocacy extends across numerous national and regional organizations, including Tommy’s Place, Love Your Melon, Candlelighters NYC, Blood Cancer United, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, and CureFest for Childhood Cancer. 

In addition to service and leadership, Jen has contributed to pediatric oncology research, including a first-author systematic review conducted at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute titled Second malignancies in patients treated for Ewing sarcoma: A systemic review and Evidence-Based Medicine Research Capstone: Molecular Testing in Pediatric Germ Cell Tumor at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 

Dr. Shannon Wong, MD, RES

Dr. Shannon Wong, MD, RES ’97
DISTINGUISHED RESIDENT ALUMNI AWARD

Dr. Shannon Wong, MD, RES ’97 is a prominent ophthalmologist based in Austin, Texas, recognized for his expertise in surgical vision correction. An Austin native, he completed his undergraduate studies at Rice University and earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. He then pursued an internship at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in California and completed his ophthalmology residency at Temple University Hospital, where he served as chief resident.  

Dr. Wong is the CEO of Austin Eye, a leading practice specializing in LASIK, cataract surgery, and premium lens replacement. Over his career, he has performed thousands of laser vision corrections, cataract and lens replacement procedures, establishing himself as one of the most experienced surgeons in his field.  

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Wong has contributed significantly to medical education. He co-founded the Mitchel and Shannon Wong Eye Institute – the academic ophthalmology program at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School - supporting research, education, and advanced patient care in ophthalmology.  There he serves as an affiliate faculty member and helps train future ophthalmologists in their residency training program.  

Also a strong proponent of professional development at Temple, Dr. Wong established the Dr. Shannon and Betty Wong Business of Ophthalmology Endowed Lectureship and will serve as the inaugural lecturer in April 2026.  In 2021, he and his wife Betty also established the Temple University Hospital Department of Ophthalmology Research Fund. 

In 2023, Newsweek magazine recognized Dr. Shannon Wong as one of “America’s Best Doctors” – an honor bestowed upon the top 1% of US ophthalmologists. 

Hannah Ravreby, MD

Hannah Ravreby, MD
HONORED PROFESSOR AWARD

Hannah Ravreby, MD ’10, is a dedicated clinician-educator, widely recognized for her commitment to compassionate patient care, medical education, and student mentorship. She currently serves as Professor of Clinical Medicine and Assistant Dean of Academic Coaching at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. 

Dr. Ravreby earned a bachelor’s degree in History from Cornell University. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania before returning to Temple as a faculty member in the Section of Hospital Medicine, where she has made a lasting impact on both clinical care and teaching. 

An award-winning educator, Dr. Ravreby has received honors including the Golden Apple Award, the Faculty Education Excellence Award, and the Russell and Pearl Moses Memorial Award for Outstanding Clinical Teaching. She was also recognized with Temple University Health System’s Patient Experience Award for her dedication to delivering compassionate, patient-centered care to the North Philadelphia community. 

Passionate about developing future physicians, Dr. Ravreby served as Internal Medicine Clerkship Director for eight years where she co-founded the residency’s Medical Education Track. Since 2021, she has led student coaching initiatives as Assistant Dean, supporting learners’ growth and success.