On October 13, colleagues, friends, and family gathered in Murphy Auditorium for the 2026 Dean’s Honors Day, a storied tradition of honoring NYU Langone Health faculty for their achievements and commitment to education, patient care, and research. This year, more than 240 faculty were honored for being appointed chair or institute director, receiving a named professorship, earning tenure, or achieving a promotion.

“Those being honored today have demonstrated, time and again, a deep commitment to their patients, students, fellow colleagues, and communities,” said Dean and CEO Alec C. Kimmelman, MD, PhD. “You embody the very best in academic medicine and the excellence that defines NYU Grossman School of Medicine.”

Each faculty member was recognized by Dean Kimmelman along with Joan F. Cangiarella, MD, executive vice president and vice dean for education, faculty, and academic affairs, and Fiona B. Druckenmiller, chair of NYU Langone Health’s Board of Trustees. As is tradition, the faculty members were named Master Clinician, Master Educator, and Master Scientist. Each has set the standard for what a career in medicine can be.

This year, the Master Mentor Award was also introduced. The award is possible due to generous funding from NYU Langone trustee Trudy Elbaum Gottesman and her husband, Robert Gottesman. Their recent gift created the Sala Elbaum Mentorship Fund, establishing mentorship as a universal part of NYU Langone’s infrastructure.

Dean’s Honors Day 2026 Honorees

Master Clinician

Jennifer Havens, MD, Arnold Simon Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Chair, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine; Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYC Health + Hospitals

“Jenny Havens, our Master Clinician, is described by her closest colleagues as a force of nature, a legend, a powerhouse, an N-of-1, and one of the few people in the world who are always right,” said Dean Kimmelman. “According to her colleagues, Jenny is so effective as a psychiatrist and leader because she is radically genuine, both candid and fierce, while also being profoundly caring and loyal.”

Master Educator

Sondra R. Zabar, MD, Director, Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation; Director, Standardized Patient Program; Professor, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

“Under Sandy’s leadership, the Division [of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation] has proven in its short history to be a powerhouse for improving patient outcomes and driving clinical innovation at NYU Langone,” said Dean Kimmelman. “Her work to position medical education as a critical driver of a learning health system has been invaluable as we translate the learnings from the classroom into insights for better care.”

Master Scientist

Dafna Bar-Sagi, PhD, Saul J. Farber Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology; Executive Vice President and Vice Dean for Science; Chief Scientific Officer; Professor, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

“When it comes to our Master Scientist Dafna Bar-Sagi, even the word ‘master’ somehow feels a little understated. Since arriving at NYU Langone, Dafna has helped propel our research mission to the very top—both in impact and in funding,” said Dean Kimmelman. “Her passion for pure science is as intense as ever, and her work continues to bring new hope to patients with pancreatic cancer and their families.”

Catherine S. Manno, MD, Master Mentor

Hye-Chun Hur, MD, MPH, Director of Gynecology Services, NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn; Clinical Professor and Vice Chair of Faculty Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

“As a mentor herself, Hye-Chun goes to extraordinary lengths to support her colleagues, routinely spending evenings teaching surgical skills, leading simulation exercises, and helping surgeons find their voices as effective educators,” said Dean Kimmelman. “As one colleague put it, Hye-Chun’s innovative approach has built a culture in which mentorship is viewed not as an obligation, but as an essential component of academic success.”

Valentine Mott Founders Award

Thomas S. Murphy Jr., Co-Founder and Partner, Crestview; co-chair, NYU Langone Health Board of Trustees

“Tom's connection to our health system runs deep. For the past 16 years, he has been making his own indelible mark on the institution. Tom has been instrumental in creating the financial strength we benefit from today, positioning us to be the best in science and technology and allowing us to increase access to the many communities we serve, including our expansion on Long Island,” said Dean Kimmelman. “And Tom and his wife, Karen, have made remarkable gifts to foster our most forward-thinking initiatives.”