Twelve distinguished alumni and faculty celebrated for their remarkable achievements
On October 23, Baylor College of Medicine honored its 2025 Alumni Award recipients. Ceremony attendees gathered at the Hotel ZaZa Houston Museum District to celebrate the twelve honorees, who comprise notable Baylor alumni and faculty. This year’s celebration held special significance as Baylor commemorates its 125th anniversary and honored more than a century of excellence, innovation and dedication to shaping the future of medicine. Anayeli Ruiz, KHOU 11 journalist, served as the master of ceremonies for the celebration.
Presented annually, the Awards recognize significant career accomplishments in innovative research, outstanding patient care and excellence in teaching. The Alumni Awards Committee of the Baylor College of Medicine Alumni Association receives all nominations and selects winners based on rigorous criteria. The ceremony honored Lifetime Achievement Award winners Matthew J. Wall, Jr., M.D. ’84, Res. ’89, Res. ’91, and Stuart Yudofsky, M.D. ’70, and the following individuals for their achievements:
Young Alumnus Award
- Megan Bullerwell, DNP ’13, CRNA, CHSE
- Ronald T. Cotton, M.D. ’06, Res. ’13, Fel. ’15
- N. Thao N. Galván, M.D., MPH, Res. ’15, Fel. ’17, FACS
- Pengfei Liu, Ph.D. ’12, Fel. ’15Megan Bullerwell, DNP ’13, CRNA, CHSE
Distinguished Alumnus Award
- Tamara N. Alliston, Ph.D. ’98
- Dimitrios P. Kontoyiannis, M.D., Sc.D., Ph.D. (Hon.), Res. ’94
- Jessica S. LaCross, M.S. ’02, PAC
Distinguished Faculty Award
- William Fisher, M.D., FACS
Distinguished Service Award
- John F. Anderson, M.D. ’73*
Humanitarian Award
- Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D. ’95, Res. ’98, MPH, FACP
*Awarded Posthumously
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to alumni whose lifelong pursuits have achieved the zenith of accomplishment and serve as an inspiration to others, and two awards may be presented annually. Dr. Wall is renowned for his innovative contributions to trauma and cardiothoracic surgery, particularly for his limited fluid resuscitation, evacuation and damage control techniques, which have helped save countless lives in both military and civilian settings. Dr. Yudofsky’s accomplishments in psychiatry reflect his leadership and influence in establishing neuropsychiatry as a distinct subspecialty, which has helped bridge the gap between the disciplines of neurology and psychiatry and ensured that patients received more accurate diagnoses and personalized treatments.
An inspiring video tribute featuring past Lifetime Achievement Award recipients was presented during the ceremony, offering words of congratulations and welcoming Drs. Wall and Yudofsky into this distinguished circle of alumni whose legacies continue to inspire.
Upon accepting his Lifetime Achievement award, Dr. Wall reflected on his rich experiences at Baylor. “That is the magic of Baylor,” he said. “It is an environment that brings together students, faculty, clinicians, basic scientists, colleagues, mentors, nurses, administrators, surgical technicians and friends, so they can work together to care for the most critical patients, seek excellence, develop new knowledge and train others to pass it forward to the next generations. To have had that experience, represented by this award, is an honor that I will always treasure.”
Dr. Yudofsky, after receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award, recalled how impressed he was with Baylor during his medical school interviews. “It was the only medical school in Houston, and there were only 84 positions, and I didn’t think I had a shot,” he said. “When I was fortunate enough to interview here, I was blown away by the spirit of innovation, the commitment of faculty to excellence in education and research, and most of all, the basis of everything, patient care. That has never, ever changed. It has only increased over the subsequent 59 years that it has been my privilege to be associated in one way or another with Baylor.”
To read more about the impact the winners have had on their respective fields, and to learn how you can give in honor of their legacies, please visit bcm.edu/alumniawards.
