The Riggs Difference: Where Understanding Leads to Recovery
“Identifying and cultivating the next generation of psychodynamic and biopsychosocial psychiatrists, educators, and leaders is vital to the ongoing advancement of our field,” says David Mintz, MD, Director of Psychiatric Education at the Austen Riggs Center. “That commitment inspired us to establish the Austen Riggs Award for Excellence in Psychotherapy.”
Now in its 7th year, this distinguished annual award celebrates and supports exceptional psychiatric residents who have demonstrated notable interest and aptitude in psychodynamic psychotherapy or psychiatry. It also honors those who show strong potential as researchers in biopsychosocial approaches to psychiatric practice, including psychotherapy.
The 2025 recipients are:
- Sezai Ustun Aydin, MD
nominated by: Shawen Ilaria, MD
Rutgers Health Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship - Kyle Beckman, DO
nominated by Emily Bray, DO
Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital Psychiatry Residency Program - Sasini Bentota, MD
nominated by Erin Seery, MD
Medical University of South Carolina General Psychiatry Residency Program - Farzaneh Farhadi, MD
nominated by Jacqueline A. Hobbs, MD, PhD, DFAPA, CMQ
University of Washington Psychiatry Residency Training Program - Frances Hessel, MD
nominated by Oliver Stroeh, MD
NewYork-Presbyterian Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training Program - Courtney Maloney, MD
nominated by Zhongshu Yang, MD, PhD
Kaiser Permanente Northern California San Jose Psychiatry Residency Program - Alexandra Palmer, MD
nominated by Isabel Lagomasino, MD, MSHS
MGH/McLean Hospital Psychiatry Residency Program - Henry Philofsky, MD
nominated by Tyler Flemming, DO, MPH
University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) Psychiatry Residency Program - Bassem Saad, MD
nominated by Jeffrey Guina, MD, DFAPA
Corewell Health Psychiatry Residency Program - Monique Waltman, MD
nominated by Anne McBride, MD
University of California Davis Medical Center General Psychiatry Residency Program
We will be accepting nominations for the 2026 prize after July 1, 2026.