AUC graduate Constantine “Aki” Kanakis, MD has been elected as student speaker for AUC’s Virtual Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 16. Dr. Kanakis, an incoming resident physician in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Loyola Medicine in Chicago, and a member of AUC’s graduating class, is one of several speakers who will give remarks during Saturday’s ceremony, which will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube beginning at 4:00 pm ET.
Before enrolling at AUC, Dr. Kanakis studied molecular biology, bioethics, and political science at Loyola University Chicago and transitioned to a career in medical laboratory science after finishing a master’s degree at Rush University. His clinical experiences in diagnostic service inspired his career pursuits in medicine. After winning a national award for professional contributions, he left his clinical role in late 2015, and he moved with his wife Kathryn to Sint Maarten to start basic sciences at AUC.
Throughout medical school, Dr. Kanakis has been involved in translational science, public health, and community outreach programs, including service-learning work to address Zika prevention and education in Sint Maarten. Dr. Kanakis has been actively engaged in the pathology community and has received numerous recognitions including the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Medical Student Award and being named an ASCP “Top 40 Under Forty” laboratory medicine professional. He has also served as an online ASCP staff writer for the past four years.
Since leaving Sint Maarten and continuing the clinical portion of his medical education, Dr. Kanakis has acted as a clinical site representative on the Clinical Student Government Association, discussed resilience during AUC’s inaugural TEDx talk, published works in translational medicine, and has been a source of public health and laboratory education and outreach focusing on the coronavirus outbreak in New York City.
Follow AUC School of Medicine on Facebook and tune into the Virtual Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 16 to hear Dr. Kanakis address his classmates. For more information about the ceremony, visit our Commencement webpage.