SPH Awards.

Description of Award: The honor of carrying out the role of the Main Speaker at BU SPH’s Convocation ceremony.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Secretary Kate Walsh, MA Executive Office of Health and Human Services
2023: Admiral Rachel L. Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
2022: Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Executive Director, Boston Public Health Commission
2021: Dr. Cheryl Scott, Community Health Services Medical Consultant, S.C. Department of Health & Environmental Control
2020: Dr. Jerome Adams, US Surgeon General
2019: Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Director, Pediatric Public Health Initiative
2018: Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Professor, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School
2017: Rev. Liz Walker, Pastor, Roxbury Presbyterian Church
2016: Secretary Marylou Sudders, MA Executive Office of Health and Human Services
2015: Dr. Monica Bharel, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Description of Award: The honor of the Alumni Welcome Speaker is offered to a BU SPH Alum selected to address the audience during convocation.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Usman Sheikh Iqbal (SPH’03, GSM’07)
2023: Sonja Tong (SPH’05)
2022: Susan S Garfield (SPH’11)
2021: Elizabeth Sommers (SPH’89)
2020: Elizabeth A. Olek (SPH’02)
2019: Mary-Lynn L. Fulton (SPH’99)
2018: Barbara Buell (SPH’94)
2017: Rodney VanDerwarker (SPH’08)
2016: Emily Bajsci (SPH’03)
2015: Christie L. Hager (SPH’91)

Description of Award: The privilege of delivering the student address at the Boston University School of Public Health Commencement ceremony is awarded annually to a graduating student who has demonstrated exceptional and sustained contributions to the BUSPH community. This prestigious recognition honors individuals whose impactful engagement and dedication have enriched the academic, social and cultural fabric of the school.

Outstanding contributions are broadly defined to include, but not limited to:

• Leadership and active participation in the Student Senate, student organizations or other school-wide initiatives.
• Exemplary academic performance intellectual curiosity reflected in coursework and research.
• A demonstrated commitment to fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive environment within the BUSPH community.

This award celebrates those who embody the core values of public health and who inspire others through their service, scholarship, and unwavering dedication to the betterment of BUSPH as a whole.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Danielle Chaplick
2023: Daphne Nakawesi
2022: Sam Burkhart
2021: Cheyenne Bailey
2020: Rafik Wahbi
2019: Marylyn Height Creer
2018: Fatima Saffia Dainkeh
2017: Cassandra Abena-Amoafoa Osei
2016: Faiz Kidwai
2015: Pawandeep Kaur

Description of Award: This award honors a faculty or staff member that has done an extraordinary job at promoting diversity, equity, and justice and cultivating a culture of inclusion throughout the School.

Eligibility Note: Any current faculty (with a primary appointment in SPH) or current staff (full-time, part-time, temporary) is eligible for the award. Both must be in good standing. No self-nominating, must be nominated by fellow staff/faculty.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Madeleine Scammell
2023: Nina Cesare

Description of Award: The award is presented annually to honor Leonard Glantz, Professor of Health Law, Bioethics and Human Rights, who served the School as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for 30 years.  The award recognizes a student whose academic achievement typifies the high standards set by Professor Glantz. The recipient is selected for exceptional academic performance, creative and critical thinking, ability to integrate different areas of public health, intellectual curiosity and motivation, and a clear potential for future intellectual and creative contributions to public health.

Eligibility Note: No self-nominating.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Anushka Reddy Marri
2023: Tomeka Frieson
2022: Caroline Slyer
2021: Hiba Abousleiman
2020: Mary Rose Dinnean
2019: Greylin Hillary Rinaldo Nielsen
2018: Erin M. Ashe
2017: Ayobami David Olanrewaju
2016: Jennifer Rose Masdea
2015: Sami Usama Hamdan

Description of Award: The Norman A. Scotch Award for Excellence in Teaching is presented annually to an individual who has made outstanding and sustained contributions to the education program of Boston University School of Public Health. The award is named for our founding Dean, who decided to make excellence in education a hallmark of Boston University School of Public Health. The award is given to one faculty member at the rank of Associate or Full whose primary academic appointment is at BUSPH.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Patricia (Trish) Elliott
2023: Jacqueline Milton Hicks
2022: Megan Healey
2021: Monica Onyango
2020: Candice M. Belanoff
2019: Jessica H. Leibler
2018: Yvette C. Cozier
2017: Howard J. Cabral
2016: Gouri Gupte
2015: Christopher John Gill

Description of Award: This award is given annually to a faculty member whose primary appointment is at BUSPH to recognize a distinguished body of scholarly and/or scientific work on a specific topic or within a general area of expertise.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Patricia (Pat) Hibberd
2023: Pat Kinney
2022: Eugene Declercq
2021: Roberta F. White
2020: Lauren Wise
2019: Sydney B. Rosen
2018: Paola Sebastiani
2017: Judith Apt Bernstein
2016: Jonathan I. Levy
2015: Josée Dupuis

Description of Award: The Dzidra J. Knecht Staff Award for Distinguished Service to the Boston University School of Public Health is the highest award for school service that can be given to a staff person at SPH. It is named in honor of Dzidra J. Knecht, the School’s first Associate Dean for Administration, who spent 30 years working for the University, 20 of them at the School of Public Health, until her retirement in September of 2002.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Melanie Gilreath Chaisson
2023: Michael Saunders
2022: Michael Winter
2021: Patricia Gonzalez
2020: Jessica Christian
2019: Vanessa Boland Edouard
2018: Anna Eileen McKay and Andrea Marie Tingue
2017: Karen M. Smith
2016: Amparo Ortiz
2015: Karen E. Greene

Description of Award: The BUSPH Award for Excellence in Practice is presented annually to an individual who has made outstanding and sustained contributions to practice that improves the health of populations. The award recognizes a faculty or staff member who has gone above and beyond in contributing to the health of the public. Through their advocacy work, community engagement, and/or public policy endeavors, this person will have shown a remarkable drive in creating lasting improvements in the health of our local, regional, and/or global community and engaging the School in this work in a meaningful way. Eligibility: The primary purpose of the Practice Award is to recognize contributions to practice by SPH faculty and staff. All faculty and staff of the School are eligible.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Elaine Nsoesie
2023: Jacey Greece
2022: Wendy Heiger-Bernays
2021: Monica Wang
2020: Madeleine Scammell
2019: Amparo Ortiz

Description of Award: The purpose of the Excellence in Student Service and Leadership Award is to recognize the outstanding contributions of a graduating student. Departments and staff members throughout the Office of Graduate Student Life recognize their significant leadership and service in a variety of capacities. The recipient will have exhibited exceptional commitment to supporting the needs and interests of our BUSPH community and emerged as leaders among their peers.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Kyla Botsian
2023: Vicki Lee
2022: Maria Garcia
2021: Gray Babbs and Bilqis Williams
2020: Kofi Boateng and Shruti Subhash Durape
2019: Bhumi Vinay Patel
2018: Chrystel R. Murrieta
2017: Quinn Natalie Hirsch

Description of Award: The Activist Lab offers the Student Award for Excellence in Practice in recognition of outstanding and innovative public health practice. This award is intended to honor an MPH student who has gone above and beyond in contributing to the health of the public. Through their advocacy work, community engagement, or public policy endeavors, this student will have shown exceptional drive and promise in creating lasting improvements in the health of our local, regional, and global community.

Eligibility Notes: All students of the School of Public Health graduating during the academic year are eligible.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Riley Smith
2023: Pierce Lous
2022: Sara Mar
2021: Gray Babbs
2020: Kimberly Blair, Ebosetale Eromosele, Caroline Ezekwesili, Hithaishini Kodicherla, Makeda Negash-Alemnesh, and Hannah Simon
2019: Mackenzie Bullard
2018: Abigail Jooae Kim
2017: Jessica Leigh Walsh
2016: Abigail Atkins
2015: Julia Canfield

Description of Award: This award honors an on-campus SPH student in good academic standing that has done an extraordinary job at promoting diversity, equity, and justice and cultivating a culture of inclusion throughout the School.

Eligibility Notes: Any on-campus SPH student in good academic standing is eligible to be nominated. No self-nominating; individuals must be nominated by fellow students/faculty.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Zana Wangari Kiragu
2023: Anisa Khadraoui

Description of Award: Every year the Doctor of Public Health Program will present The Eugene Declercq Award for Excellence in a Public Health Practice Dissertation to a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) graduate whose dissertation exemplifies central values of this program: impact on public health practice, enhancement of public health leadership and management, and promotion of evidence-based policy change. Named for the BUSPH DrPH Program’s first director, this monetary award is given in honor of Professor Eugene R. Declercq’s tireless efforts to teach and support doctoral students, elevate the national discussion of practice-based training at the doctoral level, and position BU’s program to be one of the premier training programs for public health leadership in the U.S.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Maha Alattas & Rebecca Rudel
2023: Ann Peralta
2022: Jennifer Stevens
2021: Julie Mottl-Santiago
2020: Rachel C Mitrovich

Description of Award: The Community Health Sciences department presents this award to a student with/pursuing a certificate in Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation (CAPDIE), Health Communication and Promotion (HCP), Maternal and Child Health (MCH), or Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) who demonstrates excellence as an emerging community health professional. This award recognizes outstanding work in both academic and practice settings.

Eligibility Notes: Eligible candidates must have either graduated in January, or will graduate in May, or August with their MPH. They must have a cumulative GPA ≥ 3.75 when potential candidates are reviewed. In addition to academic excellence, winners will have displayed community engagement and exhibited strong leadership skills.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Samia Ismail
2023: Hannah Loynds
2022: Melanie Lambert
2021: Dani Brooks
2020: Rafik Nader Wahbi
2019: Andrea Auxiliadora Chu
2018: Jennifer Lynn Conti and Aldina Mesic
2017: Angela Giordano and Michelle Huezo
2016: Natalie Carey Thomas and Taylor Lauren Frazier
2015: Lameya Ahmed and Erin Bahr Anderson

Description of Award: Every year, the Community Health Sciences Department will present The Restuccia Award for Achievement in Social Justice in Community Health to a student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health or Social and Behavioral Sciences, as well as students in the Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation (CAPDIE), Health Communication and Promotion (HCP), Maternal and Child Health (MCH), and Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) certificates, who has exemplified equity-driven public health action during their time at BUSPH. This award honors the legacy of Robert Restuccia, who dedicated his professional life to ensuring equitable access to health care, and cultivating authentic community collaboration and leadership. Rob founded the advocacy organization Health Care for All in Massachusetts and was a long-time Executive Director of the national organization Community Catalyst, impacting both state and national policies through consumer-driven advocacy.

Students may be nominated by themselves, peers, or Community Health Sciences staff or faculty. Recipients will be selected by CHS Department faculty.

Eligibility Notes: Eligible nominees will have either graduated in January or will graduate in May or September with an MPH and be in good academic standing* at the time of selection in April. Winners will have demonstrated exceptional work that has promoted community engagement and mobilization around issues of health equity, has worked to involve diverse stakeholders, and has elevated the goals and voices of those most impacted by inequities.

*Good Academic Standing includes all of the criteria for being eligible for graduation, including maintaining a GPA of at least 3.0, completing all core courses with at least a B-, completing a practicum and passing the functional certificate ILE.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Cecilia Jarquin Tapia
2023: Christie Ngo
2022: Eilisha Manandhar
2021: Cheyenne Bailey
2020: Erika Lisbet Lozano
2019: TraciAnn Hoglind

Description of Award: Professor Burgess dedicated his research career to multi-disciplinary collaborations focused on highly relevant issues in health policy and health services research. This award recognizes a student paper that best embodies those values. Eligible papers will be submitted or accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed health services research journal during the academic year and written by a current student in the PhD program in HLPM at BUSPH or a student who graduated in the previous year.

Eligibility Notes: Nominees can be self-nominated or nominated by fellow students/faculty.

Past Award Recipient:
2024: Nicole McCann
2023: Samantha Auty and Trina Johnson
2022: Samantha Auty
2021: Melissa Davoust
2020: Timothy William Levengood and Yingzhe Yuan
2019: Yevgeniy Feyman
2018: Kevin Griffith and Maya Ragavan

Description of Award: This prize was established to honor the memory of Dr. Katherine M. Skinner, a sociologist and former member of the Health Services/Health Policy and Management faculty. Katherine Skinner, RN, PhD, had one of the first research grants in the country to study the health and well-being of women veterans. She discovered disparities in access to care for women soldiers, as well significant sexual violence in the military. Katherine was a woman of courage and conviction and felt it her personal responsibility to speak on behalf of these women who had years before served their country. This prize was established to honor Katherine Skinner and her many accomplishments, to support her love of education, to promote her passion to improve lives through scientific research, and to recognize her special interest in improving women’s health and health care. It is awarded annually to a student at Boston University School of Public Health who has shown dedication to the study of women’s health issues.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Arpita Khanna
2023: Cara Safon
2022: Not presented in 2022
2021: Jade Ransohoff and Sugy Choi
2020: Jacqueline Ellison
2019: Mam Jarra Gai
2018: Breanna Chachere
2017: Michelle Huezo
2016: Maria Hemphill Harris and Christine Marie Gunn
2015: Rupal Ramesh Shah

Description of Award: This award is presented annually to one or more graduating students from the Department of Health Law, Policy and Management, who exemplify the late Professor Meyers’ commitments to academic excellence, to careful research – particularly into the problems of disabled and other underserved patients, and to developing solutions that ameliorate those problems.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Caroline Dignard and Kristen Scopino
2023: Cynthia Baker and Nidhi Bandrapalli
2022: Abigail Dodds and Samantha Burkhart
2021: Senila Yasmin and Margret Frodin
2020: Lily Appugliese and Sarah Brewer
2019: Elizabeth Claire Burke, Luc F. Figueiredo Miller, Amal Hechehouche, and Jenna Grace Pradhuman
2018: Maria Camila Bustos Marquez, Kimberly A. Simmons, and Anna Elizabeth Ulrich
2017: Emily Dore and Casey Alexander
2016: Brooke A. Wildman and Alexander Ian Geralnick
2015: Michael Evan Cannella and Melinda Marie Rossi

Description of Award: This award is presented annually in memory of David K. Jones, a kind, compassionate person who consistently sought to understand and improve the lives of family, friends, and members of the community. This award will go to a graduate student from an under-represented population and studying health policy and committed to social justice.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Flor Villaneuva

Description of Award: This award is given annually in memory of Dr. William B. Patterson and his commitment to public health, medicine and education. It is awarded to one graduating master degree student who has shown exemplary academic performance or dedication to research with a preference for students who have demonstrated a desire to make a meaningful contribution to the field of environmental and occupational health.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Audrey Garcia
2023: Talia Feldscher
2022: Dana Donovan
2021: Caredwen Foley
2020: Eileen Terchiak
2019: Rahazimah Alzahrah Binti Abu Bakar Sadiqin
2018: Caryn Marie Sennett
2017: Sara Schenkel
2016: Melissa Joan Rodriguez-Vodak
2015: Rachel Elizabeth Wilson

Description of Award: This prize is awarded in honor of Theodore Colton, Department of Epidemiology Chair Emeritus, at the close of each academic year. It is given to a student concentrating in this area for exemplary academic performance in epidemiology.  Dr. Colton, who is the founding Chairman of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, has dedicated much of his career to the education of future epidemiologists. The yearly award has been established for an exceptional MPH student who, we believe, will go on to make a notable contribution to the field.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Toshiaki Komura
2023: Ethan D Assefa
2022: Tabor Hoatson
2021: Leona Ofei and Nicholas Griffiths
2020: Ruby Barnard-Mayers
2019: Jordan Schultz
2018: Brian Roger Charest
2017: Chad Coleman
2016: Julie Margit Petersen
2015: Casie E. Horgan and Kevin Michael Maloney

Description of Award: This award is given annually to a graduating Epidemiology Master of Science student who has demonstrated exemplary academic performance. The award acknowledges not only the student’s academic achievement but also their potential to make important contributions to the field of epidemiology.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Lee Hughes
2023: Heidi Ahmed
2022: Liza Rachelle Gibbs
2021: Charlotte Doran and Maura Dodge
2020: Erich Tusch
2019: Lisa A. Bedford

Description of Award: This award is given annually in memory of Dr. Sherri Stuver and her commitment to public health and education. It is awarded to a doctoral student in the Epidemiology Department who has shown exemplary performance as a well-rounded student showing dedication to academics, research, and assisting with teaching.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Julia Bond and Nedghie Adrien

Description of Award: This award is given to the student or students with the best academic performance who is enrolled in the Health Policy and Law certificate or the Human Rights & Social Justice certificate. Academic performance is measured by excellence in the quality and accuracy of written papers and oral presentations, as well as grades in HPL or HRSJ certificate courses.

Administering Authority: HLEHR Selection Committee

Eligibility Notes: The Center for Health Law, Ethics and Human Rights selects the award recipient annually (no self-nominations will be accepted).

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Hannah Jacobson, Gayathri Krishna and Sean Hagan
2023: Rachel Martin and Elizabeth Petit
2022: Gargi Pandey and Mia Touma
2021: Kate Conquest and Steven Callori
2020: Katarina Brittany and Boehm Badore
2019: Elizabeth Claire Burke
2018: N/A
2017: Nina Rizk
2016: Jennifer Nicole Hawkins
2015: Jill Elizabeth Manning

Description of Award: This award is in recognition of capacity for original thinking and inspiring others to think; vision, leadership and leadership potential; academic achievement; outstanding practicum or community service; and active participation in courses and activities as an SPH student. The award supports BUSPH and acknowledges an outstanding student’s achievement and potential to contribute to global public health.

Eligibility Notes: Must be a graduating in-person student; individuals can self-nominate.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Miya Abboud
2023: Daphne Nakawesi
2022: Bolanle Feyisayo Banigbe
2021: Kate Garrison
2020: Dielle Lundberg
2019: Madeline Meyer Ray
2018: Maria Bustos Marquez
2017: Kaitlyn Berry and Chia-Ying Wendy Lin
2016: Jessica Elizabeth Autrey
2015: Chase L. Crossno and Miluka Prasanjalee Gunaratna

Description of Award: The Department of Biostatistics awards an annual prize for the Most Outstanding MPH Student in Biostatistics at the School. Since 1999, this monetary prize is given to an MPH student whose performance was excellent in Epidemiology and Biostatistics concentration. This prize is an expression of our gratitude to Herb Kayne, PhD, for his commitment to teaching epidemiology and biostatistics at SPH and his long-enduring interest in and dedication to his students in the MPH Program.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Krystal Kuan
2023: Patricia Mello Ferrao
2022: Ashley Laliberte
2021: Bala Niharika Pillalamarri
2020: Nifasha Osmond Rusibamayila
2019: Kimberly Greco
2018: Penlong Wang
2017: Rachel Parker
2016: Elizabeth Showalter
2015: Olga Karlinskaya

Description of Award: Established in 2018 to recognize outstanding academic achievement, the Department of Biostatistics confers this award annually to a graduating Master’s student who has consistently demonstrated exemplary academic performance throughout the program. Selection is based on academic performance, rigor and breadth of coursework, and faculty recommendations. This annual award includes a monetary prize.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Ryan Zukowski
2023: Ryan Dacey
2022: Jingxian Tang
2021: Amanda Ignacio
2020: Erika Furtado
2019: Nicole Roth
2018: Katya Zelevinsky

Description of Award: Established in 2018 to recognize the importance of the role of biostatisticians in research, the Department of Biostatistics confers this award annually to a graduating Biostatistics Masters’ student who has exceeded expectations in their research activities. The recipient of this award has demonstrated outstanding performance and dedication to research in the field of biostatistics. This annual award includes a monetary prize.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Lauren Delp
2023: Julia Elaine Zelinksy
2022: Kaleb Eppich
2021: Xiaojing Peng and Morgan Ryan
2020: Courtney Bella Goodrich
2019: Jimmy Kiely
2018: Zeyuan Song

Description of Award: Founded in 1924, Delta Omega is the honorary society for graduate studies in public health. It celebrates excellent academic achievement, devotion to public health principles, and outstanding service in public health.

Eligibility Notes: Nominations are not accepted for this award as it is based on GPA. Distinction is bestowed upon students with the top 10% cumulative GPA of each graduating class with a minimum GPA of 3.95.

Description of Award: Upsilon Phi Delta is a national academic honor society for students in healthcare administration. The mission of the Upsilon Phi Delta Honor Society is to recognize, reward and encourage academic achievements, service to the community and contributions to the healthcare management profession.

Eligibility Notes: Nominations are not accepted for this award. Students are accepted into the UPD Honor Society on the basis of outstanding academic achievement

Description of Award: The Excellence in Teaching Award for Teaching in the Core recognizes an instructor who demonstrates excellence in teaching in PH717, PH718, PH719 or PH720, creates a supportive and inclusive learning environment, stimulates interest in the material, motivates students, and promotes student learning.

Eligibility Notes: BUSPH Primary Faculty can be nominated.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Junenette Peters
2023: Monica Onyango
2022: Michael Ulrich
2021: Jennifer Schlezinger
2020: E. David Zepeda
2019: Jacqueline Milton-Hicks and Nicole Huberfeld

Description of Award: The Excellence in Teaching Award for Student Engagement recognizes an instructor who encourages active learning, critical thinking, and creativity, connects with students in meaningful ways, and uses innovative strategies to inspire and motivate students to engage in the educational process.

Eligibility Notes: BUSPH Primary Faculty can be nominated.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Kiersten Strombotne
2023: Nafisa Halim
2022: Jacqueline Hicks
2021: Lora Sabin
2020: Sarah Rosner Preis
2019: David Jones

Description of Award: The Excellence in Teaching Award for Dedication to Student Learning recognizes an instructor who has a positive impact on student learning outcomes, motivates and inspires students, is available to students inside and outside of the classroom, continuously enhances their teaching approach, and engages with students in community-wide educational and scholarly activities.

Eligibility Notes: BUSPH Primary Faculty can be nominated.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Catharine Wang
2023: Veronika Wirtz
2022: Kiersten Strombotne
2021: Ching-Ti Liu
2020: Samantha Parker Kelleher
2019: Ludovic Trinquart

Description of Award: The Excellence in Teaching Award for Outstanding New Instructor recognizes an instructor who demonstrates excellence in teaching in the first three years at SPH, uses creative and innovative teaching strategies, stimulates interest in the material, motivates students, and promotes student learning.

Eligibility Notes: BUSPH Primary Faculty can be nominated.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Salma Abdalla
2023: Elizabeth McCuskey
2022: Not awarded in 2022
2021: Sarah H. Gordon and Prasad Patil
2020: Kevin James Lane
2019: Peter Rockers

Description of Award: The Educational Innovation Award recognizes an instructor who challenges the traditional ways of doing things, tries new approaches, and seeks improvements in the way teaching is delivered, and learning is achieved. This award specifically focuses on unique course design that increases student interest and drives achievement.

This award is presented at the annual John McCahan Medical Campus Education Day.

Eligibility Notes: BUSPH Primary Faculty can be nominated.

Past Award Recipients:
2023: Carol Dolan
2022: Trish Elliott
2021: Diana Ceballos Ochoa
2020: M. Patricia Fabian
2019: Peter Rockers
2019: Christopher J. Louis
2018: Trish Elliott
2017: Megan Healey
2016: Victoria Parker
2015: Gouri Gupte
2014: Jacey Greece

Name of Award: Excellence in Research Early Career Award

Description of Award: The early career excellence award recognizes the outstanding contribution of one faculty member at the rank of Assistant whose primary academic appointment is at BUSPH. Recipients should have scholarly accomplishments that advance public health research and improves the health of the communities.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Sarah Gordon
2023: Sarah Ketchen Lipson
2022: Brooke Nichols
2021: Kim Nelson
2020: Angela R. Bazzi

Description of Award: The innovation in research award recognizes a faculty member whose work shifts existing paradigms, uses novel methodologies, or applies existing methodologies in new ways toward the goal of improving public health. Primary faculty at BUSPH of all ranks are eligible for this award.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Matt Motta
2023: Eric Rubenstein
2022: Birgit Claus Henn
2021: Melissa Garrido
2020: Julia R. Raifman

Description of Award: The award for mentoring in research recognizes the sustained contribution toward mentoring early career faculty, post-docs, and students in research. The award is given to one faculty member at the rank of Associate or Full whose primary academic appointment is at BUSPH.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Martha Werler
2023: Veronika Wirtz
2022: Ching-Ti Liu
2021: Rich Saitz
2020: Bernard Leslie Harlow

Description of Award: An individual who has played a key role in teaching, guiding, or being a role model for other staff. The nominee for this excellence award does not have to be a formal mentor but rather an individual who seizes opportunities to educate and guide others around them.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Tom Dauria
2023: Maria Costa
2022: Veronica Byam
2021: Melanie Gilreath Chaisson
2020: Tom Dauria
2019: Adriana Cristina Black

Description of Award: Recognition of an individual who has played a key role in the leadership of personnel, resource(s) or project(s).

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Elaine Bertolini
2023: Michael Koehler
2022: Bradford Francis
2021: Mahogany Price
2020: Julia Lanham
2019: Amanda Antonia Velez

Description of Award: Recognition of an individual who has played a key and potentially under-recognized role in making a complicated collaboration between multiple groups successful. This could include an individual who has gone above and beyond to enable collaborative and successful work.

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Jillian McKoy
2023: Dacia Beard
2022: Denise Sanchez
2021: Shelley Barnes
2020: Meredith Brown
2019: Rachel C. Pieciak

Description of Award: The Karen Smith Award is presented annually to a staff person in the Community Health Sciences department [or a staff member of the BUSPH community contributing to the CHS department], who has made outstanding and sustained contributions in their role. These contributions include superior performance in tasks associated with their job description, innovation and creativity, and commitment to the Department and School. Awardees should have been supportive of other staff (e.g. in their roles, and/or in terms of helping with their development or training).

Past Award Recipients:
2024: Sarah Lawrence
2023: Anisa Saleh
2022: Sarah Fielman
2021: Ida Adjivon

Description of Award: The Gail H. Douglas Award was established in June 2006, on the occasion of the retirement of Gail Douglas, RN’68, MPH ’88, who was Professor of Health Services and served BUSPH as the Associate Dean of Students and Acting Associate Dean of Public Health Practice. She recognized the critical role that public health practitioners play in fulfilling the mission of our school and in furthering the health of the public. The Douglas Award honors a person whose primary role is as a public health practitioner in the community. The recipient has contributed to the BUSPH community in one or more of the following categories:

Education

• Shows dedication to training BUSPH students by establishing meaningful practicum projects and providing excellence in practicum supervisory support
• Participates in practice-based teaching in BUSPH courses, providing a valuable link between the academic and practice arenas

Research

• Collaborates with BUSPH faculty in the conduct of innovative practice-based public health research

Service

• Is a leader in public health service, improving the lives of underserved individuals and communities

Past Award Recipients:
2023: Carlene Pavlos
2022: Sashi James
2021: Mo Barbosa
2020: Ron O’Connor
2019: Mason Dunn
2018: N/A
2017: Cheryl Sbarra
2016: Rachel Goodman and John Kane
2015: Staff of Bureau of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts Department of Public Health