The University of Michigan School of Public Health sponsors several annual awards to recognize outstanding achievements and support a culture of celebrating one another's individual contributions to our community and beyond. 

Several groups within the school sponsor the awards by managing nominations and selecting winners. All recipients will then be recognized at 12:30 p.m. on April 23 at the Public Health Honors luncheon event.

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Eugene Feingold Excellence Award

The School of Public Health’s Eugene Feingold Excellence Award helps celebrate the legacy of public health leader and social activist Eugene Feingold. Feingold was professor of Health Management and Policy at Michigan Public Health and was active in community organizations concerned with civil liberties, poverty, and racial discrimination.

Established in 2004, the Feingold Award recognizes and honors faculty, staff, and students who champion diversity efforts throughout the school and contribute positively to an environment of inclusion.

2025 Recipients:

  • Bambarendage Pinithi (Pini) Perera(Faculty), Research Assistant Professor, Environmental Health Sciences
  • Peter Slutzker(Staff), Research Area Specialist, Health Behavior & Health Equity
  • Izza Ahmed-Ghani(Student) Health Management & Policy MHSA; Health Behavior & Health Equity MPH

2024 Recipients: Simone Charles (faculty), Paula Vinales-Bowman (staff), Wadad Itani (student)

2023 Recipients: Melissa Creary (faculty), Dany Zemmel (staff), David Fuller, Jr. (student)

2022 Recipients: Kiran Szekeres (staff), Rachel Morgan (student)

Past recipients

Excellence in Practice Award

This award recognizes a leader in public health practice at Public Health who has contributed significantly to experiential learning for students, to building capacity of the public health workforce, and to fostering meaningful, sustainable community-academic partnerships.

2025 Recipient: Paul Fleming, Associate Professor, Health Behavior & Health Equity

2024 Recipient: Simone Charles

2023 Recipient: Barbara Israel

2022 Recipient: Dana Thomas

Excellence in Public Engagement

New for 2025!

The SPH Public Engagement Award is designed to recognize outstanding and impactful public engagement activity from tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Public engagement activities include media interviews, op-eds and other thought leadership, providing testimony or serving on government or community advisory panels, offering classes or talks directed at audiences outside the university community, and other activities that directly engage the public.

2025 Recipient: Kate Bauer, Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences

Excellence in Research Award

This award recognizes outstanding scholarly or creative activity from our faculty (tenure or primary research track) in basic or applied research in public health which helps to fulfill the mission of the school.

2025 Recipient: Jian Kang, Professor of Biostatistics

2024 Recipient: Justin Colacino

2023 Recipient: Betsy Foxman

2022 Recipient: Peter Song

Excellence in Teaching Award

This award recognizes faculty members who have made an exceptional contribution to teaching and mentoring School of Public Health students. Nominations may be made by faculty or students.

2025 Recipient: Dave Bridges, Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences

2024 Recipient:  Bill Lopez

2023 Recipient: Emily Youatt

2022 Recipient: Matt Zawistowsk

Outstanding GSI Award 

This award recognizes graduate student instructors (GSIs) who have made an outstanding contribution to teaching and mentoring School of Public Health students. Nominations may be made by faculty or students.

2025 Recipient: Justice Akuoko-Frimpong, Graduate Student Research Assistant - Biostatistics

2024 Recipient: Akilah Patterson

2023 Recipient: Marcus Andrews

2022 Recipient: Molly Green

Student Organization Awards

Student Organization of the Year
This award will be given to a student organization within UM-SPH that has positively contributed to the overall culture and community at SPH. This organization should have positively enhanced the student experience.

  • 2025 Recipient: Epidemiology Doctoral Student Organization
  • 2024 Recipient: Muslim Students in Public Health
  • 2023 Recipient: Environmental Health Student Association 

Outstanding Event of the Year Award
This award will be granted to a student organization in recognition of their efforts to develop, plan, and implement an event that made significant contributions to the SPH community. Events of any type are eligible (i.e., educational, cultural, or social). However, the event must have been open to the entire UM-SPH community to qualify for this award. 

  • 2025 Recipient: MENAPH's "Destruction of Health Under Genocide"
  • 2024 Recipient: DEI in Healthcare Summit and Case Competition
  • 2023 Recipient: Public Health Students of African Descent

Community Engagement Award
This award will be given to a student organization that has fostered community engagement through service activities, fundraising, advocacy, or other such activities.

  • 2025 Recipient: Global Surgery Student Alliance
  • 2024 Recipient: Global Surgery Student Alliance
  • 2023 Recipient: Public Health Students of African Descent

Rising Organization Award
This award shall be presented to a new or recently revitalized student organization that has made significant contributions to the UM‐SPH community and demonstrates the potential for continuing to enrich student life at UM‐SPH.

  • 2025 Recipient: Bountiful Pantries
  • 2024 Recipient: La Salud
  • 2023 Recipient: University of Michigan Industrial Hygiene Student Association

Excellence in Practice Through Service-Student Award

This award shall recognize a student who has contributed significantly to public health practice through a deep commitment to service that reaches beyond the School of Public Health, embodying the School’s commitment to fostering equitable partnerships with individuals, communities, and/or organizations. 

  • 2025 Recipient:  Allison Baumgartner(student), Global Health Epidemiology MPH
  • 2024 Recipient: Wadad Itani-Formerly known as Commitment to Service Award
  • 2023 Recipient: Kamara Gardner-Formerly known as Commitment to Service Award

Individual Student Awards

Student Leader of the Year Award
This award shall be presented to an individual who has held a leadership position in a Public Health student organization and made exemplary contributions to their organization and the Public Health community more broadly. This award should be granted to someone who has demonstrated strong leadership skills and a commitment to treating all with respect and dignity.

  • 2025 Recipient: Eesha Acharya, Undergraduate
  • 2024 Recipient: Rachael Brooks
  • 2023 Recipient: Maya Rodemer

Rising Star
This award shall be presented to a student who has made significant contributions to a Public Health student organization. They show a great deal of potential for continued enrichment in public health. 

  • 2025 Recipient: Laura Arboleda-Merino, Epidemiological Science PhD
  • 2024 Recipient: Darius Moore
  • 2023 Recipient: Soumik Purkayastha

Unsung Hero Award
This award shall be presented to an individual who might not hold a formal leadership position in their student organization but who has demonstrated a commitment to their student organization and student life at UM-SPH more generally and whose contributions have significantly enhanced the UM-SPH community. 

  • 2025 Recipient:  Amina Dada, Health Management & Policy MHSA
  • 2024 Recipient: Taylor Hall
  • 2023 Recipient: Jackie Edgemon