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.
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)
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