The UAB School of Public Health is proud to honor our amazing alumni with the following awards: G.O.L.D. (Graduates of the Last Decade) Alumni Award, Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award, Award for Research, Award for Practice, and the Dean’s Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award. All nominees will be evaluated in terms of their impact in the field of public health, the relevance of their achievements, their integrity as a public health professional, and their contributions in furthering the shared values of our School. All nominees must hold either an undergraduate or graduate degree from the UAB School of Public Health. Self-nominations are acceptable and encouraged.
The 2024 Alumni Award season is now open and will close on September 30th, 2024. Award winners will be announced in early 2025.
Please note:
- All awards listed may be received only once per individual.
- Awards are not necessarily given every year.
- Individuals can be nominated in multiple award categories in the same year but can only receive a single award per year.
- Nominators are strongly encouraged to answer all questions thoroughly and provide as much detail as possible. If needed, reach out directly to the nominee to ensure information accuracy and for specific examples that may strengthen your overall nomination.
- No current member of the Alumni Advisory Board is eligible as a nominee for a School of Public Health Alumni Award during their term(s) of service or within the same calendar year as the commencement or conclusion of their service term(s).
- The Awards Sub-Committee of the Alumni Advisory Board oversees recipient selection for all of the School of Public Health awards with the exception of the Dean’s Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award.
Alumni Awards
G.O.L.D. (Graduates of the Last Decade) Alumni Award (formerly the Early Career Achievement Alumni Award)
The G.O.L.D. (Graduates of the Last Decade) Alumni Award recognizes an alumnus/alumna who has demonstrated an exceptional level of accomplishment, service, or expertise in the field of public health since completing their degree from the School of Public Health. This individual must have received an undergraduate or graduate degree from the School of Public Health less than 10 years ago (*in the case of multiple degrees from the School of Public Health, this should be less than 10 years from the FIRST degree earned).
Submit your nomination (a CV or résumé will be required for every nominee):
Previous Early Career Achievement Alumni Award recipients:
2023: Karen Albright, DO, PhD
2022: Luke Martin, MS
2021: Ambika Srivastava, DMD, MPH
2020: Casey L. Daniel, MPH, PhD
Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award
The Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award recognizes an established graduate who has made significant contributions in the field of public health at either a local, statewide, national, or international level that are considered exemplary. This individual must have received an undergraduate or graduate degree from the School of Public Health 10 or more years ago. (*in the case of multiple degrees from the School of Public Health, this should be 10 or more years from the FIRST degree earned).
Submit your nomination (a CV or résumé will be required for every nominee):
Previous award recipients:
2023: Melissa Galvin Lumpkin, PhD
2022: Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, MBA
2021: Kayvon Modjarrad, MD, PhD
2018: Bryn Manzella, MPH
2017: Carol H. Steckel, MPH
2016: Mary Nell Sprayberry, MPH
2015: Ken Hoffman, MD, MPH
2014: Mazi Abdolrasulnia, MPH, PhD
Alumni Award for Research
The Alumni Award for Research recognizes an alumnus/alumna who has developed and engaged in funded, public health cutting-edge research and discovery as evidenced by national recognition of their accomplishments and scientific articles that illustrate the nominee’s significant contributions.
Submit your nomination (a CV or résumé will be required for every nominee):
Previous award recipients:
2023: Himel Mallick, PhD
2022: Tanya Benitez, PhD, MSW
Alumni Award for Practice
The Alumni Award for Practice recognizes an alumnus/alumna who has made substantial contributions in the area of public health practice and helped to make a difference in our communities by working with local, state, or national public health stakeholders.
Submit your nomination (a CV or résumé will be required for every nominee):
Previous award recipients:
2023: Myra Crawford, PhD
2022: Julie Crumly, PhD, MS
Dean’s Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award
The Dean’s Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award recognizes a graduate who has shown substantive commitment to the School of Public Health's mission of making positive and lasting change in the public’s health through cutting-edge research, educating future generations of outstanding public health practitioners, and serving the communities of Birmingham, Alabama, the Deep South, and the world. Recipients of this award will serve as a source of inspiration to students, alumni, and other public health professionals and as a source of pride for the School of Public Health and UAB. This honor is bestowed by the Dean and is separate from all other alumni awards as it does not accept or require nominations.
Previous award recipients:
2023: Laura Fiveash, DrPH, and Corey Wiggins, PhD
2022: Lisa McCormick, DrPH, MPH, and Martha Wingate, DrPH, MPH
2021: Sherri Davidson, PhD, MPH