Alumni Awards
Thank you for attending the 2024 Annual Alumni Celebration & Awards Reception!
Stay tuned for information for 2025's event.
The UIC School of Public Health Annual Alumni Awards Program is an outstanding opportunity to showcase our exceptional alumni who have brought honor to the UIC School of Public Health by achieving prominence in their field and/or making significant contributions or improvements to the public's health.
We are excited to be able to honor the accomplishments of our impressive alumni at our Annual Alumni Celebration. Join the School of Public Health community for a night of networking and connecting followed by a celebration of the accomplishments of outstanding alumni from each division of the School of Public Health.
Congratulations to our 2024 honorees!
2024 Alumni Awardees
Award Categories
About the award
Since its founding in 1970, the UIC School of Public Health has been consistently supported by generous benefactors. The Champion of Public Health Award, established in the year of the school’s 40th anniversary, is presented to a supporter of UIC SPH who, through direct financial support, has demonstrated outstanding charitable responsibility, and whose generosity encourages others to participate in public health philanthropy.
Alumni Awardees
- Lanny Passaro – 2013
- Sylvia Furner – 2014
- Paul Levy and Virgina Tomasek – 2015
- Susan Scrimshaw – 2016
- Irving Harris Foundation – 2017
- Edwin Chen – 2019
- Denise Oleske – 2020
Award Description
The award is presented to an individual who has brought honor to the university and the School of Public Health through significant contributions to the improvement of the public’s health, to public health literature, and/or public health professional education.
Alumni Awardees
- Cynthia Summers – 2013
- Valerie Webb – 2014
- Jennifer Hebert-Beirne – 2016
- Suzet McKinney – 2018
- Jay Bhatt – 2020
- Diane Howard – 2024
Award Description
The Dr. Naomi Morris Alumni Award For Community Health Sciences is given to an alumnus who have achieved outstanding success or recognition. The selection committee particularly looks for individuals who have achieved national, regional, or statewide prominence either in their professional field or through their involvement in civic, cultural, or charitable activities as they relate to the area of Community Health Sciences.
Alumni Awardees
- William Baldyga – 2012
- Allen Smart – 2013
- Robert Brewer – 2014
- Linda Van Horn – 2015
- Michele Shade McKay – 2016
- Rosalie Guttman – 2018
- Franklin Niles Cosey Gay – 2020
- Douglas Bruce – 2024
Award Description
The EOHS Alumni Award is given to a member of UIC SPH Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences alumni body who has achieved outstanding success or recognition. The selection committee particularly looks for individuals who have achieved national, regional, or statewide prominence either in their professional fields or through their involvement in civic, cultural, or charitable activities. Alumni award recipients are brought back to campus the day before the awards presentation to participate with their college or major department in the classroom or in other ways as a mentor/role model for current students.
Alumni Awardees
- Laurel Berman – 2013
- Barbara Epstien – 2014
- Cynthia Klein-Banai – 2015
- Mark Johnson – 2016
- Bogdan Catalin – 2018
- Michelle Colledge – 2020
- Linda Rae Murray – 2024
Award Description
The Dr. Jacob Brody Award is given to a member of UIC SPH Epidemiology and Biostatistics alumni body who has achieved outstanding success or recognition. The selection committee particularly looks for individuals who have achieved national, regional, or statewide prominence either in their professional fields or through their involvement in civic, cultural, or charitable activities as they relate to epidemiology and biostatistics. Alumni award recipients are brought back to campus the day before the awards presentation to participate with their college or major department in the classroom or in other ways as a mentor/role model for current students.
Alumni Awardees:
- Steven Jacobsen – 2013
- Frank Hu – 2014
- David Ansell – 2015
- Karen Sheehan – 2016
- Philip Ricks – 2018
- Dita Broz – 2020
- Jennifer Layden – 2024
Award Description
This award is presented to a member of the Health Policy and Administration alumni community who has achieved national, regional or statewide prominence either in their professional fields or through their involvement in civic, cultural or charitable activities.
Alumni Awardees
- Memoona Hasnain – 2013
- Lee Francis – 2014
- Julio Silva – 2015
- Joel Karman – 2016
- Catherine Counard – 2017
- John Herrman – 2019
- Sheri Cohen – 2020
- Onyinyechi U. Daniel – 2024
About the award
This award is given to a member of the maternal and child health (MCH) alumni community who is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of women, children, and families, and have achieved national, regional, or statewide prominence through their involvement in civic, cultural, or charitable activities in the MCH field.
Alumni Awardees
- Shirley Fleming – 2013
- Tracie Smith – 2014
- Patricia Kokotailo – 2015
- Christine Taggart Bozlak – 2016
- Madiha Qureshi – 2017
- Debra Kane – 2019
- Camille Fabiyi – 2024
About the award
This award is given to a member of the UIC SPH alumni community that has served the public health community and has been a beacon of light in advocating for the rights of those that are less fortunate. The selection committee looks for individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to public health through community based participatory research and advocacy.
Alumni Awardees
- George R. Smith – 2014
- Basmattee Boodram – 2015
- Bambade Shakoor – 2016
- Janet Lin – 2017
- Juana Ballesteros – 2019
About the award
This award honors a member of the alumni community who exemplifies excellence and dedication to the field of public health. Recipients must have graduated within the last ten years and have already demonstrated tremendous talents and contributions to their profession, community, and UIC SPH.
Alumni Awardees
- Charlesnika Evans – 2013
- Sherri LaVela – 2015
- Reginald Cantave – 2017
- Karen Aguirre – 2019
Award recipients
- Dr. Linda Rae Murray, MPH ‘80 – Loyalty Honoree 2010
- Sherry Weingart, MPH ‘80 – Loyalty Honoree 2010
- Daniel Swartzman, MPH ‘78 – Loyalty Honoree 2011
- Stephen Thompson, PhD ‘00 – Constituent Leader Honoree 2013
- Fred Carlson, MPH ‘76 – Loyalty Honoree 2015
- Gita Rampersad, MHA ‘11– Loyalty Honoree 2015
- Captain Todd Stankewicz, MBA ’01, MPH ‘01- Humanitarian Award Honoree 2022
- Dr. David Ansell, MPH ‘91- Alumni Achievement Honoree 2022