Congratulations to the Class of 2019
Class of 2019 encouraged to go out into that big, scary world and make a difference.
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“You are here for a purpose,” were just a few of the encouraging words delivered by Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health and keynote speaker at the UIC School of Public Health 2019 commencement ceremony. “You’re here because you have put in the blood, sweat and tears of study and research around the incredible field of public health, and your professors think that you are well-armed to go out there into that big scary world and make a difference in the health of communities. I applaud you for stepping up to lead your community.” Dr. Ezike, a board-certified internist and pediatrician, was appointed by Governor Pritzker to the public health department in February 2019.
Graduates and their guests were welcomed by the school’s Dean Dr. Wayne H. Giles and UIC’s Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs, Dr. Robert Barish. The conferral of the degrees for Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Public Health, Master of Public Health, Master of Science, Master of Healthcare Administration, and Bachelor of Arts, were presented to nearly 200 graduates. After the degrees were granted and the students were now officially alumni of UIC, they were encouraged to stay connected to their alma mater by Kera Beskin, MBA (MPH ‘18), member of the SPH Alumni Council. Beskin urged the graduates to get involved by attending alumni events, hosting a student intern or volunteering and donating to the school.
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An important part of the ceremony each year is the presentation of awards. The Bernard H. Baum Golden Apple Award, named in honor of one of the school’s founding professors who encouraged faculty to not only become productive scholars, but also teachers who taught well. Each year, the recipient of this award is selected from a highly competitive and extraordinary field of talented faculty nominees and the 2019 awardee was Dr. Sreenivas Konda, clinical assistant professor of biostatistics.
UIC annually recognizes and honors its great teachers by awarding the Silver Circle Award. Students select a professor for his/her outstanding teaching and extraordinary service. This year’s recipient was Dr. John Herrmann, director of the Center for One Health Illinois, clinical associate professor at the college of veterinary medicine, and professor in the undergraduate program at the School of Public Health.
The Alan W. Donaldson Memorial Award, named for the school’s first associate dean, is given to a student who demonstrates academic excellence, leadership and service. This year, it was presented to Anna Yankelev, who earned a joint MPH/MBA degree in Community Health Sciences and Management. Yankelev concluded the ceremony with words of inspiration for her fellow classmates by asking them to reflect back on the moment when they were ignited into action to make the world a healthier, more just place. “When you feel that spark, you realize that you have the power to act, to make something better in your community, to actually DO something, and it changes you.”