{"id":240543,"date":"2024-05-03T14:26:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T18:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=240543"},"modified":"2025-09-19T15:10:01","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T19:10:01","slug":"faculty-staff-and-students-to-be-honored-with-2024-sph-awards","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2024\/faculty-staff-and-students-to-be-honored-with-2024-sph-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Faculty, Staff, and Students to Be Honored with 2024 SPH Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin sphnews-block-editorial-leadin is-style-text-over-image has-media has-box has-media-focus-center-middle has-text-position-x-left has-text-position-y-bottom has-primary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2023\/05\/convocation-banner-IMG_5043-scaled.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Dean Galea speaks at lectern to BUSPH graduates\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/05\/convocation-banner-IMG_5043-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/05\/convocation-banner-IMG_5043-636x477.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/05\/convocation-banner-IMG_5043-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/05\/convocation-banner-IMG_5043-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/05\/convocation-banner-IMG_5043-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/05\/convocation-banner-IMG_5043-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/05\/convocation-banner-IMG_5043-755x566.jpg 755w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/05\/convocation-banner-IMG_5043-1333x1000.jpg 1333w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/05\/convocation-banner-IMG_5043-1600x1200.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/05\/convocation-banner-IMG_5043-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/05\/convocation-banner-IMG_5043-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/05\/convocation-banner-IMG_5043-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner has-opacity-70\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Featured<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFaculty, Staff, and Students to Be Honored with 2024 SPH Awards\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">Anushka Reddy Marri, Trish Elliott, Pat Hibberd, Melanie Gilreath Chaisson, Elaine Nsoesie, and Madeleine Scammell will receive awards at Convocation.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar sphnews-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">May 3, 2024<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/authors\/megan-jones\/\">Megan Jones<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>Congratulations to the members of the School of Public Health community who will be honored the 2024 SPH Convocation on Saturday, May 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>2024 Podium Awardees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-1024x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-240555\" width=\"255\" height=\"255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-636x636.jpeg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-2048x2048.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-755x755.jpeg 755w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-1000x1000.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-500x500.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-1200x1200.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-900x900.jpeg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-1920x1920.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-550x550.jpeg 550w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-710x710.jpeg 710w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-600x600.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/IMG_9052-100x100.jpeg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 255px) 100vw, 255px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/anushkareddymarri\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Anushka Reddy Marri<\/strong><\/a>, an MPH graduate, is the winner of the 2024 Leonard H. Glantz Award for Academic Excellence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Glantz Award is the highest award granted to a graduating MPH student at SPH. The award is named in honor of Leonard H. Glantz, emeritus professor of health law, bioethics &amp; human rights, who served for 30 years as academic dean and demanded rigorous standards in curriculum and teaching throughout the academic program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Glantz Award winners are nominated by faculty, and demonstrate exceptional academic performance, seriousness, and professionalism in public health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An international student, Marri earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree back home in India before to moving to Boston to pursue her passion for public health at SPH. The aspiring epidemiologist quickly became a well-known presence on campus for her engagement in the classroom, in student organizations, in research, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marri completed a functional certificate in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/education\/degrees-and-programs\/master-of-public-health-programs\/certificates\/mph-functional-certificates\/epidemiology-and-biostatistics\/\">epidemiology and biostatistics<\/a> as well as a context certificate in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/education\/degrees-and-programs\/master-of-public-health-programs\/certificates\/mph-context-certificates\/infectious-disease\/\">infectious disease<\/a>, and she has maintained an exemplary academic record despite taking on myriad responsibilities in addition to her coursework. In her final semester alone, she has served as a teaching assistant to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/leonardo-martinez\/\">Leonard Martinez<\/a>, assistant professor of epidemiology, for his Concepts and Methods in Epidemiology (EP770) course; volunteered as a research assistant to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/kayoko-shioda\/\">Kayoko Shioda<\/a>, assistant professor of global health; and undertaken a practicum in tuberculosis research under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/profile\/pranay-sinha\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pranay Sinha<\/a>, an infectious disease physician at Boston Medical Center and an assistant professor at the BU Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marri is communications director for SPH\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/students\/student-services\/student-organizations\/busph-student-government-sac\/\">Student Senate<\/a> and the events coordinator in the School\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/students\/student-services\/student-organizations\/international-students-organization\/\">International Students Organization<\/a>, and also runs a popular \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/explore\/tags\/bookstagram\/?hl=en\">bookstagram<\/a>\u201d account, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/marridtobooks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">@marridtobooks<\/a>, in her free time. She has even collaborated with Graduate Student Life and the Office of Marketing and Communications to produce social media content specifically for the SPH community, collaborating on an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CvIC6jvO8JJ\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LGBTQIA+ reading list<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/CwA0qY4AsGO\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sharing advice<\/a> with her peers based on her experience as an international student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/ashley-leonard\/\">Ashley Leonard<\/a>, assistant director of GSL, describes Marri as \u201can exceptional leader\u201d and \u201cexemplary role model,\u201d who is enthusiastic about building community and passionate about fostering inclusivity. Leonard witnessed Marri\u2019s \u201cremarkable ability\u201d to engage her peers firsthand, she says, when Marri led this year\u2019s International Showcase, an evening of performances celebrating the diverse cultures of people in the SPH community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhether she is gathering peers to engage in student socials and fundraisers or spearheading a signature event, Anushka has become an influential and highly valued member of the BUSPH community,\u201d says Leonard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Patricia-Elliott-1.jpg\" alt=\"Patricia Elliott\" class=\"wp-image-133934\" width=\"254\" height=\"254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Patricia-Elliott-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Patricia-Elliott-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Patricia-Elliott-1-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Patricia-Elliott-1-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Patricia-Elliott-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Patricia-Elliott-1-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 254px) 100vw, 254px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/patricia-elliott\/\"><strong>Patricia (Trish) Elliott<\/strong><\/a> (SPH&#8217;06,&#8217;13), clinical associate professor and associate chair in the Department of Community Health Sciences, is the winner of the 2024 Norman A. Scotch Award for Excellence in Teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Named after SPH\u2019s founding dean who worked to make education a hallmark of the School, the Scotch Award is presented annually to an individual who has made outstanding and sustained contributions to the education program at SPH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elliott earned both her MPH and her DrPH from SPH, concentrating her studies in maternal and child health. She began teaching at the School in an adjunct capacity before joining the Department of Community Health Sciences in 2013. During her more than 10 years as a member of the SPH faculty, she has taught a range of courses, including two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/education\/degrees-and-programs\/master-of-public-health-programs\/core-curriculum\/\">core courses<\/a> and numerous introductory and advanced departmental offerings. Her pioneering approach to teaching, particularly practice-based education, has previously earned her educational innovation awards from SPH and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mchnavigator.org\/academics\/atmch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe considerable promise [Elliott] showed as a doctoral student has been manifested in her stellar career as a faculty member,\u201d writes one of her nominators. \u201cIt is critical that the Scotch Award recognizes the contributions of faculty like Dr. Elliott who blend exceptional classroom teaching with schoolwide educational leadership. It is the work of such faculty that allows this exceptional school to operate at the high level we have become accustomed to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elliott has also taken on several major leadership roles in the School\u2019s academic administration, most notably as director of the DrPH program, a demanding role involving considerable day-to-day operations to manage more than 40 students at different stages in their studies scattered throughout the world. Nonetheless, Elliott has been \u201cexceptionally successful,\u201d according to her predecessor, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/eugene-declercq\/\">Eugene Declercq<\/a>. He notes that during her tenure directing the program\u2019s admission, she has recruited a series of strong classes in the face of numerous challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTrish brings her keen intelligence, both emotional and intellectual; her creative and critical thinking; and a particularly deep commitment to assuring classrooms and programs that are equally attentive to student well-being, rigor, and readiness for real-world professional practice,\u201d writes a colleague, summarizing what several nomination letters describe as the outstanding qualities Elliott contributes to the classroom and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2016\/07\/Patricia-Hibberd-1.jpg\" alt=\"Patricia Hibberd\" class=\"wp-image-134248\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2016\/07\/Patricia-Hibberd-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2016\/07\/Patricia-Hibberd-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2016\/07\/Patricia-Hibberd-1-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2016\/07\/Patricia-Hibberd-1-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2016\/07\/Patricia-Hibberd-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2016\/07\/Patricia-Hibberd-1-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/patricia-hibberd\/\"><strong>Patricia (Pat) Hibberd<\/strong><\/a>, professor and chair in the Department of Global Health, is the winner of the 2024 Faculty Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This honor is given annually to recognize a faculty member for a distinguished body of scholarly or scientific work on a specific topic or within a general area of expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hibberd, who also holds an appointment as a professor of infectious disease medicine at the Chobanian &amp; Avedisian School of Medicine, is a global leader in the treatment and prevention of childhood pneumonia, neonatal sepsis, and diarrhea\u2014the leading causes of death among children under 5 worldwide. Her clinical and translational research portfolio, built over several decades in the field, has become increasingly diverse in recent years but has always focused broadly on improving patient care in underserved communities in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hibberd has recently obtained funding to study the efficacy of probiotics to enhance influenza vaccine responses, to assess a novel point-of-care imaging technology in pulmonary infections, and to investigate the effects of COVID-19 and influenza on pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the course of her career, Hibberd has secured nearly 70 grants (including several from the National Institutes of Health) and published nearly 300 peer-reviewed articles (many in high impact journals). She has been recognized as one of the country\u2019s foremost global health experts who fight diseases that disproportionately affect the world&#8217;s poorest nations, receiving the Paul G. Roger\u2019s Social Global Ambassador Award in 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trained as an epidemiologist in Great Britain in the late 1970s, Hibberd came to the United States in 1980 to conduct research. She went on to study medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and completed residencies in internal medicine and infectious disease at Mass General Hospital (MGH). She served as a professor of pediatrics at HMS, a professor of global health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and as director of the Division of Global Health in the Department of Pediatrics at MGH before crossing town to join the faculty at SPH, where she continues to churn out impactful research while mentoring the next generation of public health leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c[Hibberd] excels as a mentor, team member, and leader,\u201d writes one of her nominators and mentees. \u201cI have had excellent mentors throughout my career [\u2026] but none of them has topped Prof. Hibberd. She is constantly suggesting and helping to strategize the next steps in my career directions. She is always available to discuss logistic challenges in studies or scientific study directions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the nomination letter, Hibberd has attracted numerous promising junior faculty to the department and during her tenure as chair, the number of research awards received by department faculty has increased substantially, as has the number of publications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith abundant energy, [Hibberd] has been a driving force to further elevate the department to a position of research excellence,\u201d reads the letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"276\" height=\"241\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/MGC-spotlight-picture-400x241-1-e1714755466629.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-240637\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/melanie-gilreath-chaisson\/\"><strong>Melanie Gilreath Chaisson<\/strong><\/a> (MET&#8217;16), director of people services in the Office of Finance and Administration, is the winner of the 2024 Dzidra J. Knecht Staff Award for Distinguished Service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The highest award for school service that can be given to a staff member at SPH, the Knecht Award recognizes staff who have made outstanding and sustained contributions to the administrative functioning of their departments and therefore the School. It is named in honor of Dzidra J. Knecht, the School\u2019s first associate dean for administration, who spent 30 years working for the University, 20 of them at SPH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many consider Chaisson to be the cornerstone of leadership and service at SPH. One of her nomination letters even reads, \u201cIn all honesty, I was surprised to find out [Chaisson] had not previously been awarded in this category. I have never heard anything but praise and positive feedback about [her] knowledge, responsiveness, professionalism, and commitment to the School.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over more than decade working at SPH, Chaisson has set benchmarks for what it means to engage and develop community. Her relentless dedication to helping others has served her well in her position as director of people services, and over the years, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to administrative excellence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From streamlining administrative processes to improve efficiency to fostering an inclusive environment to enhance employee retention and engagement, Chaisson has consistently contributed to improving SPH operations. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/faculty-staff\/staff-handbook\/v-staff-awards-and-professional-development\/staff-mentorship-program\/\">staff mentorship program<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/faculty-staff\/staff-handbook\/v-staff-awards-and-professional-development\/staff-awards-and-recognition\/\">Think.Teach.Do Awards<\/a> are just two examples of programs she has championed in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Described as \u201cfunny, kind, and well-liked\u201d by one nominator, Chaisson is known for her open-door policy and dependable smile. Her resourcefulness and positive attitude have positioned her as a go-to person for questions and advice, and she has proven herself an \u201cinvaluable asset\u201d to the School with her aptitude for boosting team productivity and morale, writes another nominator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhether it is mentoring new team members, assisting colleagues with challenging tasks, or volunteering for community projects, Melanie is always ready to lend a hand,\u201d reads their nomination letter. \u201cHer genuine concern for the wellbeing of others and her willingness to go above and beyond to help is a clear indication of her altruistic nature. This selflessness has earned her the respect and admiration of everyone she works with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/Elaine-Nsoesie.png\" alt=\"Elaine Nsoesie\" class=\"wp-image-154395\" width=\"296\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/Elaine-Nsoesie.png 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/Elaine-Nsoesie-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/Elaine-Nsoesie-500x500.png 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/Elaine-Nsoesie-550x550.png 550w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/Elaine-Nsoesie-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2018\/09\/Elaine-Nsoesie-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 296px) 100vw, 296px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/elaine-nsoesie\/\"><strong>Elaine Nsoesie<\/strong><\/a>, associate professor in the Department of Global Health, is the winner of the 2024 Award for Excellence in Public Health Practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This honor is presented annually to a faculty or staff member who has made outstanding and sustained contributions to the health of populations through advocacy work, community engagement, and\/or public policy endeavors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Born and raised in Cameroon, Nsoesie went on to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree in mathematics at the University of Maryland College Park and a master\u2019s in statistics and a doctorate in computational epidemiology at Virginia Tech. She completed post-doctoral research at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.childrenshospital.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Boston Children\u2019s Hospital<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/hms.harvard.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Harvard Medical School<\/a> before securing her first faculty position with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. She ultimately returned to Boston to join the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/about\/departments\/global-health\/\">Department of Global Health<\/a> at BUSPH in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nsoesie has dedicated her career to the advancement of global health equity through data science and technology, particularly through efforts to engage underrepresented communities in the field. Writes her nominator of her work, \u201cBy virtue of Elaine\u2019s extensive and truly global efforts at improving the scientific and practice aptitude of scores of junior public health learners and professionals, she has had an outsize and lasting influence the health of large populations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nsoesie has taught or served as a guest lecturer not only at SPH but also at MIT and Harvard Medical School. She has designed trainings and offered webinars for a variety of other audiences as well, such as a workshop on data science methods for staff at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dsti.gov.sl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Directorate of Science, Technology, and Innovation<\/a> in the President\u2019s Office in Sierra Leone. Additionally, Nsoesie has mentored Black PhD student through the organization <a href=\"https:\/\/blackinai.github.io\/#\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Black in AI<\/a>, founded a research mentoring program for BIPOC students, and runs a racial data science internship program at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/antiracism-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BU Center for Antiracist Research<\/a>, where she led the development of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/antiracism-center\/antiracism-research\/racial-data-lab\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Racial Data Tracker<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nsoesie has advised both local departments of health and international organizations, such as UNICEF and the UN Development Program, on how to improve disease surveillance systems and she was recently recruited to be the program lead in the NIH\u2019s Artificial Intelligence\/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity program. Nsoesie also recently earned a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/faculty-staff\/faculty-handbook\/resources-for-faculty-development-and-advancement\/pilot-award-program\/\">Practice Innovation Award<\/a> from SPH\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/give\/idea-hub\/\">idea hub<\/a> to support Rethe 2.0, a new model of a program she launched in Tanzania in 2019 to provide scientific writing resources to students in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Madeleine-Scammell-1.jpg\" alt=\"Madeleine Scammell\" class=\"wp-image-133976\" width=\"253\" height=\"253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Madeleine-Scammell-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Madeleine-Scammell-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Madeleine-Scammell-1-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Madeleine-Scammell-1-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Madeleine-Scammell-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2013\/10\/Madeleine-Scammell-1-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 253px) 100vw, 253px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/madeleine-scammell\/\"><strong>Madeleine Scammell<\/strong><\/a> (SPH&#8217;08), associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health, received the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now in its second year, this award honors a faculty or staff member who has done extraordinary work promoting diversity, equity, and justice (DEIJ) and cultivating a culture of inclusion throughout the School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scammell led the Department of Environmental Health\u2019s DEI Committee for three years, from its inception during the tumultuous summer of 2020 through 2023, but her commitment to DEIJ through her own research, teaching, and practice began decades earlier and is still ongoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scammell has received multiple research grants for community-engaged projects that encompass elements of DEIJ, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c-heatproject.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chelsea &amp; East Boston Heat Study<\/a>, which examines exposures to heat and poor air quality in the highly diverse neighborhood where Scammell lives; and the Mesoamerican Nephropathy Occupational Study, a longitudinal study of Central American agricultural workers that Scammell established to investigate exposures linked to an epidemic of chronic kidney disease. In addition to her research, she also serves on the boards of directors for two nonprofits, <a href=\"https:\/\/greenrootsej.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GreenRoots<\/a>, a community-based environmental justice organization, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sehn.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Science &amp; Environmental Health Network<\/a>, a virtual organization focused on leveraging law, ethics, and science to promote health. The Boston Public Health Commission and Boston Housing Authority also number among Scammell\u2019s many community partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the EH DEI Committee leader, Scammell made significant contributions to her department\u2019s education and growth; some of the highlights include helping to initiate a syllabus review process, piloting an evidenced-based teaching tool called \u201cOuch Oops Whoa\u201d to address bias and microaggressions in the classroom, organizing a year-long seminar series on race and racism in environmental health, and compiling a comprehensive assessment of department culture around DEI. Not one to talk the talk without also walking the walk, Scammell\u2019s review of her own course offerings led her to create a new course on environmental justice that will debut in fall 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhile [Scammell\u2019s] work just in the past few years would be more than enough to earn her this accolade, she has been engaged in community-based research and grappling with DEIJ challenges for more than 25 years,\u201d reads one nomination letter. \u201cIt is difficult to find some aspect of her work at BUSPH that does not center DEIJ issues, and [she] continues to push the frontier and try to improve systems and structures to create a more equitable and inclusive school and world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Additional 2024 Awardees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Congratulations also to the following faculty, staff, and students who will be honored at a school-wide Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Faculty<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Excellence in Teaching Award for Teaching in the Core<br><strong>Junenette Peters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Excellence in Teaching Award for Student Engagement<br><strong>Kiersten Strombotne<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Excellence in Teaching Award for Dedication to Student Learning<br><strong>Catharine Wang<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Excellence in Teaching Award for Outstanding New Instructor<br><strong>Salma Abdalla<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Excellence in Research Early Career Award<br><strong>Sarah Gordon<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Excellence in Research Innovation Award<br><strong>Matt Motta<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Excellence in Research Mentoring Award<br><strong>Martha Werler<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Staff<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Staff Excellence Award in Collaboration<br><strong>Jillian McKoy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Staff Excellence Award in Mentorship or Training<br><strong>Tom Dauria<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Staff Excellence Award in Leadership<br><strong>Elaine Bertolini<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Karen Smith Award<br><strong>Sarah Lawrence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Students<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Excellence in Student Services &amp; Leadership Award<br><strong>Kyla Botsian<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Student Award for Excellence in Public Health Practice<br><strong>Riley Smith<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Student Award<br><strong>Zana Wangari Kiragu<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eugene Declercq Award for Excellence in a Public Health Practice Dissertation<br><strong>Maha Alattas<br>Rebecca Rudel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Community Health Sciences \u201cRising Star\u201d Award<br><strong>Samia Ismail<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Restuccia Award for Achievement in Social Justice in Community Health<br><strong>Cecilia Jarquin Tapia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>James F. Burgess Award for the Best Student Paper in Health Services Research<br><strong>Nicole McCann<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katherine M. Skinner Memorial Prize for Commitment to the Study of Women&#8217;s Health Issues<br><strong>Arpita Khanna<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Allan R. Meyers Memorial Award for Excellence in Health Policy &amp; Management<br><strong>Caroline Dignard<br>Kristen Scopino<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>David K Jones Award for Commitment to Health Policy and Social Justice<br><strong>Flor Villaneuva<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. William B. Patterson Memorial Prize for Excellence in Environmental and Occupational Health<br><strong>Audrey Garcia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Theodore Colton Prize for Excellence in Epidemiology<br><strong>Toshiaki Komura<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Epidemiology Academic Excellence Award<br><strong>Lee Hughes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Center for Health Law, Ethics and Human Rights Award<br><strong>Hannah Jacobson<\/strong><br><strong>Gayathri Krishna<br>Sean Hagan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The John Snow, Inc. Award in Global Health<br><strong>Miya Abboud<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Herb Kayne Prize for Excellence in Biostatistics<br><strong>Krystal Kuan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Biostatistics Academic Excellence Award<br><strong>Ryan Zukowski<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Biostatistics Excellence in Research Award<br><strong>Lauren Delp<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Biostatistics Doctoral Applied Research Paper Award<br><strong>Xiaoyu Zhang<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Sherri Oliver Stuver Award<br><strong>Julia Bond<br>Nedghie Adrien<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Congratulations to the members of the School of Public Health community who will be honored the 2024 SPH Convocation on Saturday, May 18. 2024 Podium Awardees Anushka Reddy Marri, an MPH graduate, is the winner of the 2024 Leonard H. Glantz Award for Academic Excellence. The Glantz Award is the highest award granted to a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22210,"featured_media":240552,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[2094,1272,4671,1761,4869,4749,1265,2367,4868,3177,1988],"bu-publication":[3516],"sphnews-article-category":[3519,3525,3528,3529,3531,3532,3538,3540,3541,4084],"sphnews-topic":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"profile_tax":[3073,324,417,4870,4871],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/240543"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22210"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=240543"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/240543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":257887,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/240543\/revisions\/257887"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=240543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=240543"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=240543"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-article-category?post=240543"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-topic?post=240543"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=240543"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=240543"},{"taxonomy":"profile_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile_tax?post=240543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}