School news and awards 2025

STUDENTS

Three Gillings students won the 2024 Award for Excellence in Health Equity Research. This is the fifth year that Gillings has offered this honor and the first year that students and postdoctoral researchers were eligible to receive it. The awardees are:

Doctoral student: Austin Waters, Department of Health Policy and Management (HPM), for his research that has significantly advanced the understanding of health care inequities faced by LGBTQ+ cancer survivors and caregivers.

Master of Public Health (MPH) student: Fred Tusabe, Climate, Environment and Health concentration, for his work addressing critical disparities in water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) practices, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries.

Undergraduate student: Emile Charles, Nutrition concentration, for a wide range of work ranging from hands-on labor – helping community gardens in rural North Carolina harvest more than 38,000 pounds of fresh produce that was delivered to over 1,400 vulnerable community members – to developing research best practices.

Halle Evans, Master of Science student in environmental sciences and engineering (ESE), was awarded the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program Graduate Fellowship from the United States Department of Transportation​. Through her work on vehicle-to-grid​​ technology in Thailand, Evans is investigating the potential of electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and evaluating the cost-effectiveness of these systems.

Jaya Dayal, a senior obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree, received the John H. Barnhill Civic Trailblazer Award from N.C. Campus Engagement, a statewide collegiate network committed to preparing students for civic and social responsibility. Dayal co-founded the UNC Democracy & Dialogue Fellows Program to empower students to use dialogue as a tool to have challenging yet necessary conversations.

Gina Hidalgo, a graduate student in ESE, won the Campus Sustainability photo contest for her submission, Managing Dust, which provides an inside look at the UNC School of Nursing’s Carrington Renewal Project. Hidalgo, who studies exposure science, took the photo because it represents the controls implemented to mitigate exposures to those working on the building and the general public.

UNC Gillings’ third biannual Pitch Competition saw 48 students across 12 teams exploring entrepreneurial solutions to pressing public health challenges. The three winning teams were:

First Place: Sensible Pad, a diagnostic menstrual pad that non-invasively screens for cervical cancer at a low cost. Coached by Erik Eaker, MHA, an undergraduate and graduate alumnus of Gillings, the team won $3,000 + $5,000 in consulting services from BlueDoor Consulting. Vinitha Panchikarla, an HPM undergraduate student, was part of the research team.

Second Place and People’s Choice Award: Olea Health transforms health care accessibility for underserved populations by providing AI-driven, SMS-based health education and preventative care solutions. The team, which includes HPM undergraduate student Aveena Khanderia, was coached by Sammy Orelien, DrPH, an executive doctoral alumnus of Gillings. They won $1,500 for second place and $200 for People’s Choice.

Third Place: MedFam provides discounted lodging rates to families in emergency medical situations through hospital and hotel partnerships. The team, which includes MPH in epidemiology student Varad Gurude, won $750 and was coached by Richard Kelly, an undergraduate Gillings alumnus.

The Impact in Practice Award is a $500 non-service award that recognizes students who made a significant, immediate and direct impact on public health practice during their summer 2024 practicum experience, with a focus on capacity building, community engagement and health equity. This year’s winners, all MPH students, are:

Olivia Hoynes – Project: Preparing Volunteer Birth Doulas in a Hospital-Based Program: Designing, Implementing and Evaluating a New Approach to Doula Training. Organization: Birth Partners Volunteer Doula Program

Paddy Qiu – Project: Assessing and Mitigating Cervical Cancer Risks: The Impact of Social Determinants and Educational Interventions on HIV-Infected Women in Bali, Indonesia. Organization: Minority Health Research Training Program (MHRT) from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Lauren Lansing – Project: Evaluating Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Screenings Among Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Clients in Hanoi, Vietnam. Organization: Hanoi Medical University.

Rotimi Kukoyi, Bachelor of Science in Public Health student in health policy and management, was the undergraduate recipient of the 2025 Robert E. Bryan Public Service Award for his outstanding public health work and leadership as an undergraduate student through the Student Health Action Coalition (SHAC) and Get Covered Carolina.

Three students were honored with the Gillings School Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards, which recognize teaching assistants who inspire students, enhance learning, support success and facilitate their development as public health professionals. They are:

Kevin Yu, MPH student in nutrition,

Summer Peterson, Doctoral student in health behavior, and

Yating Zou, Doctoral student in biostatistics.

FACULTY/STAFF

Sarah Mills, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of health behavior, received the faculty Award for Excellence in Health Equity Research, which recognizes outstanding research that advances solutions to health inequities. Mills was honored for her groundbreaking studies that highlight racial and socioeconomic disparities in tobacco use and the marketing of menthol cigarettes, which have influenced regulatory actions and shaped the strategies of major tobacco prevention programs.

David J. Weber, MD, MPH, a Gillings epidemiology professor and distinguished leader in infection prevention and health care epidemiology, is serving as the president of the 2025 board of trustees for the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). SHEA’s mission is to promote safe health care practices and reduce the burden of health care-associated​​ infections worldwide.

Eleven Gillings academics were named to Clarivate’s 2024 list of Highly Cited Researchers™ recognizing global research scientists and social scientists who have demonstrated exceptional influence by publishing multiple papers frequently cited by their peers during the last decade. From the Gillings School, those faculty include:

Ralph S. Baric, PhD, William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of epidemiology.

Noel T. Brewer, PhD, Gillings Distinguished Professor in Public Health and professor of health behavior.

Stephen R. Cole, PhD, professor of epidemiology.

Rachel Graham, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology.

Lisa Gralinski, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology.

Sarah Leist, PhD, research associate in epidemiology.

Hans W. Paerl, PhD, professor of marine and environmental sciences and engineering and William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor at UNC’s Institute of Marine Sciences.

Barry M. Popkin, PhD, William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of nutrition.

Byron Powell, PhD, LCSW, adjunct associate professor of health policy and management at Gillings and associate professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Alexandra Schaefer, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology.

Timothy Sheahan, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology.

Joseph Ibrahim, PhD, Alumni Distinguished Professor of biostatistics, received the American Statistical Association’s received Samuel S. Wilks Memorial Award. Director of graduate studies for the Department of Biostatistics and director of the department’s Biostatistics for Research in Genomics and Training Grant, Ibrahim focuses on developing statistical methodology related to clinical trials, cancer and genomics research. He was selected for this prestigious award for his distinguished career in biostatistics, as well as his contributions to cancer research, genomics and statistical education, which have significantly advanced public health and medical research.

William Vizuete, PhD, professor of environmental sciences and engineering, has been named the Gillings School’s first innovation strategy adviser. The inaugural role represents the School’s commitment to building a robust culture of innovation, entrepreneurship and translation for direct impact in public health. Working closely with Anne Glauber, MPH, associate director of innovation at Gillings, and Donald Holzworth, MS, the School’s entrepreneur in residence, Vizuete will advance transformative innovation solutions that address complex public health challenges.

Barbara Turpin, PhD, professor of environmental sciences and engineering, was selected to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) last fall by Administrator Michael S. Regan. CASAC members span several scientific disciplines and provide sound scientific advice to EPA leadership.

A UNC research team led by Gillings School epidemiologist Kari North, PhD, has partnered with Texas Tech University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) to research anorexia nervosa (AN). The Sarah Kyle Anorexia Nervosa Research Foundation (SKANRF.org) has awarded its first Phase 1 grant to this research consortium, which seeks to uncover the biological mechanisms underlying AN by exploring epigenetic modifications that can influence gene expression without altering the DNA sequence itself. Cynthia Bulik, PhD, FAED, Distinguished Professor of psychiatry and a professor of nutrition at Gillings, chairs the SKANRF Scientific Advisory Board and is also involved with this project.

Professor of Nutrition Anthony Hackney, PhD, DSc, was recently named a Fulbright Scholar. Hackney will be associated with the PANIC study (Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children) at the University of Eastern Finland as the Fulbright-Saastamoinen Distinguished Chair in Health Sciences. It is his fourth experience as a Fulbright Scholar.

Gillings faculty received two of the first Translating Innovative Ideas for the Public Good (TIIP) Awards, which provide up to $50,000 in support for innovative projects that embody the University’s mission to drive research, invention and innovation for public benefit:

Oscar Fleming, DrPH, MSPH, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Leadership and Practice, for his project: Community Co-Design for Street Medicine in Burke County.

Melissa Cox, PhD, assistant professor of health behavior for her project Building an Adaptive Mobile Intervention to Address High-Risk Alcohol Use.

The Teaching Excellence and Innovation Awards honor Gillings faculty members who inspire students; enhance student learning through creative, engaging and innovative teaching methods; and/or support student success in the classroom and student growth as public health professionals. The 2025 award winners are:

Kristen Hassmiller Lich, PhD, professor of health policy and management, received one of the School’s most prestigious awards, the Bernard G. Greenberg Alumni Endowment Award for teaching, research and service.

Jianwen Cai, PhD, Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of biostatistics, received the John E. Larsh Jr. Award for Mentorship, one of the School’s most prestigious awards, which recognizes the faculty member who best exemplifies the qualities of mentoring and commitment to students.

Melanie Studer, PhD, assistant professor of health policy and management, received the Edward G. McGavran Award for Excellence in Teaching, which recognizes career-long excellence in teaching by a faculty member at the Gillings School.

Eight faculty members were awarded student-nominated Teaching Innovation Awards, which recognize one early-to-mid-career faculty member from each department. They are:

Lina Montoya, PhD, assistant professor of biostatistics,

Greg Characklis, PhD, W.R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of environmental sciences and engineering,

Jessie Buckley, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology,

Larissa Jennings Mayo-Wilson, PhD, associate professor of health behavior,

Franklin Farmer, DBA, MBA, adjunct instructor in health policy and management,

Angela Parcesepe, PhD, associate professor of maternal and child health,

Molly De Marco, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition, and

W. Oscar Fleming, DrPH, assistant professor of public health leadership and practice.

Charletta Sims Evans has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 ASPPH Student Services Excellence Award in recognition of her innovative, forward-thinking approach to student services and extraordinary dedication to working with applicants and students. The ASPPH Student Services Excellence Award recognizes individuals who have devoted their careers to innovating and improving the experience for applicants and students of public health programs. With over 20 years in higher education, counseling, and mental health, Sims Evans leads the Office of Student Affairs in providing student outreach and recruitment, advising and counseling on academic and career choices, preventing and managing student disputes and grievances, and advising student organizations.

Biostatistics Professor Hongtu Zhu, PhD, has been named a 2025 IEEE Fellow. Each year, less than 1% of its voting members are selected for the prestigious fellowship. Zhu has been recognized for his contributions to data integration in medical imaging and genetics and applying learning in ridesharing.

Two 2025 Robert E. Bryan Public Service Awards were given to staff and programs at the Gillings School. Addie Imseis, project director in the Department of Public Health Leadership and Practice, was recognized for her outstanding work and leadership for the Building Veteran-Healthy Communities Project. The Place-Based Health MPH concentration also received special recognition for outstanding work with the Western N.C. community both before and after Hurricane Helene.

Two 2025 Office of the Provost awards were given to Gillings School faculty and programs for engaged research and partnership. Leah Frerichs, PhD, associate professor of health policy and management, was recognized for outstanding research in partnership with communities in Eastern N.C. to develop sustainable programming for adolescent youth engagement in local health-improvement initiatives. The Fort Bragg Public Health Partnership was also recognized for outstanding and ongoing work to address important health needs among military families in Fort Bragg.

ALUMNI

Lisa Koonin, DrPH, 2013 doctoral program in Public Health Executive Leadership alumna, received the 2025 Harriet Hylton Barr Distinguished Alumni Award, which honors an alumnus or alumna for outstanding achievements and contributions to public health.

Gary White, MS ’94 (environmental sciences and engineering), received a Distinguished Alumni Award for his devotion to creating sustainable solutions that provide access to safe drinking water and sanitation to millions of people throughout the world. White leads Water.org and WaterEquity, two nonprofits he co-founded with actor Matt Damon which, since 2003, have helped provide access to safe water and sanitation for 70 million people in more than 18 countries.

Amber Amparo, a Bachelor of Science in Public Health graduate from the class of 2023, received a Fulbright Award to conduct research at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, studying how treatment strategies developed in the lab can be applied to pediatric neuroblastomas, a type of cancer that forms in nerve cells.

Roberto Hernández Orsini, DMD, MPH, MS, (UNC MPH ‘86), has been named president-elect of the American Board of Orthodontics. He is an associate professor in the graduate orthodontic program at the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine and will be part of the executive, clinical and certification committees.

Shelley Francis, DrPH, 2005 Gillings School alumna, was named to the Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee (TTAC). The committee is to advise the Department of Transportation and the Secretary about plans and approaches for transportation innovation.

EXAMPLES OF MAJOR GRANTS AND AWARDS

A team of UNC-Chapel Hill researchers that includes two Gillings faculty has been awarded up to $10 million in Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health funding to develop the Cancer Identification and Precision Oncology Center, a multidisciplinary effort to improve cancer diagnosis and support personalized treatments by quickly aggregating and analyzing a wide range of health data. Principal investigators for the three-year project include Caroline Thompson, PhD, MPH, associate professor of epidemiology, and Melissa Troester, PhD, MPH, professor of epidemiology.

Naim Rashid, PhD, associate professor of biostatistics, has received a two-year, $311,000 Department of Defense Pancreatic Cancer Research Program-focused pilot award to build an artificial intelligence tool that generates personalized clinical trial recommendations for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Michael Kosorok, PhD, W. R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of biostatistics at Gillings and professor of statistics and operations research, is another key project team member.

Baiming Zou, PhD, associate professor of biostatistics, received a grant (R01) from the National Institutes of Health to bring machine learning analysis to post-surgical pain and opioid use, with the goal of producing data-driven insights that will help physicians provide personalized pain management plans and avoid the risk of opioid overuse. Co-investigators include Gillings biostatistics professors **Fei Zou **and Didong Li, PhD.

IN MEMORIAM

Sagar Chand Jain, PhD, a revered professor and health policy visionary, passed away Oct. 23, 2024, at age 94. Jain was professor emeritus of health policy and management at Gillings, a former department chair, and founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of World Health & Population. Born in India and immigrating to the United States in 1959, Jain joined UNC-Chapel Hill in 1965, serving the Department of Health Policy and Administration as a key faculty member and from 1971-1986 as department chair. His work was foundational in establishing the School’s reputation for health policy and public health administration, expanding the curriculum and collaborating with organizations like the World Health Organization to enrich the School’s academic programs and global outreach initiatives.

After retiring as department chair, Jain leveraged his health policy expertise to support the Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR) in its mission of improving health care management in India and South Asia. This partnership enabled IIHMR to adopt UNC’s approaches to health systems strengthening and management training, equipping health care professionals with skills to tackle health challenges in low-resource settings. In his ancestral village of Dadawas, where his efforts centered on poverty alleviation through education and empowerment, Jain was instrumental in establishing the BMB School of Science and Mathematics. By creating educational resources, health care access and a support system for underprivileged youth, Jain transformed Dadawas and modeled similar initiatives for rural communities across India.

James Trotter Staley, PhD, former assistant professor of environmental sciences and engineering, died Aug. 22, 2024, at the age of 86. Staley decided to pursue a career in science when the U.S. began to place more emphasis on science and technology after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in math from the University of Minnesota, a master’s degree in microbiology from The Ohio State University, and a doctoral degree from the University of California, Davis. He taught Michigan State University’s first microbial ecology course before coming to UNC in 1969 as assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering. In 1971, Staley left Chapel Hill to become a professor of microbiology at The University of Washington.

Staley was interested in microbial evolution and diversity and considered his life’s work “Seeking Truth in the Microbial Cosmos.” Among his research achievements were naming two new bacterial genera, writing and publishing textbooks (Microbial Life and Microbiology Dynamics & Diversity), and serving as the Founding Director of the UW Astrobiology Program from 1998-2005. Staley was a member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) for more than 50 years and received the U.S. Federation of Culture Collections J. Roger Porter Award from ASM in 2008.

R. Gary Rozier, DDS, MPH, a beloved and respected national expert on oral public health, died Jan. 29 at age 80. Rozier, who was professor emeritus of the HPM department, spent his career working to improve the oral health of low-income children in N.C. and across the U.S.

For more than 40 years, he served on the faculty of the Gillings School, teaching courses in public health dentistry and research design. He led the HPM doctoral program for several years and was an advisor to countless students. Rozier received his MPH and Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill.

“Dr. Rozier was a member of HPM from 1976 to 2019, where he spent his career designing and evaluating strategies to reduce oral health inequities in children,” said Kristin Reiter, PhD, Humana Distinguished Professor and chair of HPM. “His work engaged physicians, dentists and community organizations such as Early Head Start in improving access to oral health preventive and treatment services for preschool-aged children. He was a remarkable teacher, mentor, researcher and colleague and a giant in the field of dental public health.”

Educator, mentor and friend to so many, Rozier was a role model who inspired people across the globe. He conducted dental public health research with direct applications toward improving the public’s health. He generously shared his time and research acumen. Perhaps his best-known research activities involved the development and evaluation of the “Into the Mouths of Babes” project that engaged and taught medical providers to conduct oral health screenings for young children, apply fluoride varnish and refer them to dentists. This innovative, interprofessional activity continues today.