School news and awards, Spring 2026

Students

Bachelor of Public Health senior Rotimi Kukoyi is one of three UNC-Chapel Hill students chosen for the 2026 Rhodes scholars class. From Hoover, Alabama, Kukoyi is a Morehead-Cain scholar and Honors Carolina student majoring in health policy and management at Gillings with minors in chemistry and biology. He is senior class president, a Truman scholar and a “Jeopardy!” champion. Kukoyi has worked for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Nigeria. On campus, he has leadership roles with Campus Health and the UNC Student Health Action Coalition. At Oxford, Kukoyi will pursue the Master of Science in health improvement and evaluation and the Master of Science in evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation.

Wenbo Wang, a doctoral student in biostatistics, was named a predoctoral semifinalist for the 2025 American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Trainee Research Excellence Award. The award recognizes outstanding research abstracts submitted and presented by predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees at the ASHG Annual Meeting. Out of more than 800 applicants, Wang’s abstract ranked among the top 60 submissions nationwide. Her award-winning work explores how combining polygenic risk scores with other omics-based models can enhance the prediction of complex traits and diseases.

Four Master of Public Health (MPH) students received the 2025 Impact in Practice Award, which recognizes students who made a significant, immediate and direct impact on public health practice during their summer 2025 practicum experience. This $500 non-service award highlights efforts that exemplify the application of public health training and expertise to improve the health of communities, with a focus on capacity building, community engagement and health equity. The winners were Jasmine Johnson, MPH student in leadership in practice; Leah Maness, MPH student in applied epidemiology; Grace Myers, MPH student in health, equity and social justice; and Caroline Van Buskirk, MPH student in leadership in practice.

Doctoral student in epidemiology Lucas Neuroth, MPH, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025-2026 H. Clay Gabler Scholar’s Program Award, presented by the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM) at its 69th Annual Scientific Conference. The Gabler Scholars’ Program specifically seeks to support early-career investigators. This highly competitive award provides $20,000 over 12 months to support a student researcher whose work aligns with AAAM’s mission of saving lives and eliminating road traffic injuries. Neuroth received the award for his dissertation proposal on evaluating the New Jersey graduated drivers licensing (GDL) program to identify at-risk adolescents and communities where current GDL guidance may be insufficient. His goal is to better understand the incidence and burden of injuries in vulnerable populations.

Gillings biostatistics doctoral students Anthony Wang and Annika Cleven were awarded prestigious Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program aims to strengthen the United States’ scientific and engineering workforce by supporting outstanding graduate students pursuing full-time research degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The fellowship provides three years of financial support, including a stipend, tuition coverage and travel support to attend conferences and workshops.

A human lactation certificate program launched at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and led by Gillings doctoral student Janiya Mitnaul Williams has received a $2.5 million grant from a global women’s health initiative supported by Melinda French Gates. Williams, a doctoral student in public health executive leadership, is director of the Pathway 2 Human Lactation Training Program. The grant from Action for Women’s Health will help the program expand its reach to serve even more pregnant and postpartum women.

Martina Spain, doctoral student in maternal and child health; Liz McNeil Royea, Master of Public Health student in health behavior; and Catherine (Catie) Wiener, doctoral student in epidemiology, received Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards.

Chuxin Chen, an undergraduate student in the Department of Biostatistics, received the Best Poster Award at the Statistics in Pharmaceuticals (SIP) 2025 conference. SIP introduces students and early-career professionals in statistics and data science to drug development and career pathways in the pharmaceutical and regulatory industries. Chen, who is also pursuing a second major in mathematics, was the only undergraduate presenting at the conference. Her poster, “FMA: A Fully Data-Driven Frequentist Model Averaging Approach for Analyzing Basket Trials,” introduces a new statistical method to support cancer research.

Seven of the eight UNC-Chapel Hill students selected for the 2025-2026 Rural Interprofessional Longitudinal Scholars (RIPLS) Program are enrolled at the Gillings School. Funded by the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust, the program brings together health professions students from UNC-CH, UNC Pembroke and UNC Wilmington who desire to work in rural communities upon graduation. The Gillings students who received the scholarship are Zoe Bestmann Smith, Adriana Gaona, Abdulhafiz Kedir, Rachel Moon, Parker Perry, Keaton Thorum and Ima Varghese Mac. The RIPLS Program fosters collaboration among future health care professionals as they work in teams to address the unique challenges of rural health care in N.C.

Faculty / Staff

Dorothy Cilenti, DrPH, clinical professor of maternal and child health (MCH), has been named associate dean for practice. Cilenti is a three-time UNC-Chapel Hill graduate: She earned a Master of Public Health degree in MCH, a Master of Social Work degree and a DrPH degree in health policy and management. She currently directs the National Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Center, a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources Services Administration.

Jason Surratt, PhD, Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, and Barbara Turpin, PhD, professor and former chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, received one of Environmental Science & Technology’s Best Paper Awards for leading a study of pollution sources in sub-Saharan Africa that will help improve climate predictions. Their research shed new light on a particle called brown carbon, which absorbs sunlight and leads to a warming effect that can change weather patterns, intensify climate change and reduce visibility. Their findings will enable scientists and climate modelers to better estimate the warming effect of biomass burning by measuring brown carbon mass.

Seven Gillings faculty were named 2026-27 recipients of faculty development awards from the Office of the Provost:

• Four Gillings faculty members received the competitive Junior Faculty Development Award, which provides a $10,000 stipend to support research or scholarly projects during the academic year. They are Karl Johnson, PhD, assistant professor of public health leadership and practice; Lamis Jomaa, PhD, teaching assistant professor of nutrition; Anna Kahkoska, MD, PhD, Joan Heckler Gillings Assistant Professor of nutrition; and Didong Li, PhD, assistant professor of biostatistics.
• Baiming Zou, PhD, associate professor of biostatistics, received a Fixed-Term Faculty Development Award, which provides up to $25,000 to support research and scholarly endeavors.
• Nora Rosenberg, PhD, associate professor of health behavior, and Delesha Carpenter, PhD, adjunct professor of health behavior, received the Senior Faculty Research and Scholarly Leaves. Leaves can be taken during the fall semester, spring semester or academic year, along with a $4,000 research fund and either a full base salary up to $60,000 for one semester or one-half of the base salary up to $60,000 for the full academic year.

Eight faculty members received the third annual Gillings Research Excellence Awards, which recognize one early- to mid-career faculty member from each department who has demonstrated excellence, innovation and impact in their research pursuits. Awardees receive $500 to support their research, scholarship and professional development. This year’s recipients are Tanya Garcia, PhD, associate professor of biostatistics; Ryan Cronk, PhD, assistant professor of environmental sciences and engineering; Chantel Martin, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology; Lauren Hill, PhD, associate professor of health behavior; Arrianna Planey, PhD, associate professor of health policy and management; Meghan Shanahan, PhD, associate professor of maternal and child health; Jessica Soldavini, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition; and Minzhi Xing, MD, assistant professor of public health leadership and practice.

Jess Edwards, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology; Leah Frerichs, PhD, associate professor of health policy and management; Anna Kahkoska, MD, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition; and Musa Manga, PhD, assistant professor of environmental sciences and engineering, have been awarded the inaugural Joan Heckler Gillings Endowed Professorships. The endowed three-year professorship, funded by the estate of the late Joan Heckler Gillings, will provide these faculty with crucial resources to conduct innovative pilot work, accelerate progress in their fields and support the students who collaborate with them.

UNC’s Rural Research, Engagement and Advancement Fund awards recognize university partnerships based in rural N.C., led by faculty members and community partners, that support a wide range of community endeavors. Gillings faculty who lead or co-lead these projects include: Sheila Davies, PhD, deputy county manager and Dare County Department of Health and Human Services director and adjunct faculty for the Gillings School’s MPH@UNC program; Marie Lina Excellent, MD, MPH, assistant professor and MPH Global Health concentration co-lead; and Stephanie Martin, PhD, MEd, associate professor of nutrition.

Barry Popkin, PhD, W.R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and founder of the Global Food Research Program at UNC-Chapel Hill, has coauthored a new series published in The Lancet warning that the rapid rise in ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is undermining diet quality and health globally. The three-paper series brings together 43 international experts to examine the evidence and policy actions needed to curb UPFs.

Dana Rice, DrPH, assistant dean of academic affairs and associate professor of public health leadership and practice, has been appointed to the N.C. Gang Prevention and Intervention Task Force. The task force aims to reduce gang activity through education, prevention, law enforcement training and community coordination.

Jason Surratt, PhD, Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of environmental sciences and engineering, has received the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR)’s 2025 Teaching, Mentoring and Training Award at the 43rd Annual AAAR Conference. This prestigious award recognizes excellence in supporting students, postdocs, research scientists and early-career scientists while creating an inclusive environment.

Ilene Speizer, PhD, professor of maternal and child health, has co-edited a special issue of Studies in Family Planning titled “Rethinking Family Planning Measurement with a Rights, Justice, and Person-Centered Lens.” Speizer edited the issue with colleagues from the International Union for the Scientific Study of Populations (IUSSP) Panel.

Bethany Hedt-Gauthier, PhD, professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health and the Department of Biostatistics, received the 2025 Lagakos Distinguished Alumni Award from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Eleven Gillings academics were named to Clarivate’s 2025 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:

• 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, Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of epidemiology.
• Rachel Graham, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology.
• Lisa Gralinski, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology.
• Sarah Leist, PhD, research associate in epidemiology.
• Evan Mayo-Wilson, DPhil, associate professor of epidemiology.
• Hans W. Paerl, PhD, emeritus 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.
• Alexandra Schaefer, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology.
• Timothy Sheahan, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology.

Four Gillings faculty members were named to the 2025 class of Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars, a Carolina Center for Public Service initiative that supports and accelerates community-engaged research and teaching. The Thorp program brings faculty together in a two-year cohort to deepen their community connections, foster engaged scholarship and offer modest project funding to catalyze new partnerships and initiatives. Representing Gillings in this year’s cohort are Shakia Hardy, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology; Iheoma Iruka, PhD, professor of maternal and child health; Stephanie Martin, PhD, associate professor of nutrition; and Minzhi Xing, MD, MPH, assistant professor of public health leadership and practice.

Lindsey Smith Taillie, PhD, professor of nutrition, has been selected to join the new Kairos program at UNC’s Eshelman Innovation Institute and will launch Lola, a personalized AI online grocery shopping technology that nudges users toward healthier and more sustainable food choices. The Kairos program will support Taillie through a six-month venture sprint, pairing her with two dedicated “venture builders” to validate the problem space, develop a compelling value proposition and pilot the platform in real markets. Her project, which also features the collaboration of the UNC Gillings Center for Artificial Intelligence and Public Health, highlights how AI and behavioral science can converge to shift food environments.

Lauren Eaves, PhD, assistant professor of environmental sciences and engineering at the Gillings School and research scientist at the UNC Institute for Environmental Health Solutions (IEHS), has been named to the de Beaumont Foundation’s 2025 list of 40 Under 40 in Public Health. She was recognized for her interdisciplinary research that integrates epidemiology, toxicogenomics and geospatial analysis to investigate how environmental chemical exposures, social vulnerabilities and climate stressors shape health outcomes —particularly in women and children.

Gillings Innovation Fellow Nabarun “Nab” Dasgupta has been awarded a 2025 MacArthur Fellowship, known as the “genius grant,” in recognition of his work as an epidemiologist and harm reduction advocate who combines scientific studies with community engagement to reduce deaths and other harms from drug use and overdose. Dasgupta and his team have played an important role in the national response to the opioid epidemic.

Two faculty members joined the Gillings School’s academic affairs leadership team: Ciara Zachary, PhD, assistant professor of health policy and management, has been appointed assistant dean for master’s programs, and Shelley Golden, PhD, associate professor of health behavior, has been named inaugural assistant dean for doctoral programs.

Christy Avery, PhD, professor of epidemiology, has been awarded a 2025-26 Fulbright-University of Leeds Distinguished Scholar Award. Part of an international exchange program between the United States and the United Kingdom, this prestigious award from the Fulbright Commission offers scholarships to postdoctoral, academic and professional researchers to study and/or lecture at recognized higher education institutions. Avery will study polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arthritis (GCA), two debilitating inflammatory diseases with major unmet clinical needs. Her goal is to see if genetic data can help identify PMR and GCA patients who are at highest risk of glucocorticoid-induced cardiovascular disease, so they can be prioritized for alternative therapies that may be cardioprotective but are rarely used in the U.K. or U.S. due to their cost.

Vivian Go, PhD, professor of health behavior, and William C. Miller, PhD, professor of epidemiology, both members of UNC’s Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, were named Honorable Professors by Hanoi Medical University in recognition of the outstanding contributions they have made in training, scientific research and development of international cooperation with Vietnam over the past decade. Go has worked in Vietnam since 2001, researching HIV prevention, health behavior, mental health and substance use. She is a leading expert in clinical trials within this field and currently directs several projects in Vietnam. Miller, an expert on infectious diseases, started working in Vietnam in 2014 and actively participates in training young lecturers and researchers as well as supporting international publications.

Professor Emerita Carol Runyan, PhD, has been named president for the UNC Retired Faculty and Professionals Association (RFPA), which supports retired UNC-Chapel Hill faculty and staff by fostering continued engagement, learning and community service. Runyan is seeking to expand its visibility, improve member services and create more inclusive programming such as webinars and discussion groups.

Globally recognized water quality expert Hans Paerl, PhD, the William R. Kenan Professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences, retired in July, leaving behind a legacy that extends beyond his 50-page curriculum vitae and nearly 600 authored papers. The Paerl Lab in Morehead City has been one of the cornerstones of the Institute of Marine Science since Paerl joined in 1978. In his 47 years at IMS, Paerl conducted pivotal research on eutrophication and harmful algal blooms and trained countless future environmental scientists and leaders. He collaborated with environment managers and lawmakers to establish long-term water-monitoring programs and to limit the over-enrichment of waters from agricultural, urban and industrial runoff.

Hongtu Zhu, PhD, Kenan Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biostatistics, received the International Chinese Statistical Association (ICSA)’s 2025 Distinguished Achievement Award, which recognizes his outstanding contributions to the fields of statistical methodology and biomedical applications, especially in neuroimaging, big data integration and imaging genetics.

Marissa Hall, PhD, assistant professor of health behavior, has been named one of five recipients of UNC-Chapel Hill’s 2025 Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prizes for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement, an $8,000 prize awarded to early-career faculty members who exemplify groundbreaking and innovative research along with future career promise. Hall’s research focuses on how product labeling, marketing and availability shape consumer choices, especially around tobacco, alcohol and food.

Jeffrey S.A. Stringer, MD, adjunct professor of epidemiology at the Gillings School and the Clarke-Pearson Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UNC School of Medicine, received the 2025 Oliver Max Gardner Award for his work on maternal healthcare in low-resource settings around the world. The highest faculty honor in the 17-campus UNC System, the award is presented annually to an individual “who has made the greatest contribution to the welfare of the human race.” As director of UNC’s global women’s health division, Stringer does research focused on preterm birth, HIV/AIDS in women and children, and obstetrical outcomes where resources are scarce.

A team of maternal-child health experts at UNC-Chapel Hill developed the Couplet Care Bassinet, the only postnatal bassinet that allows mothers to access their newborns without requiring a second adult to assist. In a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded trial, use of the Couplet Care Bassinet led to a 73% reduction in maternal calls for nursing during inpatient postpartum and a 60% reduction in infant time spent out of the hospital room for non-medical reasons. The Couplet Care team includes Stacie McEntyre, LCSW, CEO of Couplet Care, and co-inventor Kristin Tully, PhD, at the Gillings School’s Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute, a medical anthropologist and the company’s lead scientist and founder. UNC-Chapel Hill faculty co-inventors and clinical advisors are Catherine Sullivan, MPH, RDN, LDN, IBCLC, RLC, FAND, director of the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute and assistant professor at Gillings; Carl Seashore, MD, clinical advisor and professor of pediatrics; and Alison Stuebe, MD, distinguished scholar of infant and young child feeding at the Gillings School and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the School of Medicine.

A recent article in Nature has highlighted the efforts of Orlando Coronell, PhD, professor of environmental sciences and engineering, and Frank Leibfarth, PhD, who are working on innovative solutions to address water contamination from PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” because they are resistant to break down over time. They are designing a new technique that relies on sorbents and materials to capture and absorb PFAS molecules from the water supply. These sorbents are more effective than traditional water filters because they can target and trap even more difficult-to-remove types of PFAS. Early testing shows that this new method performs better than current PFAS removal techniques.

Xiangji Ying, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology, was lead author of an article in The BMJ providing researchers with guidance and practical tools to help them better design pilot trials, a critical step in medical research pathway. Pilot trials are small test runs of medical trials, allowing researchers to understand how best to design a full trial that collects relevant data, recruits enough participants who will stay in the trial and promotes collaboration among the research team.

Gillings School faculty member and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center member Naim Rashid, PhD, is part of a group of laboratory and clinical investigators at UNC collaborating to speed the translation of lab discoveries into new treatments. UNC Lineberger has been awarded up to $28 million by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health to lead the development of a next-generation clinical trial for breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. The new trial design will adapt treatment plans in near real-time by analyzing changes in each patient’s cancer and matching it to the most promising therapy.

A new report on breastfeeding from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) draws on research by the Gillings School to inform its recommendations to encourage and support breastfeeding. Academies committee member Alison Stuebe, MD, professor of maternal and child health and Distinguished Scholar in Infant and Young Child Feeding at Gillings and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the School of Medicine, helped draft the report, which also highlights research from the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute’s EMPower Breastfeeding and Larelle Bookhart, PhD, assistant professor of maternal and child health.

Three Gillings faculty members were among the 16 recipients of the 2025 University Distinguished Professorships, awarded to tenured full professors whose scholarly achievements, teaching excellence and service exemplify the University’s highest standards. The Gillings School faculty receiving 2025 distinguished professorships are Stephen Cole, PhD, Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of epidemiology; Jason Surratt, PhD, Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of environmental sciences and engineering; and Hongtu Zhu, PhD, Kenan Distinguished Professor of biostatistics.

The student-nominated 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 2026 award winners are Kara McCormack, PhD, assistant professor of biostatistics; Paul Zivich, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology; Noah Kittner, PhD, associate professor of environmental sciences and engineering; Laura Villa Torres, PhD, assistant professor of public health leadership and practice; Kristin Z. Black, PhD, assistant professor of maternal and child health; Ximena Bustamante-Marin, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition; and Marissa G. Hall, PhD, associate professor of health behavior.

Vivian Go, PhD, professor of health behavior, received one of the School’s most prestigious awards, the Bernard G. Greenberg Alumni Endowment Award for teaching, research and service.

Kavita Singh Ongechi, PhD, professor of maternal and child health, 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.

Celeste Carberry, PhD, adjunct assistant professor of environmental sciences and engineering, was named the inaugural recipient of the student-nominated Adjunct Faculty Distinction in Teaching Award.

Ed Davis, PhD, professor emeritus and former chair of biostatistics at Gillings, and his wife Sherri recently established a fund for the Department of Biostatistics and the Collaborative Studies Coordinating Center (CSCC) in support of early-career CSCC faculty. According to Davis, assistant professors are often overwhelmed with the day-to-day tasks on CSCC studies and have little time for professional development. The Ed Davis Biostatistics Faculty Professional Development Award fund is intended to free up time for CSCC faculty to develop research and administrative skills that will allow them to be promoted to higher professor positions as their careers progress.

Alumni

DeVetta Holman-Copeland, PhD, MPH ’85 (health behavior and education), has been inducted into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest civilian honor, celebrating her commitment to improving health outcomes and nurturing the next generation of public health leaders in N.C.

Richard Zink, MS ’99, PhD ’03 (biostatistics), recently established a scholarship for Gillings graduate students to support their travel and engagement with the broader scientific community. Thanks to this scholarship, Shuai Huang and Emmanuel Rockwell, who are both seeking Doctor of Philosophy degrees in biostatistics, traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to present their research at the 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM), the largest annual gathering of the American Statistical Association (ASA).

Adams Sibley, PhD, MPH, a recent doctoral graduate in health behavior, was named one of four 2025 recipients of the annual Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Awards. This award is given by The Graduate School at UNC-Chapel Hill to recognize doctoral candidates or recent doctoral graduates for creating exceptional dissertations in biological and life sciences; humanities and fine arts; mathematics, physical sciences and engineering; and social sciences. Sibley’s dissertation is titled “Determining the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Novel Stigma Resistance Text Message Intervention for People who Use Drugs.”

School News

The National Cancer Institute has awarded a five-year, $11.2 million Cancer Health Disparities Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Endometrial Cancer grant to a UNC research group including several Gillings faculty members to support research to better understand and improve outcomes for endometrial cancer patients. The highly competitive SPORE grants provide substantial, long-term funding to support translational research and accelerate the development of new tools for cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Gillings faculty involved in this work are Hazel Nichols, PhD, professor of epidemiology; Ganga Bey, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of epidemiology; Rebecca Fry, PhD, Carol Remmer Angle Distinguished Professor in Children’s Environmental Health and professor and chair of environmental sciences and engineering; and Stephanie Wheeler, PhD, MPH, Michael S. O’Malley Distinguished Professor of health policy and management and associate director of Community Outreach and Engagement at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The Gillings School has partnered with ADvancing States to launch the Foundational Leadership in Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) program. This first-of-its-kind training module equips professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to support professionals working in the nation’s long-term services and supports (LTSS) systems, with a focus on supporting people in their homes and communities.

Innovation@Gillings, which provides support and guidance to Gillings researchers seeking to translate research findings into sustainable public health solutions, has awarded four $3,000 grants to faculty members seeking to test and hone their solutions. The grant recipients are Amanda Northcross, PhD, associate professor of environmental sciences and engineering; Nora Rosenberg, PhD, associate professor of health behavior; Sean Sylvia, PhD, associate professor of health policy and management; and Karen Volmar, JD, MPH, FACHE, associate professor of health policy and management.

The Department of Maternal and Child Health at the Gillings School was named one of 13 Centers of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education, Science, and Practice by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) of the Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA). Led by Meghan Shanahan, PhD and Kristin Z. Black, PhD, MPH, the UNC Center will provide funding for six students each year. This designation will support training aimed at developing future public health leaders dedicated to improving the health of women, children and families. The center emphasizes collaboration with MCH communities and Title V partners to enhance training and impact.

A $60,000 Faith in Health Professions Campus Grant from Interfaith America will support the launch of a two-year Public Health and Faith Communities Initiative at the Gillings School, as the school joins a national cohort of campuses advancing innovative approaches at the intersection of faith, spirituality and public health. The award was granted to Karl Johnson, PhD, grant principal investigator and assistant professor of public health leadership and practice; Makala D. Carrington, MPH, MDiv, director of the Public Health and Faith Communities Initiative and adjunct instructor in public health leadership and practice; and Kim Ramsey-White, PhD, associate dean for well-being and associate professor of public health leadership and practice.

In Memoriam

Arnold “Arnie” Kaluzny, PhD, emeritus professor of health policy and management and senior research fellow at the UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research, passed away Oct. 29, 2025, at age 87. Kaluzny was a pioneer researcher in the field of health services, which examines the role and impact of organizational structure and processes in health care systems and institutions. He was also an investigator at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Carolina Population Center and a longtime adviser to the National Cancer Institute. Kaluzny joined the then-School of Public Health at UNC in 1967 as a faculty member and became one of the first research associates at the Health Services Research Center, which later became the Sheps Center. He launched the doctoral program in health policy and management and focused much of his health services research into understanding how changes in health policy and services can improve access to care — particularly cancer care — and health outcomes. He co-authored or edited 10 books and more than 200 published works of scholarship, and his work and collaborations produced partnerships with health agencies around the world.

J. Michael (Mike) Bowling, PhD, former professor in Health Behavior and Biostatistics at Gillings, passed away peacefully Aug. 15, 2025, at age 71. He leaves behind a legacy of scholarship, teaching and service at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he helped advance research in tobacco control, injury prevention and health behavior. Bowling held leadership roles in key university initiatives and was passionate about teaching biostatistics. This earned him the McGavran Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2003. Known for his quirky humor and famous end-of-semester cheesecake, he helped his students overcome their fear of statistics. After retiring in 2016, he continued contributing to public health as Chair of the CDC Global Adult Tobacco Survey’s Survey Review Committee. Colleagues praised his humility, brilliance and devotion to students, noting his lasting impact on generations of public health professionals. In retirement, he enjoyed traveling to Bordeaux with his wife Denise and spending time with his children and grandchildren.