Next week the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B) will honor the school's most recent scholarship recipients, IU Trustee Teaching Award honorees, and SPH-B Distinguished Alumni Award winners at Monroe Convention Center in downtown Bloomington.
The school presents Distinguished Alumni Awards each year to selected recipients "for their exceptional achievements and service."
Dr. Elizabeth Gregg—professor in the University of North Florida’s Department of Leadership, School Counseling, and Sport Management—will receive the Anita Aldrich Distinguished Alumni Award for "career achievements to promote the success of girls and women in public health education and science." Her research focuses on the advancement of women in athletics and higher education. Her research, publication, and presentation topics have included Title IX, diversity in sport, pay inequity, and the experience of student-athletes. She earned an M.S. in kinesiology and Ph.D. in human performance from SPH-B.
Paul Hepfer, who holds an M.S. in recreation from SPH-B, will receive the John R. Endwright Alumni Service Award. Recipients are chosen for "outstanding service and contributions" in service of the school's mission. Mr. Hepfer is CEO of Project Open Hand, improving health outcomes and quality of life for people in the San Francisco and Oakland area by providing nutritious meals to the sick and vulnerable.
At Monday's event, two accomplished SPH-B alumni will receive the Tony A. Mobley International Distinguished Alumni Award for "outstanding personal and professional achievements in fostering the broad missions of public health." The first, Dr. Kellie Huxel Bliven, has served as chair of the A.T. Still University Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences since 2008. The first woman to serve as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, Dr. Bliven is committed to educating healthcare professionals and conducting collaborative, interdisciplinary research to improve patient care and well-being. She received her M.S. in kinesiology from SPH-B.
The second recipient, Dr. Andrea Geurin, is a professor of sport business and the director of the Institute for Sport Business at Loughborough University London. Dr. Geurin is the most-cited sport media scholar in the world and the fourth-most cited sport business scholar. She earned her Ph.D. in sport management from SPH-B and has published five books, more than 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and has presented her work in 17 different countries across five continents.
The Mohammad R. Torabi Early Career Outstanding Alumni Award—for “notable achievement in public health community outreach and engagement"—will also be presented to two alumni. The first, Dr. Tapati Dutta, is an assistant professor of public health at Fort Lewis College in Colorado. A social scientist and inclusion strategist with blended experience in teaching, program management, socio-behavioral research, community-based health education, policy advocacy, and service, Dr. Dutta received her Ph.D. from SPH-B in 2019.
The second recipient, Dr. Grace Karikari, is an assistant professor and educator scholar with the Indigenous Health Department, University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences. Dr. Karikari has embraced current technology and social media to help make public health knowledge more accessible and meaningful to people everywhere. In addition to a graduate certificate in gerontology and health, she earned an M.P.H. and Ph.D. from SPH-B.
Dr. Kenneth Mosely is one of two alumni who will receive the David Gallahue Champion Alumni Award, established to honor alumni who make "significant and sustained contributions in the advancement of health equities." Dr. Mosely was the first African American person to earn a Doctorate in Physical Education (P.E.D.) from Indiana University. Upon graduating from IU, he worked at South Carolina State University until he retired as a full professor and chair of the Department of Health and Physical Education in 2005.
Dr. Mosely served for 17 years as Project Director of the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) and the USDA Summer Feeding Program. He developed a highly successful math and science project, which served as a national model for NYSP from 1993–2000. Funding for this specific grant, at the national level, exceeded $9 million for 14 different universities. He received the John R. Endwright Alumni Service Award from SPH-B in 2002.
Also receiving the David Gallahue Champion Alumni Award: Dr. Jackson Wilson. Dr. Wilson is professor and chair of the Department of Recreation, Parks & Tourism at San Francisco State University. His research has included a focus on the marginalization of people perceived as experiencing homelessness, as well as the health impacts of soundscape, solar exposure, and stress in outdoor environments. He has secured more than $1.8 million in research funding as a principal investigaor (PI) or co-PI. Dr. Wilson serves as chair of the SFSU College of Health and Social Sciences Online Education Committee and is a faculty fellow with the Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning. He received his Ph.D. in leisure behavior from SPH-B.
The W.W. Patty Distinguished Alumni Award, the school's oldest honor, is awarded annually to alumni who "have demonstrated outstanding personal and professional achievement in fostering the wide ranging missions of public health that include but are not limited to evidence-based approaches to public health science, public health and health care systems, planning and management to promote health, policy in public health, leadership, communication, interprofessional practice and systems thinking." On Monday, this distinction will go to Dr. Joseph Cindrich—an SPH-B alumnus and noted advocate for public safety. He was instrumental in establishing the master of public health program at San Diego State University, and throughout his career served the United States Departments of Agriculture and Transportation, as well as the Social Security Administration and Andrews Air Force Base. He received the John R. Endwright Alumni Service Award from SPH-B in 1995.
“Our school creates heroes," says SPH-B Dean David B. Allison. "Those who help the oldest among us live out their final years with dignity and pride; those who support the downtrodden, marginalized, and vulnerable. Heroes of every race, gender, orientation, and belief system. These heroes bring the gifts of science to others so they can benefit from our school's investment in knowledge and learning. They act globally, nationally, and right here in the Hoosier heartland. Prepare to meet heroes on this thrilling occasion."
The event will also recognize more than 50 of the most recent graduate and undergraduate students to receive SPH-B scholarships and fellowships.
Bottom row: Johnston, Madsen, Parker, and Sage
Moreover, the evening will pay tribute to the most recent SPH-B recipients of the Indiana University Trustee Teaching Award. This honor is presented annually by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs (VPFAA) to faculty members across the IU Bloomington campus "who have had a positive impact on student learning, especially undergraduates." School honorees are Angela Chow, Donetta Cothran, Victoria Getty, Hank Green, Jeanne Johnston, Leif Madsen, Maria Parker, and Bradley Sage.
To support SPH-B initiatives including scholarships, please visit go.iu.edu/support-sphb. For more news about the School of Public Health-Bloomington, visit go.iu.edu/48bx.