The Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B) will gather at 5 p.m. this Thursday in Alumni Hall at the Indiana Memorial Union for their annual Awards Gala, an elegant and joyful event to honor:
- SPH-B faculty who won 2024 Indiana University Trustees Teaching Awards
- SPH-B alumni selected as this year's Distinguished Alumni Award winners
- Students who received 2024–25 SPH-B scholarships and fellowships
- SPH-B faculty who most recently received 2024 SPH-B awards for outstanding service to school, students, and research
SPH-B is pleased to present the Distinguished Alumni Awards to the following esteemed public health professionals for “their exception achievements and service.”
Dr. Donald E. Rogers 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. Rogers earned his M.S. in recreation in 1992 and a Ph.D. in human performance in 2000, both at IU. Much of Dr. Rogers' career has focused on inclusive adventure-based programming, water-based adapted activities, and organized camping, as well as physical activities for students with mobility challenges. His professional expertise is valued by organizations worldwide, and he has published numerous articles and book chapters on the topics of disability and inclusion.
At Thursday's event, two accomplished SPH-B alumni 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." The first, Dr. Gretchen Schlabach, is an adjunct professor in the Doctor of Athletic Training (D.A.T.) program at Florida International University and the Master of Science Athletic Training (M.S.A.T.) program at Old Dominion University. After earning her M.S. in Athletic Training here at IU and serving one year as an assistant athletic trainer at Western Michigan University, Dr. Schlabach became the first head women’s athletic trainer at University of Mississippi for the next eight years. From 1991 to 2014, Dr. Schlabach served as a professor and program director at Northern Illinois State University, and is the founding chair of the National Athletic Trainer’s Association Professional Responsibility in Athletic Training.
The second recipient, Dr. Janet Simon, is an associate professor and dean for research in the Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions. Dr. Simon earned both her master’s degree in applied statistics and a Ph.D. in human performance from IU in 2014, and her research areas of expertise include epidemiology and treatment of musculoskeletal impairments due to injury, aging and metabolic disease. She has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in various medical journals and has served as principal or co-investigator on several grants funded by the Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health.
Dr. John Storsved, who earned an M.S. in physical education and Ph.D. in health and safety from IU, will receive the John R. Endwright Alumni Service Award. Recipients are chosen for "outstanding service and contributions" in service of the school's mission. Dr. Storsved is dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Eastern Illinois University. Prior to his appointment as dean, he served as associate professor and Director of the School of Exercise Science and Sport at Millikin University. Dr. Storsved is also a renowned author on topics ranging from physical therapy to kinesiology and sports rehabilitation.
Dr. Brandon P. McDermott, who holds an M.S. in kinesiology from IU, will receive the Tony A. Mobley International Distinguished Alumni Award for "outstanding personal and professional achievements in fostering the broad missions of public health." Dr. McDermott went on to complete his Ph.D. in Exercise Science at the University of Connecticut and serve on the faculty of the University of Tennessee. Dr. McDermott has helped treat more than 125 heat stroke survivors with his leading research on thermoregulation and is an ardent advocate for improved safety of athletes, industrial workers, and emergency medicine personnel. Among his many accolades, Dr. McDermott was recognized by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association in 2022 for the Outstanding Service Award.
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. Trishnee Bhurosy, is an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont (UVM) as well as an associate member of the UVM Cancer Center. Dr. Bhurosy earned her Ph.D. in health behavior from SPH-B in 2019 and during her time as an assistant professor in the Department of Population Health at Hofstra University she established the first Black, Indigenous, and People of Color International Graduate Mentoring Group in the department’s Food Systems program. Dr. Bhurosy’s numerous awards include the 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Building Bridges Award during her time at SPH-B.
The second recipient, Israel Rodriguez, is manager of clinical data at Eli Lilly and company. Mr. Rodriguez earned his M.P.H. at SPH-B and contributed valuable research on factors that influence condom use between heterosexual couples for the IU Center for Sexual Health Promotion. He also coordinated major campus programs such as Pride Extravaganza. Prior to his current role, Mr. Rodriguez worked in healthcare data management for the IU School of Medicine and Inland Empire Health Plan, the largest not-for-profit Medi-Cal and Medicare health plan in the Inland Empire region of California.
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 Thursday, this distinction will go to two alumni. The first is Dr. Theodore Becker, an expert on hard-data performance testing and capacity evaluation. Dr. Becker earned both an M.S. and Ph.D. from IU while simultaneously working as a trainer for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team. Working together with his mentor, famed swimming coach James “Doc” Counsilman, their research on the relationship of stroke mechanics and adolescent scoliosis was adopted into official certification for swimming coaches by the International Olympic Committee in 2014. Dr. Becker’s findings as an orthopedic research associate at Southwestern Medical School established protocols for spinal rehabilitation that have been widely cited and utilized by public health professionals for more than 40 years.
The second, Joshua Rawitch, is president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum. Mr. Rawitch earned his B.S. in Sport Marketing and Management from SPH-B before working in marketing and public relations for the Los Angeles for 15 years, followed by the Arizona Diamondbacks as senior vice president of content and communications for 10 years. In his current role, Mr. Rawitch works to elevate the organization’s visibility for the next generation of fans while acknowledging baseball’s place as an American cultural touchstone.
Top, L-R: Allsop, Forist, Kingma
Bottom: Lederer, Slates
The evening will also honor the most recent SPH-B recipients of the Indiana University Trustees Teaching Awards. 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." This year's winners from our school are Drs. Jared Allsop, Brian Forist, Jackie Kingma, Alyssa Lederer, and Kevin Slates.
Top, L-R: Parker, Smiley
Bottom: Tekwe, Werner
And as it does every year, the school will pay tribute to SPH-B Faculty Award winners across a variety of categories. This year's honorees are Maria Parker, Ph.D., Outstanding Early Scholar Award; David Smiley, Career Teaching Award; Carmen Tekwe, Ph.D., Distinguished Service Award; and Nicole Werner, Ph.D., Outstanding Senior Researcher Award.
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.