Student Awards

Clemens and Sun honored by the Allegheny & Erie Regional Chapter of the Society of Toxicology

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Congratulations to Zachary Clemens and Yuchen Kristine Sun, two second-year doctoral students in Pitt Public Health’s Department of Environmental and Occupational (EOH), who won awards at the annual meeting of the Allegheny & Erie Regional Chapter of the Society of Toxicology, May 31 – June 1, in Morgantown, Va.  

Cai awarded for best research presentation at Graduate Student Research Conference

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Congratulations to Manqi Cai (BIOST '24) who is one of four prize winners of the National Institute of Statistical Sciences (NISS) Graduate Student Research Conference 2022. Cai is recognized for the best presentation of original research for her presentation titled "Robust and accurate estimation of cellular fraction from tissue omics data via ensemble deconvolution." In addition to a reward certificate, Cai will receive a check in the amount o... 

Dean’s Day 2022 Second Place, Doctoral Category: Jessie Klousnitzer

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EOH student Jessie Klousnitzer won second place among doctoral students for the project, “Characterization of Lysine and Arginine Rich Antimicrobial Peptides”.  

Dean’s Day 2022 First Place, Doctoral Category: Chinwoke Isiguzo

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BCHS student Chinwoke Isiguzo, won first place among doctoral students for the project, “Effects of discrimination and microaggressions on exclusive breastfeeding: the role of stress”.  

Dean’s Day 2022 First Place, Master’s Category: Rachel Merritt

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IDM student Rachel Merritt won first place among master’s students for the project, “Effects of Climate Change on Lyme Disease Incidence: A Literature Review”.   

Dean’s Day 2022 Second Place, Master’s Category: Monica Henderson

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BCHS student Monica Henderson won second place among master’s students for the project, “Black Hair Politics: A Public Health Concern”.  

Dean’s Day 2022 DEI Award, Doctoral Category: Donald Bourne

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HPM student Donald Bourne won the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award, Doctoral Level for the project, “Changes in Medication Utilization and Adherence Associated with Homeless Adults’ Entry into Permanent Supportive Housing”.  

Dean’s Day 2022 DEI Award, Master’s Category: Emily Arthur

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EPI student Emily Arthur won the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award, Masters Level for the project, “Maternal Health in Rural Virginia”.  

Dean’s Day 2022 Rosenkranz Award: Bethany Flage

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IDM student Bethany Flage won the Rosenkranz Award for the project, “Heme as a causative factor for Plasmodium falciparum sexual commitment”.  

Na Bo wins ASA Student Paper Award

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Congratulations to Na Bo (BIOST '25) who won the 2022 ASA Student Paper Award, LiDS section, for her paper titled "A Meta-Learner Framework to Estimate Individualized Treatment Effects for Survival Outcomes".  Winners receive a cash prize to cover expenses for the Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) conference. Bo's work is co-advised by Drs. Ying Ding and Chaeryon Kang.   

Portela wins ASH Abstract Achievement Award

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Gerard Portela (EPI ‘24) was honored for the abstract “Comprehensive Assessment of Cognitive Function in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease Deficits in Memory and Processing Speed” at the American Society of Hematology conference in Atlanta.  

Wu wins Lingzi Lu Memorial Award

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Shan Wu (BIOST '24) will receive the 2022 award, created in 2013 by the American Statistical Association (ASA) in partnership with the International Chinese Statistical Association (ICSA) in rememberance of Lingzi Lu, the first-year student in the statistics master's program at Boston University who lost her life in the bombing at the Boston Marathon in April of that year. Lu was an ambitious, talented, and vibrant student, who looked forward to... 

A Conversation with MPH student Amanda Cruce

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Amanda Cruce is a BCHS MPH student in a joint Social Work PhD program whose role models in community and public health are the individuals and families that are impacted by the work. She believes that both community and public health are best implemented when impacted groups are involved in the whole process. Their voice, lives, and health depend on an imperfect system and are the real heroes!  

Aparna Ramani: Social justice warrior and award winner

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In recognition of her dedication to promoting social justice across the University of Pittsburgh and the broader community, Aparna Ramani (HPM ’23), has been awarded this year’s Iris Marion Young Award for Political Engagement. The award, created in memory of philosopher and social theorist Iris Young, recognizes that social activism takes many forms and can be pursued in many ways. Aparna is the embodiment of this philosophy.  

Meet Aparna Ramani, Health Justice Scholar

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“The most exciting aspect of my work is the continued mentorship, guidance, and community within the health advocacy space. As someone who has gained much insight from experienced researchers and community leaders, I hope to pass on my wisdom as a peer mentor to future public health professionals,” said Aparna Ramani (HPM ’23).  

Diana Bellino, Bob Yee Scholarship Awardee

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A native of Hanover Park, IL, Diana Bellino is pursuing an MPH with a concentration in infectious disease management, intervention, and community practice. She studied public health at the University of Illinois at Chicago and is interested in cooking, painting/crafting, and anything outside.   

Rebecca Boan, Bob Yee Scholarship Awardee

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A native of Phoenix, AZ, Rebecca Boan is pursuing an MS in infectious diseases and microbiology. She studied biology at Northern Arizona University and is interested in archery, crocheting, and working with animals.   

Cornelio awarded Dissertation Grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research Quality

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Noelle Cornelio (HPM '22) was awarded a Health Services Research Dissertation R36 grant from AHRQ to support her dissertation project, "Impact of Medicaid Policies on Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries: Evidence from State Reforms." Approximately 12 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries are dually enrolled in Medicaid, and this research will help inform policy by providing insights into the effects of changing Medicaid eligibility rules on en... 

Robinson and Schiff win at Health Disparities and Social Justice Poster Competition

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Taylor Robinson won the master's prize at this year's poster competition from the Office of Health Sciences Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for her poster Examining Role of Environmental Pollution, Healthcare Access, and Social Vulnerability in Asthma Emergency Department Visits in Allegheny County. Mary Schiff won the doctoral award with her work The Differential Impact of Residential Segregation on Gestational Hypertension Development Among M... 

Kristen Eggles, Bob Yee Public Health Scholarship Awardee

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Kristen Eggles (IDM '21) was awarded a 2020 Bob Yee Public Health Scholarship. A native of Fort Hill, SC, Kristen is pursuing an MPH with a concentration in infectious disease pathogenesis, eradication, and laboratory practice (MPH-PEL). She studied biology at West Carolina University and is interested in yoga and finding new coffees.   

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