Academic Excellence Award
This award is presented annually to a student in the LCOM Public Health program who has maintained an overall GPA greater than 3.5, has consistently demonstrated academic excellence and shown a commitment to the field of public health. Nominations are made by faculty members and reviewed at a program faculty meeting.
The 2024 Public Health Academic Excellence Award is given to Grace Yu. Grace earned her Master of Public Health while working for the Vermont Department of Health as a public health analyst. As an undergraduate of the University of Vermont, Grace studied microbiology and found that she had a passion for understanding disease. Joining the Vermont Department of Health at a critical time, Grace learned a great deal about community health through frontline work during the Covid-19 pandemic and realized that she loved being able to work towards helping people lead healthier lives. For her capstone research project, she and her team investigated the relationship between dietary and aggressive behaviors in youth in select low- and middle- income countries. Further, she credits her stellar organizational skills and late-night study sessions as her methods of academic success.
Grace hopes to use her new degree to further and expand her work in public health. To quote Grace, “I’ll continue to do what I can to the best of my ability, in hopes of improving the lives of those in my home state. I love my work and the people I work with.”
Achievement in Public Health Practice Award
This award is presented annually to an MPH student who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to advancing public health practice, including working effectively in teams and making substantial contributions to an excellent team project. Nominated students are not required to be current healthcare or public health practitioners but should demonstrate their commitment through engagement with the Public Health program or other related activities. Examples of commitment and excellence can be drawn from collaborative projects in core courses and/or in the culminating project. Nominations are submitted by student peers in the LCOM Public Health program and reviewed by Public Health program faculty.
The 2024 Achievement in Public Health Award is given to Meghan Bethel. Meghan has been a champion of public health for many years. As an undergraduate at St. Michael’s college, she studied Biology while also serving as a student volunteer on the St. Michael’s Rescue Unit. Her training as an EMT allowed her to continue that work into the Covid-19 pandemic where the importance of a strong public health response struck her. Her inspirations for studying public health at the graduate level also come from firsthand professional experiences. As an intern for both Dr. Andrea Grayson’s Creative Change Lab LLC and Dr. Shamima Khan’s research study and working as a Public Health Specialist at the Vermont Department of Health, Meghan learned about the many applications of community health concerns such as sugar misuse, obesity, and vaccination. Meghan is especially proud of her capstone project work: “Association of Bully Victimization and Loneliness Among 15–17-year-old Girls in Sierra Leone: An Analysis of the 2017 Global School-Based Survey”.
Meghan plans to continue her work in the public health sector as an EMS volunteer, researching clinical trials, and moving forward with her plans to pursue a PhD in Environmental Epidemiology. Congratulations to Meghan on her outstanding efforts.
Linda Dorey Service to Public Health Award
This award is given annually to a student, staff member, or faculty member in the LCOM Public Health program who has demonstrated a high level of service to the program, the university, or public health more broadly. Nominations are made by current or former MPH program faculty or staff and are reviewed once a year by a committee consisting of faculty and staff.
The 2024 Linda Dorey Public Health Service Award is given to Audree Frey. Audree joined the UVM community in 2007 when she accepted a position in the Office of Medical Education at the Larner College of Medicine. As she progressed through various positions in LCOM, Audree was diligently completing her Bachelor’s degree. Working as a Global Health Program coordinator Audree began to focus her energy on public health issues. In that position, Audree had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world who were dedicated to health equity. Consequently, Audree decided to pursue her MPH at UVM. Upon forging so many positive relationships with the public health faculty, Audree was asked to become the Public Health Program Manager.
As the manager of the Public Health graduate program, Audree is part of a team of faculty and staff who share a passion for public health and for educating and supporting students as they prepare for careers in the public health sector. Audree’s leadership has been a guidepost for the team as she has overseen the move of the public health division back to the Larner College of Medicine. Her ability to manage many projects, interact positively with faculty, and pursue new opportunities has made her an asset to the team and to Dr. Carney. Audree truly has demonstrated exceptional service to the public health program.