Newsmakers: July 2025

Sophia Meador

Shiau, Strickland awarded

APHA member Stephanie Shiau, PhD, MPH, was honored by Rutgers University in April with the Presidential Fellowship for Teaching Excellence and Strickland. Also honored was Pamela Ohman Strickland, PhD, who received the Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching. Both were recognized for their dedication to education in the School of Public Health’s Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology.

Achterman awarded

Amanda Achterman, DO, MPH, was honored with the Rural Health Practitioner of the Year award by the National Rural Health Association in May. Achterman practices family medicine in Elma, Washington.

Ahmed appointed director

Mirza Ahmed, MBBS, MPH, MBA, was appointed director of public health for Montrose County in Colorado in May. Ahmed’s background includes international work on vaccination clinics and monitoring of global disease trends.

Hospital awardees announced

The United Hospital Fund announced 74 recipients of the 2025 Excellence in Health Care Award in May. Among them were Liliya Abrukin, MD, MPH, vice chair of Quality and Patient Safety for Emergency Medicine at New York Presbyterian-Columbia University Irving Medical Center; Suzanne Forde, DMSc, MPH, senior surgical physician assistant and quality lead for the Department of Surgery at NYC Health+Hospitals; and Jean Phillips, RN, MSN, MPH, vice president of Quality-Regulatory at Mount Sinai South Nassau.

Board members announced

Research!America announced three new board members in April: Garth Graham, MD, MPH, director and global head of Healthcare and Public Health Partnerships at YouTube and Google Health; Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, MD, PhD, editor in chief for the Journal of the American Medical Association and JAMA Network; and Sarah Szanton, PhD, RN, dean and Patricia M. Davison professor for health equity and social justice at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.

Browning awarded

Steve Browning, PhD, MSPH, was awarded the Elbert “Al” Austin Career Achievement Award from the Kentucky Public Health Association in April. Browning is an associate professor at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology. His mentorship of more than 230 graduate students was recognized.

Carder recognized

Paula Carder, PhD, was named Portland State University’s researcher of the year in April. Carder, a professor in the School of Public Health and director of the Institute on Aging, was recognized for authoring over 75 publications on dementia care and assisted living practice.

Cheskin honored

Lawrence Cheskin, MD, in May was named distinguished professor by George Mason University, the highest faculty honor granted by the institution. Cheskin, a professor in the College of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, was recognized for his research and academic contributions.

Floyd honored

Keely Floyd, MA, was honored with the Barbara D. Jackson Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award in April. Floyd, a lecturer at Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, was recognized for her commitment to fostering a strong foundation for new students.

Griffith awarded

Jennifer Griffith, DrPH, MPH, received the 2025 Texas A&M University-Level Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching in April. Griffith, an instructional professor in the School of Public Health, has served the institution for more than 17 years. She was recognized for her student-focused commitment to teaching.

Hammar named director

Karen Hammar, MHA, MOT, was named director of the Master of Health Administration program at the University of Iowa College of Public Health in May. Hammar formerly served as director of the Center for Disabilities and Development at University of Iowa Health Care.

Herrera named director

Jennifer Herrera, MPH, was named interim director of Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency in California in May. Herrera has been with the agency for more than a decade, serving as assistant director, chief of public health and director of nursing.

Kepka awarded

Deanna Kepka, PhD, MPH, received a 2025 Silver Syringe Award from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services in May. Kepka, a professor of nursing at the University of Utah and member of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program at Huntsman Cancer Institute, was recognized as HPV Vaccination Champion by the department.

King named vice president

Brian King, PhD, MPH, was named executive vice president for U.S. Programs at Campaign of for Tobacco-Free Kids in May. Most recently, King served as director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products. He has also served as deputy director for research translation in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health and executive editor of CDC’s Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.

Lewis named director

Rebeckah Lewis, MPH, was named director of the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health at Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in April. Lewis previously served at the Ottawa University Heart Institute, where she worked to improve women’s cardiovascular disease prevention.

Pierre awarded

Cassandra Pierre, MD, MPH, received the Bayard Rustin Award for Courage in April. Pierre serves as medical director for the Center for Infectious Disease at Boston Medical Center. She was recognized for promoting community health through infectious disease prevention.

Redline honored

Susan Redline, MD, MPH, was honored with the Edward Livingston Trudeau Medal by the American Thoracic Society in May. Redline is the Peter C. Farrell Professor of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School and senior physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She was recognized for her achievements in respiratory health.

Thihalolipavan named officer

Sayone Thihalolipavan, MD, MPH, was named public health officer for San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency in California in May. Thihalolipavan has been with the agency for more than a decade, serving in multiple leadership roles.

Wetle honored

Terrie Fox Wetle, PhD, was awarded the Rosenberger Medal of Honor by Brown University in May. Wetle, former recipient of the APHA Lifetime Achievement Award, is dean and professor emerita of health services, policy and practice at Brown University School of Public Health. She was recognized for her decades of leadership, scholarship and mentorship at the institution.