ColoradoSPH Annual Awards

Every year, the Colorado School of Public Health honors outstanding faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners with awards recognizing their work in service of the school and public health. In addition, ColoradoSPH faculty are regularly recognized by University of Colorado leadership for their excellence in teaching. Please see below for a list of award recipients.

CU President’s Excellence in Teaching Award

This award recognizes one faculty member from the schools of Dental Medicine, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health for outstanding, innovative, and inspirational contributions to students’ professional development. Awardees are selected by the graduating class of their school.

2024: Megan Cherewick
2023: Courtney Welton-Mitchell
2022: Virginia Visconti
2021: Glen Mays
2020: Molly Lamb
2019: Cerise Hunt
2018: Patrick “Jud” Blatchford
2017: Yvonne Kellar-Guenther
2016: Madiha Abdel-Maksoud
2015: Jill Litt
2014: Judith Baxter
2013: Yvonne Kellar-Guenther
2012: Elaine Morrato
2011: Holly Wolf
2010: Jan Gascoigne
2009: Elaine Belansky

CU Anschutz Chancellor’s Teaching Recognition Award

This award recognizes one faculty member from the schools of Dental Medicine, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health and the Graduate School for their excellence in teaching. Awardees are faculty members who demonstrate a commitment to providing students with a high-quality learning experience, maintain high scholarly standards for the rigor of course content and student performance, and serve as effective role models.

2024: Alison Bauer
2023: Mary Sammel
2022: Elizabeth "Babette" Greenwell
2021: Marcelo Coca Perraillon
2020: Wei Perng & Katerina Kechris (Graduate School)
2019: Sarah Schmiege
2018: Glenn Patterson
2017: Holly Wolf
2016: Lee Newman
2015: Jenn Leiferman
2014: Tasha Fingerlin
2013: Sam MaWhinney
2012: Lee Newman
2011: John Hokanson
2010: Jack Barnette & Jill Norris (Graduate School)
2009: Lorrie Ogden

Dean's Special Recognition Award

Awarded at the discretion of the Dean, this award has historically been presented to an individual in recognition of their contributions to establishing and developing the Colorado School of Public Health. In 2021, the scope of the award was broadened to cover contributions in Colorado more broadly, recognizing individuals and organizations for their service to the school and/or extraordinary contributions to advancing public health in Colorado.

2024: Dani Brittai, PhD, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Professor, Department of Community & Behavioral Health; Michelle Bell, MPH, Higher Education and Accreditation Specialist; Gary Heise, PhD, Interim Director of ColoradoSPH at UNC and Professor, Department of Community & Behavioral Health, UNC

2023: Teresa Sharp, MEd, PhD (Retiring Campus Director & Associate Professor of Community Health Education, Colorado School of Public Health at UNC); Bill Burman, MD (Former Director of the Public Health Institute, Denver Health); John Douglas, MD (Former Executive Director of the former Tri-County Health Department); Jeff Zayach, MS (Former Executive Director of Boulder County Public Health)
2022: Lisa Miller, MD, MSPH (Retiring Associate Dean for Public Health Practice, Clinical Professor of Epidemiology, and previous State Epidemiologist, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment)
2021: Dr. Rachel Herlihy, MD, MPH (State Epidemiologist, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment)
2020: Judith Albino (CU President Emerita, former ColoradoSPH Interim Dean and faculty, Donor)
2019: Lorann Stallones (Former ColoradoSPH Program Director at CSU)
2018: Founding Funders (The Colorado Health Foundation, The Colorado Trust, Caring for Colorado Foundation, Rose Community Foundation, and Kaiser Permanente Colorado)
2017: Dr. David Goff (Dean Emeritus)
2016: Dr. Richard Hoffman (Donor)
2015: Dr. Chris Wiant (President and Chief Executive Officer, Caring for Colorado Foundation)
2014: Paul D. Schauer (Dean’s Advisory Board Past President)
2013: Kathleen Matthews, MPH (former staff member who helped ColoradoSPH in early days)
2012: The Faculty of the Colorado School of Public Health
2011: Richard F. Hamman, MD, DrPH (Founding Dean Emeritus)
2010: Dr. Peter Dorhout (Vice Provost of Graduate Affairs and Assistant VP for Research at CSU); Robbyn Wacker (Dean of the Graduate School and Assistant VP of Research and Extended Studies at UNC)

Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award

This award recognizes a faculty member for instructional contributions to ColoradoSPH.

2024: Dannon Cox
2023: Alison Abraham
2022: Alex Kaizer
2021: Chrissy Chard
2020: Virginia Visconti
2019: Anne Starling
2018: Marcelo Perraillon, Molly Gutilla, Teresa Sharp
2017: Mary Dinger
2016: Deb Glueck
2015: Matthew Strand
2014: Dan Salkeld
2013: Sara Miller
2012: Kathy Kennedy
2011: Robert Wolfson
2010: Allan V. Prochazka

Faculty Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the areas of student mentorship, research, practice, or education that furthers the ColoradoSPH mission and commitment to DEI. This may be demonstrated through a significant project or achievement during the academic year, or in a record of above-and-beyond effort and service. All ColoradoSPH faculty members are eligible for this award.

2024: Molly Gutilla

2023: Cerise Hunt (CU), David Rojas-Rueda (CSU), Rose Grose (UNC)

2022: Wei Perng

Faculty Excellence in Student Mentoring Award

This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to student learning and professional development through advising and mentoring, and/or engaging students in the procurement of external funding and/or dissemination of research findings. All ColoradoSPH faculty members are eligible for this award. Historically, there were two awards for faculty, one for mentoring and one for student-mentoring in research. In 2022, those two awards were combined.

2024: Patricia Valverde
2023: Kaigang Li
2022: Elizabeth "Babette" Greenwell
2021: Liz Gilbert and Lauren Shomaker
2020: Laura Saba and Jessica Elf
2019: Rich Lindrooth, Erin Strutz and Tessa Crume
2018: Jenn Leiferman and Nancy Whitesell
2017: Chrissy Chard and Nicholas Walter
2016: Olivia Jolly, Mary Dinger and Dawn Comstock
2015: Gary Grunwald and Danielle Brittain
2014: Elaine Scallan and Tasha Fingerlin
2013: Nichole Carlson and Marci Sontag
2012: Dennis Lezotte and Carolyn DiGuiseppi
2011: Tasha Fingerlin and Lorann Stallones
2010: Dana Dabelea and Marci Sontag
2009: Deborah Glueck, Jill Norris, Lee Newman and Stephen Reynolds

Excellence in Faculty Research Award

This award recognizes an outstanding investigator with a demonstrated record of nationally and internationally recognized research or creative work providing significant contribution to their profession or discipline.

2024: Thomas Jaenisch
2023: Lori Crane
2022: Katherine James
2021: Cathy Bradley
2020: Betsy Risendal
2019: Jini Puma and Manfred Diehl
2018: Nichole Carlson
2017: Katerina Kechris
2014: Tasha Fingerlin
2013: Marci Sontag
2012: Carolyn DiGuiseppi
2011: Lorann Stallones
2010: Dana Dabelea
2009: Lee Newman and Stephen Reynolds

Outstanding Contribution by Staff/PRA Award

This award has historically recognized ColoradoSPH staff who demonstrate outstanding achievement, a strong work ethic, cooperation with others, and a commitment to the school. In 2022, this award was expanded to recognize both staff and PRAs of the school, and went from one award to four awards annually.

2024: Tony Romero, Nello Soleimanpour, Michele Kimminau, Katie Maroun
2023: Raeven Clockston, Kayla Gray, Laura Hager, and Peter Hahn
2022: Katherine Brumfield, Lily Doniger (CSU), Esta Lukemire (UNC), and Theresa Jennings
2021: Avery Artman and Thuy Nguyen
2020: Bernie Gutierrez
2019: Elizabeth Wyatt
2018: Career Services (Ben Weihrauch and Katie Brumfield)
2017: Brenda Witt
2016: Chloe Bennion
2015: Sara Brandspigel
2014: Kendra Bigsby, Esta Lukemire, and Twila Hamel
2013: Richard Sasscer and Jackie Shimamoto
2012: Bettina Martine-Warden
2011: Kari Phillips
2010: Patricia Nash
2009: Fayette Augillard and Lyndsey Crum

Outstanding Contribution by a Student Award

This award is given to one student from each of our three campuses who demonstrates extraordinary commitment or contributions to our school.

2024: Hannah Kisselburgh (CU), Hannah Dunlop (CSU), Madison Waple (UNC)
2023: Alyssa Dalen (CU), Halley Pucker (CSU), Aurora Rousseau (UNC)
2022: Kimberlyn Cook (CU), Eve Ozog (CSU), Rosie Glaser (UNC)
2021: June Homdayjanakul (CU), Raeven Clockston (CSU), Steven Burton (UNC)
2020: BreAnna Teeters (CU), Ashley Clark (CSU), Leah Brunner (UNC)
2019: Alexandria Jensen (CU), Elisabeth Stewart (CSU), Sujeith Barraza (UNC)
2018: Ashley McWilliams (CU), Katie Key (CSU), Grace Turner (UNC)
2017: Whit Oyler (CU), Jamila Bryant (CSU), Dayna DeHerrera (UNC)
2016: Kenta Okuyama (CU), June Homdayjanakul (CSU), KC Hall (UNC)
2015: Naveed Heydari (CU), Laura Smith (CSU), Natalie Thomas (UNC)
2014: Christine Castle, Nicholas Ellinwood (CU), Suzuho Shimasaki DrPHc (CU), Anna Helms (CSU), Devin Laedtke (UNC)
2013: Audrey Baird (UNC), Dennis Beach (CSU), Dana Kennedy (CU), Curtis Harrod (CU)
2012: Erica Borresen (CSU), Emma Goforth (UNC), Melissa Miller (CU)
2011: Lorin Scott-Okerblom (CSU), Lili Tenney (CU), Andrew Glendenning (UNC)
2010: Adrienne Veyna and Timothy Bahr
2009: Nicole Tuitt

Alumni Service Award

The Alumni Service Award recognizes alumni for sustained and exemplary commitment to the Colorado School of Public Health, its student body, and its alumni community.

2024: Kelly (KC) Hall
2023: Nick Heimann
2022: Katie Guthmiller

Alumni Rising Star in Public Health

The Alumni Rising Star in Public Health Award recognizes alumni whose record reflects ongoing and exceptional growth in contribution to the profession and increased levels of leadership, responsibility, and sphere of impact.

2024: Morgan Turner
2023: Dayna DeHerrera-Smith
2022: Grace Turner

Alumni Achievement Award

The Alumni Achievement Award recognizes ColoradoSPH graduates (and/or graduates of the Department of Preventive Medicine & Biometrics prior to 2008) who have achieved professional excellence in the field of public health and have substantially contributed to advancing the health and wellbeing of people and communities. This award recognizes excellence in the field of public health through advancement of public health science and its application, improvement of community practice, leadership, and other contributions to the growth and accomplishments of future public health professionals.

2024: Sarah Lampe
2023: Meagan Cain
2022: Comilla Sasson

Public Health Practice Award

This award recognizes students, faculty, alumni, and community members for their excellence and commitment to public health practice or service in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Student

2024: Dayana Leyva
2023: Lexie King
2022: Shawn Walcott
2021: Rudy Vargas
2020: Abbey Collins
2019: Sara Dasugo
2018: Melissa Rivera
2016: Maureen Dechico
2015: Meagan Cain

Alumni*

2021: Devon Williford
2019: Juan Gomez
2018: Danya Carroll
2017: Rachel Freeman
2016: Linda Zittleman
2015: Michelle Haan

*This award was changed to the Alumni Rising Star award in 2022.

Faculty

2024: Heather Kennedy
2023: Elaine Scallan Walter
2022: Evelinn Borrayo
2021: Molly Gutilla
2020: Patricia Valverde
2019: Joan O’Connell
2018: Liz Gilbert and Virginia Visconti

Preceptor

2024: Cynthia Hazel
2023: Christopher Czaja, DrPH '20, CDPHE
2022: Erin Burk-Leaver
2021: Dawn Comstock, Jefferson County Public Health
2018: Cindy Kronauge, Weld County PHE
2017: Oumar Ouatarra, CIRC
2016: Elizabeth Abbott, CCIC
2015: Lainey Trahan, CDPHE

Community Partner Award

This award recognizes a community partner for their excellence and commitment to public health practice in the Rocky Mountain community and collaboration with our school. In 2021, the awards for individuals and organizations in this category were combined into one award annually.

2023: Centennial Area Health Education Center (CAHEC)
2022: We R Native
2021: Diana Pineda and the Promotoras, Vuela for Health

Individual

2017: Kimberly Boyd, CPHA
2016: Kathryn Mueller, CO Division Workers’ Comp
2015: Lisa VanRaemdonck, CALPHO
2014: Christine Nevin-Woods
2012: Patricia Gabow
2011: Lisa Miller
2010: Lee Thielen
2009: John Muth

Community organization

2018: Chaffee County PHE
2016: RIHEL
2015: Kaiser Permanente Colorado Community Benefit and Relations
2014: Boulder County PH
2012: Southwest Colorado AHEC
2011: Poudre Valley Health System
2010: Denver Health
2009: CDPHE

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