ASPPH Practice Excellence Award

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2025 ASPPH AWARD WINNERS

2025 Award Recipient

Sheryl A. McCurdy, PhD

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health

The ASPPH Practice Excellence Award recognizes faculty who have devoted their careers to advancing and integrating scholarly public health practice within research, teaching, and service. The award is given annually to a full-time faculty member from an ASPPH- member, CEPH-accredited school or program of public health.

Criteria for Award

Nominations should include a description of the nominee’s outstanding contributions in:

The demonstration of innovative leadership for enhancing excellence, health equity, and inclusiveness in academic public health practice.
Advancing the practice mission of schools or programs of public health and improving the health of the communities they serve.
The translation of knowledge into practice by creating a bridge between academia and the public health workforce.
Engaging with community organizations and academia in meaningful, evidence-based, and sustained programs.

Eligibility

Nominees must be full-time faculty from an ASPPH-member, CEPH-accredited school or program of public health. View the list of ASPPH-member institutions. The nominee must have the following:

A primary appointment in an ASPPH-member school or program of public health.
A demonstrated and notable record of success (more than 10 years in public health practice).

Required Materials

All nominations must contain the following materials:

Nominee and nominator contact information;
Overview statement of nominee’s contributions (limit 800 words);
Nominee’s curriculum vitae; and
Two additional letters of support.

Award Details

$1,000 Cash Prize

Complimentary registration for ASPPH Annual Meeting

Recognition at the Awards Ceremony

Objective Review & Selection

Each nomination is assigned to an objective review and selection committee for that award. The committee is comprised of previous awardees, ASPPH Section leaders, and those nominated by their Dean to participate. Nominations are scored on the following criteria:

Overall Rating (5=high, 1=low)
The work (research/practice/teaching) conducted by this candidate has promising implications for improving public health (5=strongly agree, 1=strongly disagree)
Strength of the letters of support (5=very strong, 1=very weak)
Strength of candidate’s experience (CV) (5=very strong, 1=very weak)

All scores and comments are compiled, the candidates ranked, and a summary report is sent to the committee for review. ASPPH and the committee will discuss each nomination and determine the awardee.

A Zoom meeting is scheduled with the ASPPH Program manager and committee to discuss each nomination and determine the awardee.