ASPPH Student Services Excellence Award
The ASPPH Student Services Excellence Award recognizes individuals who transform the applicant and student experience in public health education.
Congratulations to the 2026 ASPPH Award Winner
2026 Award Recipient
Erica Whitiker Valenzuela, EdD, MA
Tulane University Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Award Criteria
Nominations should include a description of the nominee’s outstanding contributions in:
- Innovation in student recruitment, admissions, advising, and career services
- Development of inclusive service delivery models
- Leadership in targeting underserved populations
- Collaboration across units or institutions
- Excellence in staff development and training
Eligibility
The nominee must have the following:
- Full-time faculty or staff at an ASPPH-member, CEPH-accredited school/program
- Minimum 5 years of experience in student services
Required Materials
All nominations must contain the following materials:
- Contact information for both the nominee and nominator
- An overview statement (max. 800 words) summarizing the nominee’s qualifications and impact
- The nominee’s curriculum vitae
- Two letters of support, preferably highlighting the nominee’s contributions across multiple dimensions
Award Details
$1,000 Cash Prize
Complimentary registration and travel reimbursement for the ASPPH Annual Meeting.
Formal recognition at the ASPPH Awards Luncheon
Commemorative award trophy
Review & Selection Process
Each nomination is reviewed by a dedicated selection committee composed of:
- Previous award recipients
- ASPPH Section leaders
- Reviewers nominated by deans of ASPPH-member institutions
Nominations are scored using a standardized rubric based on:
- Overall impact
- Promise to improve public health
- Strength of supporting letters
- Quality of experience as outlined in the CV
The committee ranks candidates and forwards a recommendation to ASPPH leadership, who determine final awardees.
Past Winners
2025
Charletta Sims Evans, MEd
University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health
2024
Kelly Beckwith, MPH, CHES
George Mason University College of Public Health
2023
Quin Hussey, MPH
University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health
2022
Michael Vega, PhD, MSW
Rutgers School of Public Health
2021
Vincent James, MBA, MA, MS
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
2020
Scot McIntosh, MS
West Virginia University School of Public Health
2019
Marlyn Delva, EdD
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
2018
Erin E. Schneider, MPH
Texas A&M School of Public Health
2017
Mary Murphy-Phillips, MS
Boston University School of Public Health
2016
Mary Ann Smith, PhD
University of Texas School of Public Health
2015
Kara Brown Robinson, EdD, MS
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health