ASPPH Early Career Teaching Excellence Award
The ASPPH Early Career Teaching Excellence Award recognizes emerging faculty for excellence in instruction, mentoring, and educational innovation.
Congratulations to the 2026 ASPPH Award Winner
2026 Award Recipient
R. Tyler Derreth, PhD
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Award Criteria
Nominations should include a description of the nominee’s outstanding contributions in:
- Development of impactful teaching materials and evidence-based assessments
- Innovative leadership in early career teaching
- Mentorship across degree levels
- Teaching beyond institutional boundaries
- Scholarship on pedagogy appropriate to career stage
Eligibility
The nominee must have the following:
- Full-time faculty at an ASPPH-member, CEPH-accredited school/program
- Minimum 5-10 years of teaching experience
- Minimum 5 years of experience in student services
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 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
Sarah E. Cprek, PhD, MPH
University of Kentucky College of Public Health
2024
Jessica S. Kruger, PhD, MCHES
University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions
2023
Elizabeth Armstrong-Mensah, PhD, MA
Georgia State University School of Public Health
2022
Elizabeth Walker, PhD, MPH, MAT
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
2021
Jonathan Garcia, PhD
Oregon State University College of Public Health and Human Sciences
2020
Leah C. Neubauer, EdD, MA
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Program in Public Health
2019
Amy Webb-Girard, PhD
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
2018
Dabney P. Evans PhD, MPH
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
2017
Jessica H. Leibler, DrPH, ScM
Boston University School of Public Health
2016
Kate Winskell, PhD
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
2014 – 2015
Freda Patterson, PhD, MS
Temple University College of Public Health
2013
Mohammed K. Ali, MBChB, MSc, MBA
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
2012
Juan Leon, PhD, MPH
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
2011
Sophie Godley, MPH
Boston University School of Public Health
2010
John McGready, PhD
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2009
Karen McDonnell, PhD
George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services
2008
Peter A. Muennig, MD, MPH
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health