ASPPH Practice Excellence Award
The ASPPH Practice Excellence Award recognizes faculty who integrate scholarly public health practice into research, teaching, and service.
Congratulations to the 2026 ASPPH Award Winner
2026 Award Recipient
Paul J. Fleming, PhD, MPH
University of Michigan School of Public Health
Award Criteria
Nominations should include a description of the nominee’s outstanding contributions in:
- Leadership in institutional public health practice
- Meaningful, evidence-based collaboration with communities
- Effective translation of research into practice
- Contributions that strengthen the public health workforce
Eligibility
The nominee must have the following:
- Full-time faculty with a primary teaching appointment in an ASPPH-member, CEPH-accredited school/program
- Minimum 10 years of teaching experience
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
Sheryl A. McCurdy, PhD
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health
2024
Barbara A. Israel, DrPH, MPH
University of Michigan School of Public Health
2023
Carolyn M. Audet, PhD, MSci
Vanderbilt University Institute for Medicine and Public Health
2022
Jeni Hebert-Beirne, PhD, MPH
University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health
2021
Melissa (Moose) Alperin, EdD, MPH, MCHES
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
2020
Karen D. Liller, PhD, EdS, MA, CPH
University of South Florida College of Public Health
2019
Brandon Grimm, PhD MPH
University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health
2018
Catherine L. Troisi, PhD
University of Texas School of Public Health
2017
Deanna M. Hoelscher, PhD, RD, LD, CNS
University of Texas School of Public Health
2016
Tim Byers, MD, MPH
Colorado School of Public Health: University of Colorado | Colorado State University | University of Northern Colorado
2014
Belinda Reininger, DrPH, MPH
University of Texas School of Public Health
2013
Margaret A. Potter, JD
University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
2012
Dr. Matthew Boulton, MD, MPH
University of Michigan School of Public Health
2011
Eugenia Eng, DrPH
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health
2010
Rebecca Parkin, PhD, MPH
George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services
2009
Kathleen Miner, PhD, MPH
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
2008
Bernard J. Turnock, MD, MPH
University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health
2007
Thomas A. Burke, PhD, MPH
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health