Riegelman Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Public Health Education
The ASPPH Riegelman Excellence Award recognizes Faculty leaders in undergraduate public health education.
Congratulations to the 2026 ASPPH Award Winner
Award Criteria
Nominations should include a description of the nominee’s outstanding contributions in:
- Leadership in undergraduate program development and sustainability
- Creative and technological innovations in teaching
- Cross-disciplinary collaboration and community partnerships
- Strong relationships with CEPH-accredited graduate programs
- High student engagement and evaluation scores
Eligibility
The nominee must have the following:
- Full-time faculty with a primary appointment at a member institution of the Undergraduate Network for Academic Public Health
- Minimum 10 years of experience in undergraduate and/or graduate public health education
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
Keri J. Griffin, PhD, MPH, MPA, MCHES
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
2024
Jennifer M. Griffith, DrPH, MPH
Texas A&M University’s School of Public Health
2022
Caryl E. Waggett, PhD
Allegheny College UG PH Program
2021
Gloria T. DiFulvio, PhD, MPH, MEd
University of Massachusetts-Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences
2020
Karin J. Opacich, PhD, MHPE, OTR/L, FAOTA
University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health
2019
Elahe Nezami, PhD
University of Southern California Programs in Public Health
2018
Daniel S. Gerber, EdD, MPH
University of Massachusetts-Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences
2017
Lauren D. Arnold, PhD, MPH
Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice
2016
Sara Mackenzie, MD, MPH
University of Washington School of Public Health
2014
Sarah Bauerle Bass, PhD, MPH
Temple University College of Public Health
2013
Karen (Kay) Perrin, PhD, MPH
University of South Florida School of Public Health
2012
Kelly Gebo, MD, MPH
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health