Honors and awards summer 2020

Celebrating the achievements of the college's faculty, staff and students

Faculty and staff

Mark Bishop, Ph.D., P.T., an associate professor in the department of physical therapy, received the 2020 Dorothy Baethke-Eleanor J. Carlin Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching from the American Physical Therapy Association.

Natalie Dean, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of biostatistics in PHHP and the College of Medicine, received UF’s Excellence Award for Assistant Professors for 2020. The award is one of the university’s top honors for a junior faculty member.

PHHP has named George Hack, Ph.D., the associate dean for educational affairs. He joined the college in 2014 to coordinate curricular design for its blended learning initiative and in 2016, he was appointed assistant dean for educational affairs.

Shelley Heaton, Ph.D., a clinical associate professor in the department of clinical and health psychology and clinic director of UF Health – Psychology Specialties; Kevin Jackson, the college’s event planner; Jessica McLane, human resources generalist; and Keri Merchant, practice manager for UF Health – Psychology Specialties, were named UF Superior Accomplishment award winners in the Health Science Center division.

Kevin Jackson was named PHHP’s 2019 Employee of the Year. As the college’s event planner, he plans and implements events that are engaging, creative and bring the college’s faculty, staff, students and alumni together in meaningful ways.

Frederick Kates, Ph.D., a clinical assistant professor in the department of health services research, management and policy, received a 2020 Rising Star Award for his commitment to ongoing educational improvements and excellence from UF’s Center for Teaching Excellence.

Arch Mainous III, Ph.D., a professor in the department of health services research, management and policy, was elected to membership in the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida. He was recognized for his contributions to the knowledge and practice of primary care.

Dorian Rose, Ph.D., P.T., a research associate professor in the department of physical therapy, is the recipient of the 2020 American Physical Therapy Association Lucy Blair Service Award.

Tara Sabo-Attwood, Ph.D., the chair of the department of environmental and global health, was named a UF Research Foundation Professor for 2020. She is one of 33 UF faculty members recognized for a distinguished record of research.

The UF Center for Teaching Excellence recognized a PHHP team with an exemplary course recognition. The team included course instructor Jerne Shapiro, M.P.H., a lecturer in the department of epidemiology in PHHP and the College of Medicine, teaching assistant Akemi Wijayabahu and instructional design team members Truly Hardemon, Eva Egensteiner and Hillary Carter.

Students

Brittney Dixon, a doctoral student in the social and behavioral sciences concentration of the Ph.D. program in public health, received a Meritorious Student Abstract award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine for her paper, “Does Where You Live Matter? The Built Environment and Intervention-Related Changes among Rural Adults with Obesity.”

Carlyn Ellison, a doctoral student in rehabilitation science, has received a UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute TL1 training grant. She will work with Jennifer Applebaum, a doctoral student in the department of sociology and criminology & law, to examine how relationships with companion animals impact the health and well-being of older adults who are aging-in-place.

Erin Ferguson, a doctoral student in clinical psychology, was awarded a competitive Dissertation Aid Grant by the UF Center for Addiction Research and Education to fund her dissertation project titled “Impact of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness on Demand for Alcohol and Marijuana among Co-Users.”

Natalie Koskela-Staples, a doctoral student in clinical psychology, received a poster award from the Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplant special interest group at the Society of Pediatric Psychology Annual Conference. Her poster was titled, “Caregiver Disease-Specific Coping in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease: Impact on Youth Coping, Quality of Life, and Hospital Utilization.” She is also the recipient of a UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute TL1 training grant.

Emily McHugh, a recent graduate of the bachelor’s program in communication sciences and disorders, won UF’s Best Paper Award for 2020. She is one of only three students to receive the award among more than 350 students who presented research this spring at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, presented by UF’s Center for Undergraduate Research. She took top honors in the Social, Behavioral & Education Sciences category.

Zachary Sandoval, a recent Master of Public Health graduate, received the 2020 John Joseph Benton M.D. Humanitarian Award and Scholarship. The award is given to a student who exemplifies a commitment to better the health and lives of children and who demonstrates integrity, compassion, good scholarship and a good sense of humor.