May 15, 2018; Updated on May 17, 2018 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
[Updated: View a gallery of photos taken by Tom Johnson and Grant Jackson.]
The 2018 Arnold School of Public Health Hooding Ceremony began with a warm welcome to master’s and doctoral degree graduates and their families and friends by Dean Thomas Chandler. “Thanks to these students and the faculty you see here behind me, our School continues to hit remarkable benchmarks in all areas of academic achievement,” he said. “Graduates, you should feel proud of your School, you should be particularly proud of your faculty, and be especially proud that each and every one of you here today has played an important role in many of our accomplishments over the past year.”
Julie A. Washington, professor and the program director in communication sciences and disorders at Georgia State University, served as the event’s featured speaker. “You are ending one chapter to begin a new one,” she said. “When you leave this place today, I want you to think about how you will make the world a better place by the choices that you’ve made in this program and the choices that you make going forward.”
“Your choice of health sciences as a profession signifies the decision that you’ve already made to serve your community, locally, nationally, and for some of you, globally,” Washington said. “Where you begin after today though may not actually be where you end...As you start to follow your calling, (you might) find that your passion is somewhere you that didn’t expect it to be and end up doing something with your degree in public health that you never saw yourself doing and follow that path.”
James Hardin, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Curriculum, presented the annual Arnold School student and alumni awards. Next, Chandler announced the Arnold School faculty award winners. Delta Omega Honorary Society Mu Chapter inductees were recognized as well.
April Winningham (health promotion, education, and behavior) received the James A. Keith Excellence in Teaching Award. Named for a former professor and associate dean of the Arnold School, it is designed to recognize superior teaching. Brie Turner-McGrievy (health promotion, education, and behavior) received the Faculty Research Award for her outstanding scholarly record. Linda Hazlett (epidemiology and biostatistics) received the Faculty Service Award, which is designed to recognize a faculty member who has provided exceptional outreach to the community, made significant contributions to public health practice, or provided leadership in professional organizations or university governance.
The Norman J. Arnold Alumni Medal was awarded to Lillian Mood (MPH) for demonstrating work that has had both a positive impact on the profession of public health and on the health of an identified community/population and has brought recognition to the Arnold School of Public Health. Sara Goldsby (MPH, health services policy and management) received the Gerry Sue Arnold, which recognizes more recent alumni (graduated in the past 10 years) for their contributions to the profession of public health and on the health of an identified community/population.
The Jeffrey Keith Mattison Outstanding Student Achievement Award went to Sophia Sharp (MHA, health services policy and management). This award is given to a master’s degree student who exemplifies service, leadership and personal example. Alicia Dahl (Ph.D., health promotion, education, and behavior) received the Doctoral Achievement Award for demonstrated academic achievement, professional promise in creating meaningful and relevant research and/or practical application in the field of public health, and potential leadership and service to the community or to the field of public health.
The Arnold School’s six departments also presented awards during the 2018 Hooding Ceremony.
Communication Sciences and Disorders: Valerie Kastine (MCD), Hannah Kinkead (MSP)
Environmental Health Sciences: Kameia Afshinnia (Ph.D.), Kara Clyburn (M.S.)
Epidemiology: Maria Sevoyan (Ph.D.), Amanda Collins, (MSPH)
Biostatistics: Jie Zhou (Ph.D.)
Exercise Science: George Grieve (Ph.D.), Jacob Barber (M.S.)
Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior: Alicia Dahl (Ph.D.), Sarah King (M.S.)
Health Services Policy and Management:
Pamela Stogner (MPH) – Michael D. Jarrett Award
Robert Felts (MHA), Manel Boufaied (MHA) – Foster G. McGaw Award
Kaitlin Kidwell – Susie B. Yates Award
Jimmy Walker - Michael E. and Sandra P. Samuels Distinguished Alumni Award
Faculty member inductees into the Arnold School’s Mu Chapter of Delta Omega Honorary Society included: Andrew Kaczynski and Dwayne Porter. Graduating student inductees were Morgan Clennin, Emmie Culclasure, Tyler Dorman, Michele Josey, Victoria Lambert, Xiaonan Ma, Anna Mesa, Laura Peek, Maria Sevoyan, and Jie Zhou. Alumni inducted into the Society included Quinyana Brown, Daniel Dauner, Sara Goldsby, Mark Guinter, Mohammed Rifat Haider, Zachary Jenkins, Megan Weis, and Jiali Zheng.