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SPHIS Accolades - Fall 2023

Congratulations to the following alumni, faculty, and students for their recent accomplishments:

Lee Bewley, PhD, FACHE, Associate Professor, Director, Health Management Programs, Dept. of Health Management and Systems Sciences, received the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and Kentucky ACHE Chapter Distinguished Service Award. The ACHE Recognition Program celebrates members’ commitment to the healthcare management profession. Recognition is bestowed at three levels based on a range of specific volunteer activities that demonstrate leadership and contributions to furthering professional excellence.

Mackenzie Hashem, MS in Health Administration student, was named an honoree for the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation Kentucky's Finest program, a select group of local men and women who are committed to professional growth through a guided fundraising and awareness campaign. Hashem is one of ten individuals who will be honored at the 65 Roses Gala as "Kentucky's Finest."

Nqobile Nzama, a PhD student and research assistant in the Dept. of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, received first place honors at a pitch competition, sponsored by Duke University. Nzama proposed a multimedia testimonial approach to address COVID-19 inequities among African Americans in North Carolina. Nzama’s presentation was reviewed by a team of health equity experts and community members, received the Peer’s Choice Award as well as the $2,500 top prize.

HMSS alumna Naiya Patel, PhD ’23, was recently elected to Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Honor Society, for her thesis research. Membership to this elite honor society is by nomination only and selection as a member is a way of honoring noteworthy scientific achievements for young investigators.

SPHIS Senior Ariel Ringo was one of three interns competitively selected for a district office congressional internship with U.S. Representative (Illinois) Lauren Underwood this past summer. Ringo worked with the community outreach and engagement team to help ensure constituents were aware of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act and the PACT Act (Healthcare Access for Veterans). She served as the intake coordinator for constituent services, handled passport cases and congressional inquiries, conducted researcher, and produced various documents on the office's behalf. Along with her office duties, she helped plan and manage the resource materials for public events and town halls for the Congresswomen. When asked to describe the experience, Ringo said, “I've learned so many invaluable skills that have truly changed my life. Overall, it was a great experience, and I'm hoping to keep in touch and possibly return to the office after graduation.”

Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH, CPH, LCCE, AdvCD(DONA), SPHIS alumna and adjunct assistant professor in the Dept. of Health Administration and Systems Sciences, has been reappointed chair of the Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) Advisory Council within the Kentucky Board of Nursing. The CPM advises and recommends educational requirements for certified professional midwives and practice standards in the performance of certified professional midwives services. 

Shante Williams, an MS in Health Administration student, recently received the DAISY Award. The DAISY Foundation expresses gratitude to Nurses with programs that recognize them for the extraordinary compassionate, skillful care they provide patients and families. By honoring compassionate nurses, DAISY reinforces the importance of compassion in healthcare.  

Click to see photos of our presenters 

Research!Louisville 

Congratulations to the following individuals who received awards during 2023 Research! Louisville competition:

The SPHIS Office of Reseach thanks all those who signed up to judge the Research!Louivsille poster competition: Dee Antimisiaris, PharmD, BCGP, FASCP; Natalie DuPre, ScD, MS; Wei Fu, PhD; Jeremy Gaskins, PhD; Frank Groves, MD, MPH; Yuchen Han, MS; Seyed Karimi, PhD; Maiying Kong, PhD; Scott LaJoie, PhD; Riten Mitra, PhD; Brian Schaefer, PhD, MS; Kira Taylor, PhD, MS; and Qi Zheng, PhD.