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Trinidad Jackson receives top honor among 2022 graduates
Trinidad Jackson, PhD, MPH, MS, was the May 2022 recipient of the Guy Stevenson Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies—the highest award given by UofL’s Graduate School. Inaugurated in May 2008, the award has been given to 28 honorees across Spring and Fall graduates in its 15-year history. Dr. Jackson was the 29th recipient and the first student from the School of Public Health and Information Sciences to receive the university-wide honor. He earned a PhD in Public Health Sciences with a specialization in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences after the successful defense of his dissertation, "Public health contagion of white supremacy: Examining the pipeline of attitudes about racism and racial history education among high school students."
When asked what his reaction was after finding out he received this award, he said, “I was in disbelief when I received notice from the University Graduate Studies Deans. This isn’t anything that I sought after—I try to keep my head down and stay in lanes that I create for myself. I’m not a traditional academic, so to know that some of the top leaders of UofL’s academy reviewed the impact of my global teaching, research, scholarship, and leadership, and ultimately said ‘he’s the one’ gives potential indication that our societal landscape is yearning for praxis that prioritizes liberation. I do this work for God and my people—dead, alive, and unborn. I give thanks to the Divine because it definitely takes power outside of myself to engage in our world as an agent for transformational justice. Thank you to everyone at every point along my trajectory who has been an advocate for Dr. Trinidad Jackson and his work. I honor you.”
The Guy Stevenson Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies, named for a former Graduate Dean, recognizes an outstanding doctoral degree recipient who has demonstrated excellence in both scholarship and leadership within the discipline, and has made significant contributions to teaching and service, as applicable.
As the Stevenson Award recipient, Dr. Jackson was the commencement speaker for the Doctoral Hooding and Graduation ceremony and he also carried the Graduate School banner and was recognized at commencement events held on Friday, May 13 and Saturday, May 14. Listen to his remarks
Dr. Jackson is a new faculty member in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences and the inaugural Assistant Dean for Culture and Liberation. He also holds a joint appointment with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. His earned degrees include a BA in Psychology from Kentucky State University, an MS in Clinical Psychology from Morehead State University, and an MPH from UofL SPHIS.
