Each year the UW School of Public Health recognizes alumni who are trailblazers, groundbreakers, influencers, educators and mentors with a demonstrated record of impactful service and achievement across public health disciplines and settings through our alumni award who inspire future public health leaders.
UW SPH Alumni of Impact

Improving global oral health through prevention, innovation
Salima Alibhai
Online Executive MPH 2013, Health Services
Using nutrition to eliminate health disparities in chronic disease risk
Cheryl Anderson
MS 1997, Epidemiology; PhD 2001, Nutritional Sciences Program
Saving lives by revolutionizing women’s health care
Garnet Anderson
PhD 1989, Biostatistics
Collaborating to achieve ‘no new infections’ of HIV
Jared Baeten
PhD 2001, Epidemiology
Bringing equity to the forefront in NYC and beyond
Mary T. Bassett
MPH 1985, Health Services
Putting an end to AIDS in Kenya
Elizabeth Bukusi
MPH 2000, PhD 2006, Epidemiology
Building bridges with industry to improve workplace safety
Janice Camp
MSPH 1984, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
Uncovering COVID-19 in Seattle
Helen Chu
MPH 2012, Epidemiology
Disentangling complex human diseases & aging
Gary Churchill
PhD 1988, Biostatistics
Turning the tide of HIV in Thailand
Donn Colby
Online Executive MPH 2001, Health Services
Increasing cancer screening among underserved populations
Gloria Coronado
MS 1997, PhD 2001, Epidemiology
Rebuilding Liberia’s post-war health system
Bernice Dahn
MPH 2005, Health Services
Creating an equitable world for women and girls
Onyinye Edeh
MPH 2013, Global Health
Finding game-changing solutions for global health
Chris Elias
MPH 1990, Health Services
Building community resilience to prevent ACEs & foster equity
Wendy Ellis
MPH 2011, Health Services
Protecting worker health, safety in the pork industry
Heather Fowler
PhD 2017, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
Investigating virus-host interactions to control infection
Michael Gale Jr.
PhD 1994, Global Health (Pathobiology)
Pushing for fearless approaches to improve health in Peru
Patricia Garcia
MPH 1998, Epidemiology
Mentoring a new generation of diverse epidemiologists
Bizu Gelaye
MPH 2011, PhD 2013, Epidemiology
Promoting peace through public health
Amy Hagopian
MHA 1983, PhD 2003, Health Services
Partnering with communities to improve Native health
Jeffrey Henderson
MPH 1999, Health Services
Setting a standard of public service in Snohomish County
Ward Hinds
MPH 1975, Epidemiology
A leader in Seattle’s community health center movement
Christine Hurley
MHA 1977, Health Services
Protecting the most vulnerable during emergencies
Karin Huster
MPH 2013, Global Health
Improving maternal and child health through perinatal care
Patricia Janssen
MPH 1993 (Maternal and Child Health), PhD 2001, Epidemiology
A pioneer in gun violence research and prevention
Arthur Kellermann
MPH 1985, Health Services
Advancing HIV prevention and treatment worldwide
James Kiarie
MPH 2001, Epidemiology
Protecting the Pacific from the effects of climate change
Saori Kitabatake
MPH 2017, Global Health
Tackling air & water pollution in Alaska
Denise Koch
MS 1999, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
Paving the way for a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer
Laura Koutsky
PhD 1987, Epidemiology
Innovating data science methods and education
Jeffrey Leek
MS 2005, PhD 2007, Biostatistics
Top statistician leads health research in Taiwan
Kung-Yee Liang
PhD 1982, Biostatistics
Creating high-impact statistical methods for genomic data
Xihong Lin
MS 1992, PhD 1994, Biostatistics
Leading the DRC through six disease outbreaks
Eteni Longondo
MPH 2005, Health Services
Fighting to end homelessness among society’s most vulnerable
Daniel Malone
MPH 2007, Health Services
Tackling the world’s worst HIV epidemic
Rosa Marlene Manjate Cuco
MPH 1996, Health Services
Fighter for the Somali community
Mohamed Ali
MPH 2008, Global Health
Improving health education, outreach to Seattle’s immigrant communities
Farah Mohamed
MPH 2016, Global Health
Using creativity to prevent new HIV infections in Africa
Kenneth Mugwanya
PhD 2016, Epidemiology
Helping governments strengthen health systems & defeat malaria, TB, HIV
Robert Newman
MPH 1998, Epidemiology
Addressing mental health and suicide in China
Michael Phillips
MPH 1985, Epidemiology
Uncovering the adverse reactions of commonly used drugs
Bruce Psaty
MPH 1986, Epidemiology
Addressing the needs of Washington’s Latinx communities
Rogelio Riojas
MHA 1977, Health Services
National thought leader on injury prevention and control
Frederick Rivara
MPH 1980, Health Services
Reducing preventable deaths in Togo by removing barriers to care
Jennifer Schechter
MPH 2011, Health Services
Finding the intersection between public health and policy
Emma Spickard
BS 2019, Public Health-Global Health (College Honors)
Innovating the study of workplace exposures
Katherine Teschke
PhD 1994, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
Discovering a passion for worker safety & entrepreneurship
Vy Tran
BS 2016, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
Expanding access to effective mental health care
Jürgen Unützer
MPH 1996, Health Services