Dornsife Awards

Celebrate the faculty, professional staff, students, alumni, and community members who have made significant contributions to Dornsife School of Public Health.

All are encouraged to nominate individuals and self-nominate for any of the awards. Please note that individuals may be nominated for multiple awards, but can only receive one award per year.

Below is the list of 2024 Awards:

Award Descriptions

Junior Faculty Research Award

The award recognizes a junior faculty member at the Assistant Professor rank (in any track) with a primary appointment in the Dornsife School of Public Health (DSPH), in recognition of scholarly activity in the field of public health. Criteria for candidates who excel in research include one or more of the following:

  • Publications/chapters/reports
  • Internal/external funding
  • Major conference presentations
  • Service as reviewer, e.g., journal, conference abstracts
  • Media coverage of research

All junior faculty are eligible to be nominated for consideration for this award. Nominators may submit more than one nomination.

Nomination: Please provide a letter of no more than two pages in length, describing the faculty member’s research accomplishments and, if applicable, future work that may come from this completed work. The role of collaborators, including students, both at DSPH and more broadly, is also of interest in the review process. Finally, a description of impact in the field is important. Appendices may include one relevant publication or other materials, if they have occurred in the relevant time window.

Submit a Junior Faculty Research Award nomination.

Golden Apple Faculty Teaching Award

This award recognizes faculty for excellence in teaching. All faculty are eligible. Innovation and a commitment to pedagogical excellence are the primary criteria by which the candidates will be judged.  A candidate who excels in teaching:

  • guides and inspires students, and stimulates intellectual interest and enthusiasm
  • displays a spirit of scholarly inquiry, which leads to developing and strengthening course content in light of developments in the field
  • improves methods of presenting material, including creative use of technology

Nomination: In 200 words or less, please describe the faculty member’s excellence in teaching by providing examples that highlight innovation and a commitment to pedagogical excellence.

Submit a Golden Apple award nomination.

Previous Golden Apple awardees:

• 2023: Usama Bilal
• 2022: Nancy Epstein
• 2021: Lucy Robinson
• 2020: Leslie McClure
• 2019: Longjian Liu
• 2018: Ryan McKenna
• 2017: Esther Chernak
• 2016: Thersa Sweet and Loni Philip Tabb
• 2014: Jenn Taylor and Nancy Epstein
• 2013: Dennis Gallagher

Faculty Practice Award

The Faculty Practice Award recognizes faculty who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to community through direct research-to-practice collaboration, or through the provision and mentoring of Dornsife students in their APE or ILE with community partners. Collaborations with community partners should be focused on the use, adoption, and adaptation of knowledge, interventions, and products/technologies to achieve health and well-being, such as:

  • translation of research findings into products, policy/procedure/practice
  • dissemination and implementation of products and practices
  • evaluation of the effectiveness of efforts in improving health and well-being

Nomination: Nominations may come from staff, students, faculty, or community organization/individuals. In 200 words or less, please describe the faculty member’s research-to-practice impact in the community.

Submit a Faculty Practice Award nomination.

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award

The Outstanding Teaching Award is presented to a DSPH student who served as a teaching assistant and who exhibited a strong commitment to student learning. A successful candidate for this award should have:

  • served as a Teaching Assistant in a DSPH course in the past 12 months.
  • demonstrated reflective teaching practices, creative and innovative teaching methods, and academic support to their students.
  • shown leadership and a commitment to their own professional growth and development as an educator.

Nomination: Please provide a letter of no more than 200 words in length, describing the teaching assistant’s contribution to the success of students in the class. Please include the course, name, number and the term in which it was taught. Faculty and students are welcome to submit nominations.

Submit an Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award nomination.

Outstanding Promise Student Awards

This award recognizes students who have exhibited great promise for regional or national societal impact, and accordingly, for enhancing Drexel’s reputation, now and in the future. This award is open to doctoral students, master’s students, and undergraduate students. A candidate who demonstrates outstanding promise has:

  • demonstrated originality, creativity, and significance of work
  • shown evidence of or potential for regional, national, or societal impact and enhancing Drexel’s reputation, now and in the future
  • demonstrated leadership and commitment to civic responsibility

Nomination: In 200 words or less, please describe the student’s regional or national societal impact.

Submit an Outstanding Promise Award nomination.

Staff Excellence Award

This award recognizes a professional staff member who has demonstrated dedication and commitment to the school through innovation or making significant contributions. A candidate who excels in service has:

  • demonstrated creativity or resourcefulness in accomplishing major assignments
  • possessed outstanding administrative or technical ability
  • exercised leadership and initiative above and beyond what is required of their role
  • exhibited qualities such as dependability, patience, collaboration, and a positive attitude toward their job and colleagues

Nomination: In 200 words or less, please describe the professional staff member’s contributions and service to DSPH.

Submit a Staff Excellence Award nomination.

Public Health Practice Award for Community Preceptors

This award recognizes 2023-2024 DSPH community preceptors who have shown commitment to the school and the advancement of public health practice through the hosting of student practical experiences (practicum and CBMP), teaching and mentoring of students, overall partnership with DSPH to improve the health status of our communities.

The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) has defined public health practice as “the strategic, organized, and interdisciplinary application of knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to perform essential public health services and other activities to improve the population’s health.” Distinct from service, public health practice is the application of public health scholarship, knowledge and skills to practice settings through collaboration with government entities, policy makers, community and advocacy organizations, non-governmental organizations, and health care delivery systems.  

Nomination: In 200 words or less, please describe the community preceptor’s commitment to the teaching and mentoring of students and partnership with DSPH.

Submit a Preceptor Award nomination.

New Preceptor Award

This year’s New Preceptor Award recognizes a new preceptor who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to mentoring our students during their applied practical experiences and/or integrative learning experiences.

Nomination: In 200 words or less, please describe the preceptor’s excellence in being a mentor by providing examples that highlight their impact on your work and commitment to excellence.

Submit a New Preceptor Award nomination.

Distinguished Alumni Award

This award recognizes an alumnus who has completed a DSPH educational program and received an academic degree by the Dornsife School of Public Health and has made significant contributions throughout their career in any of the following categories: leadership, practice, teaching, research, community, or to DSPH. A successful candidate has attained recognition and respect for their accomplishments, and demonstrated strong interest and commitment to the mission, vision and values of DSPH.

Nomination: In 200 words or less, please describe the alumnus’s accomplishments.

Submit a Distinguished Alumni Award nomination.

Recent Alumni Award

This award recognizes an alumnus who has completed a DSPH educational program and received an academic degree in the past five years who has achieved important and promising accomplishments and has exceptional promise for future success. A successful candidate demonstrates a strong interest and commitment to the mission, vision and values of DSPH.

Nomination: In 200 words or less, please describe the alumnus’s accomplishments.

Submit an Recent Alumni award nomination.

Delta Omega

The student membership in the Delta Omega National Honor Society is awarded to students who reflect a commitment to excellence in academics and the applications of synthesis of public health principles as well as to the protection and improvement of population and community health. The Delta Omega Beta Omega Chapter Alumni Nomination Committee reviews all nominations and selects students in the top quartile of GPA with an outstanding record of service to the community. To be eligible for membership, candidates must:

  • Be an undergraduate (BS) or graduate (MPH, MS, PhD, DrPH) student in the Dornsife School of Public Health in good academic standing.
  • Attend two (2) Beta Omega Chapter approved service activities each year. (Attending non-Beta Omega service activities will also meet this requirement. Service includes volunteer opportunities in the public health industry as well as to the community in which you live and/or work.)
  • Have a record of outstanding academic achievement.

Nomination: Please provide a letter of no more than 200 words in length, describing the commitment to service and academic achievement and identifying 2 service activities (including date of service, hours, and organization/supervisor).

Submit a Delta Omega nomination.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Award

This award for 2023-2024 recognizes a DSPH team of faculty, staff and students who exemplify the school’s values of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. They strive to build and nurture an institutional culture where inclusiveness is a core value and where difference is respected. They collectively foster our vision of health as a human right and advance our goals of eliminating health disparities and improving health in cities.

Nomination: In 200 words or less, please identify the team and describe their excellence in this area.

Submit a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging award nomination.