Ceremony acknowledges 20 new members of Delta Omega Society

May 8, 2009

The Arnold School of Public Health recognized exceptional achievements by students, faculty and alumni during its 2009 Hooding Ceremony May 7 at the Koger Center for the Arts.

The school also acknowledged new members of the Mu Chapter of the Delta Omega Society, the national honorary public health society.

2009 Hooding

Emily Elizabeth Matthews of the Department of Health Services Policy and Management received the Jeffrey Keith Mattison Outstanding Achievement Award.

This annual award goes to the master's-level graduating student who best exemplifies the special characteristics of Jeffrey Keith Mattison, an epidemiology and biostatistics student who died in the fall of 1987.

Matthews was a student in the Department of Health Services Policy and Management where she achieved an outstanding record in academics and service to the Arnold School.  As president of the Healthcare Executive Student Association, she amassed countless hours in leadership roles within HSPM.

Ikechukwu "Ike" Udo Ogbuanu, a student in the department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, received the Doctoral Achievement Award.

Ogbuanu was selected on the basis of academic performance, achievements, and potential for further contributions to the field of public health. His work with the Isle of Wright birth cohort research team produced valuable contributions to abstracts and manuscripts prepared by the team.

Dr. Lisa Lindley, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, received the James A. Keith Excellence in Teaching Award.

Several of her students said the atmosphere in her class “keeps us coming back for more”; that she goes above and beyond to help students while maintaining her good humor.  One student wrote that Lindley is not just good at one thing “such as teaching or mentoring or being an expert in her field - she is a master of them all."

Dr. Jim Carson, an associate professor in the Department of Exercise Science, received the Faculty Research Award.

Carson is a world-renowned researcher of molecular biology techniques examining muscle plasticity. While he has helped build interdisciplinary collaboration among his scientific peers, he still mentors undergraduate and graduate students in his lab.

Dr. Heather M. Brandt, an associate professor in the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, received the Faculty Service Award.

She worked with the South Carolina Cancer Alliance’s Breast and Female Cancer Work Group and the South Carolina Hispanic/Latino Health Coalition to improve the lives of cancer victims. Her national service includes her work as the Program Planner of the American Public Health Association Women’s Caucus and leadership roles within the American Cancer Society. 

Twenty new members of the Delta Omega Society also were recognized.

They included faculty members Dr. James Hardin and Dr. Allen A. Montgomery and Class of 2009 graduates Anna E. Mathews, Chinelo A. Ogbuanu, Ikechukwu U. Ogbuanu, Meghan J. Baruth, Medha V. Vyavaharkar, Sara L. Powell, Jarrett R. Jack and Lauren M. Mobley.

Alumni members named were Kimberly E. Butler, Kristy A. Stoneburner, Michael G. Dickey, Andrew O. Johnson, Cheng-Chieh Lin, Jessica  D. Bellinger, Elise V. Partin, Edena G. Meetze, Shannon J. Cantwell and William B. Pittard III.

Founded at the School of Hygiene and Public Health at the Johns Hopkins University in 1924, Delta Omega is equivalent to Phi Beta Kappa for undergraduate studies in letters.

Individual departments of the Arnold School of Public Health also presented honors, including:

  • Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders – Maria Golla, MSP Outstanding Student Award; Jennifer Sandifer, MCD Outstanding Student Award.
  • Department of Environmental Health Sciences – Benjamin Bey, Outstanding Doctoral Student; Gustavo Dominguez, 2008-2009 Outstanding Graduate Student.
  • Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics – Weichao Bao, Biostatistics Outstanding Student Award; Sara Wagner and Ikechukwu U. Ogbuanu tied for the Outstanding Epidemiology Student Award.
  • Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior – Leigh Ann Barnes, Masters Student of the Year; Anna Matthews, Doctoral Student of the Year.
  • Department of Health Services Policy and Management – Evangelia Kolovos, Susie Yates Scholarship which recognizes MHA student/students with the highest GPA from the Carolinas and Georgia. Louis Eubank, Michael D. Jarrett Award, given to a MPH student with a GPA of 3.5 or better, who demonstrates a commitment to public health and a high potential for leadership. Dr. Cheng-Chieh Lin, Michael E. and Sandra P. Samuels Distinguished Alumni Award.
  • Department of Exercise Science – Meghan J. Baruth, Outstanding Doctoral Student; Traci L. Barrilleaux, Outstanding Masters Student.

The school also awarded Certificates of Appreciation to members of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council: Stephanie Day, Meredith Holzbach, Sara Powell, Michelle Johnston, Jennifer Gander, Debjani Chanda, Benji McCollum, Matt Jepson, Steve Chen, Crystal Glover, Andre Walker, Lauren Mobley, Alexis Koskan and Catherine Carlestedt.

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