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College of Public Health Dean Jay Noren, M.D., left, with Dr. David Palm, recipient of the 2008 Chancellor Robert D. Sparks, M.D., Award in Public Health and Preventive Medicine. |
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Dr. Noren with Alexandra Moustakes and Adrianne Wemmert. Moustakes received the Chancellor Robert D. Sparks, M.D.,Pre-professional/Undergraduate Student Scholarship in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; and Wemmert received the Chancellor Robert D. Sparks, M.D., Public Health Student Research Award. |
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Alan Spilker, third from the right, CEO of the Carruth J. Wagner, M.D., Foundation, stops for a photo with the 2008 recipients of the Carruth J. Wagner, M.D. Scholarships in Public Health. The recipients were, from left, Jasmine Williams, Amy Kebriael, Mona Sorouri, Ben Davy and Adrianne Wemmert. |
The awards were handed out at the college’s second-annual spring awards dinner on May 1 at the W.H. Thompson Alumni Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus.
The award recipients were:
- Dr. David Palm, who received the Chancellor Robert D. Sparks, M.D., Award in Public Health and Preventive Medicine;
- Alexandra Moustakes, who received the Chancellor Robert D. Sparks, M.D., Pre-professional/
Undergraduate Student Scholarship in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; and
- Adrianne Wemmert, who received the Chancellor Robert D. Sparks, M.D., Public Health Student Research Award.
“These three are true champions of public health in Nebraska,” said Jay Noren, M.D., dean of the College of Public Health. “They have made significant efforts in improving the health for all Nebraskans.”
Dr. Palm has more than 30 years of experience in working on various health planning and policy issues for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services including serving as administrator of the Office of Community Health Development in the Division of Public Health since 2000.
His office provides technical assistance to local public health departments in areas such as needs assessment, priority setting, intervention strategies and evaluation. The office also manages several contracts with local public health agencies and oversees the Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant, the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant and several substance abuse prevention programs. Dr. Palm currently serves on the board of the Public Health Association of Nebraska and is the co-leader of the Nebraska Educational Alliance for Public Health Impact.
Moustakes — an Omaha native — studies biochemistry and Spanish in the UNL pre-med program and serves as vice president and blood drive coordinator of the campus Red Cross. She is a pediatrics volunteer at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, an undergraduate research assistant for the UNL chemistry department and is the representative for Services for Students with Disabilities. She plans to start medical school here in the fall of 2009.
Wemmert is a master’s of public health (MPH) student at UNMC who hails from Racine, Wis. She has worked as a community health nurse with the Visiting Nurse Association in the homeless shelters in Omaha and is the program coordinator at the Nebraska affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Her research is aimed at improving breast health in Nebraska.
Wemmert also was honored along with four others for receiving the Carruth J. Wagner, M.D., Scholarship in Public Health.
The other Wagner scholarship recipients were:
- Ben Davy, a UNMC MPH student;
- Amy Kebriael, D.D.S., a pediatric dental resident at UNMC;
- Mona Sorouri, a UNMC MPH student; and
- Jasmine Williams, a UNMC MPH student.
About the awards
The Chancellor Robert D. Sparks, M.D., Award in Public Health and Preventive Medicine recognizes an individual who has shown outstanding innovation, excellence, collaboration and impact on health promotion, disease prevention and advancement of effective public health.
The Chancellor Robert D. Sparks, M.D., Pre-professional/Undergraduate Student Scholarship in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student who demonstrates academic excellence and a career interest and plan which will emphasize health promotion and disease prevention.
The Chancellor Robert D. Sparks, M.D., Public Health Student Research Award is given to support an excellent research project that demonstrates disease prevention and health promotion through public health education, research and/or practice, with particular attention to the needs of Nebraska and its citizens.
The Carruth J. Wagner, M.D., Scholarship in Public Health is given to outstanding public health graduate students who emulate the spirit of Dr. Wagner by demonstrating career goals and personal/professional potential to make significant contributions to the overall state of health. The recipients demonstrate the desire to strengthen public health practice through effective public service, promote physical and mental health and prevent disease, injury and disability and provide leadership in public health to meet tomorrow’s challenges.