Maia Ingram (center) with faculty and staff of the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and members of the Arizona Prevention Research Center Community Action Board, received the UA Billy Joe Varney Award for Excellence.

Maia Ingram, MPH, program director of community-based evaluation projects and co-director of the Arizona Prevention Research Center at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, received the Billy Joe Varney Award for Excellence for dedicated service to the university, to its employees and to the community of Tucson.

The Billy Joe Varney Award recognizes outstanding performance by dedicated and committed University employees for a career of at least 15 years of service.

For 20 years, Ingram has been developing and evaluating prevention and research programs using the community health worker model in partnership with Arizona-Mexico border communities. With expertise in community-based participatory research, Ingram has collaborated with community organizations and UA faculty in addressing health disparities in chronic disease, obesity, hearing loss and partner violence. Ingram prioritizes including master of public health students in her projects, and sees herself as a bridge for students to gain important skills in research, evaluation, assessment and policy development.

Ingram’s research also focuses on policy and environmental change. Her current works includes a collaboration between the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health, Arlie Adkins, PhD, assistant professor in the UA School of Landscape Architecture and Planning and the Tucson-based Living Streets Alliance to explore perceptions of walking in Mexican-American neighborhoods, with the overall goal to improve policies aimed at increasing walkability. Ms. Ingram teaches two public health graduate courses - public health advocacy and participatory action research.

“I have had the honor and privilege to serve as Ms. Ingram’s supervisor for the past 18 years,” said Jill Guernsey de Zapien, associate dean for community programs at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health.

“I recognize her many outstanding accomplishments in the areas of research, education and service, but perhaps one of her most important contributions to the mission of our land-grant institution has been the building and strengthening of community partnerships in all of our border communities. These partnerships have stood the test of time and are the true example of how a strong community academic partnership truly can make a difference.”