College presents 2025 Faculty Awards for Teaching, Research, and Community Engagement
The college presented the 2025 Faculty Awards at the College Retreat in December 2025. Congratulations to our award winners!
Each year the Zuckerman College of Public Health presents Faculty Awards for excellence in Teaching, Research, and Community Engagement. In the college we have so many dedicated faculty who provide outstanding education for our students, conduct vital research that improves the health of communities, and engage collaboratively with communities to build health services and programs, and we appreciate them all.
We are very proud to announce our 2025 Faculty Award winners below! The awards were first announced and presented at the MEZCOPH College Retreat in December 2025. Please share your congratulations with our award winners!
Excellence in Teaching Award
The Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes a faculty member who exemplifies excellence through their exceptional quality of teaching, dedicated service to the teaching profession, and strong commitment to advising and mentoring students.
It was with great honor that we bestowed the 2025 Excellence in Teaching Award to Dr. Priscilla Magrath.
Dr. Magrath has taught in the MEZCOPH Health Promotion Sciences department for over seven years, carrying a substantial teaching load. Each semester, she instructs 60–100 students across a wide range of Global Health courses. Her thoughtful, integrity-driven approach and commitment to students consistently inspire them.
One student shared: “In the classroom, Dr. Magrath brings her global health experience into every lesson, but she also brings joy, creativity, and connection. She begins each class with engaging icebreakers—sometimes yoga, sometimes reflective prompts—and whatever the activity, it always fosters a strong sense of community.”
Her commitment to teaching, mentoring, and guiding students highlights Dr. Magrath’s excellence as a professor and mentor, and we are honored to acknowledge her achievements with this award. Congratulations Priscilla!
Excellence in Research Award
The Excellence in Research Award honors a faculty member who has made significant contributions to advancing the college’s research mission over the past year.
It was with great pride that we announced the recipient of the 2025 Excellence in Research Award, Dr. Amanda Wilson.
Dr. Wilson received this award for her remarkable early-career impact in exposure science and quantitative risk assessment. Since completing her PhD in 2020, she has become a nationally recognized leader in microbial and chemical exposure modeling, and earned major recognition as the Joan Daisey Young Scientist Award winner, the highest award for a junior researcher in her field. It is a testament to the impact she has already made, and the even greater potential impact she will have in the future for the field of exposure science.
In addition, Dr. Wilson was selected to the National Academy of Engineering’s Grainger Frontiers of Engineering cohort. Her research has already shaped CDC guidance on COVID-19 transmission, informed state and national policies on water reuse and biosolids, and advanced understanding of risk-risk tradeoffs in healthcare disinfection practices. Backed by competitive funding from NIH, the American Lung Association, Arizona Board of Regents, and the U.S. Army, Dr. Wilson is developing practical tools that improve respiratory health in schools and protect healthcare workers on the job.
With more than 50 publications, many cross-campus collaborations, and a reputation for innovative, impactful science, she has quickly become a standout researcher whose work strengthens both our college and the broader field. Congratulations Amanda!
Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship & Practice Award
The Excellence in Community Engagement Award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to fostering meaningful partnerships and making a lasting impact on the community. This award celebrates innovative approaches to addressing public health challenges, promoting collaboration, and advancing the mission of the college through service, advocacy, and outreach.
We were very proud to announce the winner of the 2025 Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship and Practice Award, Dr. Purnima Madhivanan.
Dr. Madhivanan received the MEZCOPH Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship and Practice Award for a career defined by sustained, culturally grounded public health impact. For nearly twenty years, she has built and led major global health efforts, including co-founding the Public Health Research Institute of India, now a leading center for women’s health research and community capacity building.
Dr. Madhivanan’s initiatives, from cervical cancer prevention to large HPV self-sampling campaigns, have reached tens of thousands of women and sparked significant NIH partnerships and global recognition. Just as impressive is her dedication to mentoring more than 130 students and trainees while also supporting community-based research and fieldwork across India, Peru, Sub-Saharan Africa, and along the US–Mexico border. Her work consistently strengthens local capacity, advances equity, and models what ethical, community-driven scholarship should be, making her a truly deserving recipient of this award. Congratulations Purnima!