Outstanding Graduating Student Profile Stories, Spring 2026
We are incredibly proud of all of our graduates! We know they go on to build a healthier, happier, more equitable world. With these graduating student profile stories, we extend special recognition to a few of our Spring 2025 graduates to highlight what they have accomplished and where they are going.
While we want to recognize all of our amazing graduates, we give special recognition to a few. Please explore our graduating student profile stories below. Many of these students won awards such as the Public Health Service Award or the Student Life Award. We thank them for all they did as students for our college and our communities!
Undergraduate Students
Damaris Lent
BS Public Health, One Health
Damaris Lent graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Public Health with an emphasis in One Health and a minor in American Indian Studies. As a first-generation college student from the reservation, she earned multiple scholarships and also served as Vice President of the American Indian and Indigenous Health Alliance, supporting Indigenous student engagement and leadership on campus. She won the Spring 2026 Public Health Service Award.
Juliana Panhorst
BS Public Health, Global Health
Juliana Panhorst graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with an emphasis in Global Health and a minor in Spanish. She excelled in the classroom and beyond, showing her dedication to public health as a Global Health Institute scholar, working with the SAFER program in Arizona to stop infectious disease, and promoting health equity through her leadership with the Partners in Health program. Juliana won the Spring 2026 Outstanding Senior Award.
Graduate Students
Shannon Alexander
MPH, Health Behavior Health Promotion
Shannon Alexander graduated with a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior Health Promotion earned through the online program. While a student at MEZCOPH, Shannon worked to expand the Community Health Worker educational track at the PimaJTED high school program to include Birth Doula training. She won the 2026 Outstanding Online Graduate Student award from the college.
Katie Herder
PhD, Biostatistics
Katie Herder graduated with her PhD in Biostatistics. Over the course of her educational journey, she worked extensively with the UA’s Center for Comprehensive Pain and Addiction, showed leadership in the college’s Student Ambassadors group, and participated in many educational opportunities outside the college including the Global Health Institute Scholars program. She won the Spring 2026 Student Life Award.
James Hollister
PhD, Biostatistics
James Hollister graduated with his PhD in Biostatistics and a Minor in Epidemiology. During his time in the college he significantly contributed to the college community as a student Ambassador, taking the initiative on events and activities that helped build connection, while at the same time supporting innovative research studies. He won the Spring 2026 Student Life Award.
Precious Mastala
MPH, One Health
Precious Mastala graduated with a Master of Public Health in One Health and a perfect 4.0 GPA. A trained veterinarian from Malawi, Precious not only distinguished himself as a top scholar, he also used his skills to serve the community through work with Pima County Health Department and supported research projects to investigate health risks where human health, animal health, and environmental health intersect. Precious won the Spring 2026 Outstanding MPH Student Award.