GWSPH Research Day Winners

Recognizing Excellence: ISEO Proud to Award Equity Prize Winners at 2026 GWSPH Research Day!

At this year’s GWSPH Research Day, we were proud to honor a group of outstanding scholars whose work embodies the mission of the Equity Prize—advancing research that educates and empowers citizen leaders committed to eradicating racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequities in the United States and around the world.

The Equity Prize recognizes presentations that go beyond insight to offer actionable knowledge--research that not only deepens understanding, but also equips communities, practitioners, and policymakers with tools to drive meaningful change.

This year’s awardees represent a powerful cross-section of disciplines and career stages, each addressing inequity through innovative, community-centered, and systems-informed approaches:

Name	Department	Abstract Title
Undergraduate Research Winners
Chrestiane Tekola	Public Health	Institutional Food Systems and Student Food Security: Evaluating Meal Plan Policy at an Urban University
Samaa A. Afoke	Public Health	Critical Race Theory as a Lens for Analysis of DEIJ Work in Medical Education
Master’s Research Winners
Hermela Amdeta	Global Health	Community-Led Action in the Mississippi Delta: Applying Systems Dynamics and the THRIVE Framework to Rural Food Access
Blake Madison Coleman	Prevention and Community Health	How Fear-Based Versus Empowerment-Based Reproductive Health Messaging Influences Trust, Emotional Responses, and Behavioral Intentions Among Black Women Ages 18–35
Doctoral Research Winners
Fatima Waseem	Global Health	When Trust Fails: A System Dynamics Analysis of Tap Water Avoidance and Sugary Drink Substitution in Puerto Rico
Paige Kulie	Health Policy and Management	Where You Live Matters: A State Policy Landscape of Minors’ Access to HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis
Staff, Alumni, and Postdoctoral Research Winners
Lulu Chen	Environmental and Occupational Health	Living Next to Warehouses: Daily NO₂ Pollution Patterns Around Warehouses Revealed by Satellite
Kevin Miller	Exercise and Nutrition Sciences	The Effects of the 11th Street Bridge Park on Community Health: A Natural Experiment in Washington, DC

If you are interested in learning more about any of these projects or connecting with an award recipient, please reach out to a member of our team. We would be happy to share your information and facilitate the connection.

GWSPH Research Day Equity Prize Winners 2

2025 GWSPH Equity Prize Winners

Congratulations to the 2025 Equity Prize award recipients:

Name	Department	Abstract Title
Undergraduate Research
Sharif Rahimi	Public Health	Measuring Health Equity Knowledge Among MD Students in a Clinical Public Health Track
Grace Murphy	Public Health	Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in Cancer Clinical Trials: Barriers, Necessity, and Strategies
Master’s Research
Olivia Finizio, Leah Hoey	Exercise and Nutrition Sciences	Rooting for Equity in Washington, D.C.
Manuela Iglesias	Public Health	Exploring the Relationship between Child Opportunity Index and Bayley-III Scores in Young Children
Doctoral Research
Fairuz Mohommed	Doctor of Public Health	A Preliminary Analysis of Injury Prevalence Among Children in Foster Care
Morgan Speer	Prevention and Community Health	Cannabis Social Equity Initiatives Across Five US States: Case Studies of Colorado, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Missouri
Staff, Alumni and Postdoctoral Research
Annie Roberts	Environmental and Occupational Health	The Impact of Breastfeeding on the Development of the Infant Gut and Nasal Microbiomes
Julia Mattingly	Health Policy and Management	Assessing the Impact of Affirmative Action and Anti-DEI Policies on Diversity in Health Professions Education

Read the full article about our 2025 winners here.