September 24, 2018—Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health alumni returned to the School on September 20–21 to reconnect with former classmates and learn more about current research in public health.
During the event, the Alumni Association honored three individuals chosen by their peers to receive the School’s 2018 Alumni Award of Merit—the highest honor presented to alumni:
Richard W. Clapp, MPH ’74, is a senior environmental health scientist with the Environmental Health Initiative at the University of Massachusetts–Lowell School of Health and Environment’s Lowell Center for Sustainable Production. Clapp was recognized for his research on environmental causes of cancer and excellence in teaching.
Roger Glass, MPH ’72, is director of the Fogarty International Center and associate director for international research at the National Institutes of Health. Glass was honored for his research documenting the epidemiology and global burden of rotavirus and work on preventing the disease through the development and use of vaccines.
Alice H. Lichtenstein, SM ’75, SD ’79, is Stanley N. Gershoff Professor of Nutrition Science and Policy, Friedman School, and director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts University’s Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging. Lichtenstein was recognized for her research on diet and cardiometabolic health, which has contributed to current dietary recommendations on healthy eating patterns for the prevention of disease.
Additional alumni awards were presented to:
- Lucas de Toca, MPH ’13, principal adviser, Office of Health Protection, Australian Government Department of Health (Emerging Public Health Professional Award)
- Jason Arora, MPH ’14, director, value-based health care, Medtronic (Public Health Innovator Award)
- Shevin T. Jacob, MPH ’03, senior clinical lecturer in sepsis research, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, U.K.; medical director and co-founder, Walimu; affiliate assistant professor, University of Washington (Leadership in Public Health Practice Award)
The event also included presentations by alumni and faculty members on topics relating to the future of health. Gina McCarthy, professor of the practice of public health and director, Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment, and Caroline Buckee, associate professor of epidemiology, discussed the impact of climate change on public health, and how innovation can mitigate its effects. David Hemenway, professor of health policy, discussed the need to address gun violence as a public health imperative. Laura Kubzansky, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and K. “Vish” Viswanath, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication, discussed how public health can go beyond disease prevention to improve quality of life and happiness.
The event concluded with a celebration of the success of the Harvard Chan School’s Campaign and the launch of its new strategic and research priorities, the Harvard Chan Frontiers.
photos: Kent Dayton and Nilagia McCoy
