SPHHP Faculty and Staff Honors Continue

Mary Glenn, assistant dean for community engagement, has been elected to the board of directors of the New York State Public Health Association (NYSPHA). Her term will run for three years. NYSPHA promotes and protects the public’s health in New York State through professional development, networking, advocacy and education. The organization specifically advocates for policies at the national, state, and regional levels that support equity in health status and an end to health disparities for all New Yorkers. As a board member, Glenn will help NYSPHA continue to grow and increase its state-wide impact.

Gamma Lambda, SPHHP’s chapter of the Delta Omega Public Health Honorary Society, elected Vice President for Interprofessional Education (IPE) Patricia Ohtake, PhD, PT, as an honorary inductee for 2021 and the only non-public health-trained inductee in Gamma Lambda’s history.

Ohtake, who is also an associate professor in physical therapy, was recognized for her work in IPE and commitment to public health. Her advanced interprofessional education and collaborative practice in the field has spearheaded efforts to integrate interprofessional collaborative practice into public health education and practice, and integrated public health principles into IPCP training of UB health professions students. Members of the society--public health students, alumni and faculty—are inducted based on their commitment, leadership ability, and demonstrated excellence in public health education, research or service. Honorary members have made extraordinary contributions to the field; chapters can induct no more than one honorary member each year.

John Violanti, PhD, research professor, Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, won the Alice Hamilton Award for Occupational Safety and Health in the Behavioral and Social Science category from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The award recognizes the scientific excellence of NIOSH technical and instructional materials.

Violanti and his co-investigators won the award for their research study “Occupational injury and psychological distress among U.S. workers: the National Health Interview Survey, 2004-2016,” published in 2020. NIOSH is a research agency focused on the study of worker safety and health, and empowering employers and workers to create safe and healthy workplaces. The Hamilton Award is one of the organization’s Science and Service Awards, presented annually to recognize significant accomplishments in research, partnership, research translation, career achievements, and service at NIOSH.