Distinguished Terrapin Award

Dr. Dushanka V. Kleinman

Professor Emerita, UMD School of Public Health
Rear Admiral (Ret.), U.S. Public Health Service

“We are still in the right place at the right time to address today’s challenges — but the public and their needs must take an even more prominent role in guiding new pathways for workforce training, research, and practice.”

Dr. Dushanka Kleinman is a distinguished leader in public health, oral health and health literacy, with a career spanning federal government, academia and community health. She served for nearly 30 years at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including as deputy director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), acting director of NIDCR, and assistant director for the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. As the 15th Chief Dental Officer of the U.S. Public Health Service, she oversaw critical national responses during the 9/11 and anthrax attacks. Kleinman played a senior leadership role in SPH’s launch and growth from 2007 until her retirement as associate dean for research and principal associate dean in 2023.  She continues to advance public health as Professor Emerita and Chair of the SPH CONSERVE Advisory Committee. Kleinman holds degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago (D.D.S.) and Boston University (M.Sc.D. in Dental Public Health). She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health and a past president of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Dr. Suma Nair, PhD ’17

Associate Administrator, Health Systems Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

"I know I can take on tough challenges, and so I actively choose to—because driving change requires courage and grit. It requires a willingness to challenge inequities and the status quo, to push past barriers, and to cause – as the late John Lewis so powerfully put it – good trouble."

Dr. Suma Nair is an accomplished federal healthcare leader with over two decades of experience advancing health equity and improving healthcare access at the national level. As Associate Administrator of HRSA’s Health Systems Bureau, she oversees vital programs such as organ donation and transplantation, vaccine injury compensation, and COVID-19 community outreach initiatives. Previously, she spearheaded national COVID-19 response programs for the Health Center Program, ensuring equitable vaccine and therapeutics distribution to underserved communities across the country. Nair’s leadership has modernized major federal health programs, enhanced patient safety systems, and championed the integration of health information technology to drive quality improvement across thousands of health centers nationwide. She is nationally recognized for her expertise in value-based care, quality improvement in underserved populations, and advancing primary care delivery models. Nair earned her Ph.D. in Health Services Administration,  is a recipient of numerous federal awards and was a 2022 finalist for the prestigious Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals.

Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk

Chair, Health and Government Operations Committee; Maryland House of Delegates

"At its core, public service is about people—about listening to their needs, amplifying their voices, and ensuring that our policies reflect the values of equity, access, and opportunity."

Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk is a distinguished public servant and trailblazer, currently serving as Chair of the Maryland House Health and Government Operations Committee. A proud Afro-Latina leader representing Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties, Peña-Melnyk has dedicated her career to advancing equity in healthcare, civil rights, and public health policy. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York, Peña-Melnyk's personal experiences shaped her enduring commitment to underserved communities. A first-generation college graduate, she earned her B.S. in Criminal Justice from Buffalo State College and her J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She has also served as a public defender, court-appointed advocate for abused and neglected children and prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office under Eric Holder.

Peña-Melnyk passed critical legislation including the Affordable Care Act expansion in Maryland, bills to increase healthcare access, initiatives to curb prescription drug prices and laws protecting immigrant and minority communities. She  is the first Afro-Latina to lead a standing committee in the Maryland House. Her many honors include the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators’ Healthcare Champion Award, Maryland State Medical Society’s Legislator of the Year and being named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record.

Jameson Roth, BS ’17

Senior Account Manager, McCabe Message Partners
Secretary, SPH Alumni Network (2024 - Present)

“The School of Public Health is the place where everything good happened, and I wanted to give back to the people who gave me so much!”

Jameson Roth is a passionate alumna and tireless volunteer leader dedicated to strengthening UMD’s public health community. A two-time Terp, Roth holds a B.A. in Communications and a B.S. in Family Science. Currently, she serves as a Senior Account Manager at health communications firm, McCabe Message Partners. Roth embodies SPH’s core values of meaningful engagement, purposeful communication, and respect. She has served in critical leadership roles for the SPH Alumni Network, including Vice President (2020–2022), President (2022–2024), and Secretary (2024–present),expanding the network’s programming and building lasting bridges between alumni and current students. Roth was instrumental in launching the Terrapin Perspectives Conversation Series that fosters discussions on public health’s intersections with various disciplines. Under her leadership, the series became a cornerstone for alumni engagement and received UMD Alumni Association’s 2024 "Event of the Year" Award. Roth has been recognized with the SPH Emerging Volunteer Leader of the Year Award (2022) and a Service Excellence Award by the UMD Alumni Association Board of Governors (2024).

Dr. Jane Clark

Former Dean
Professor Emerita & Former Chair, Dept. of Kinesiology
UMD School of Public Health

Dr. Jane Clark is a former Dean of the School of Public Health (2012-2016) and Professor Emerita in the Department of Kinesiology (Chair, 2000-2010) and the Neural and Cognitive Science program at UMD.  Clark's research is focused on motor development in typically developing children and those with Developmental Coordination Disorder. An accomplished scholar, Clark has co-edited 7 texts, authored over 125 publications, and presented over 250 scientific papers globally. Clark is recognized as a Fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology and received the prestigious Hetherington Award in 2022. She is dedicated to promoting physical activity in children and has mentored numerous students, earning accolades such as the Phillip Merrill Presidential Scholar Mentor and Research Mentor of the Year at UMD. She is also proud to have initiated the college's chapter of Public Health without Borders. Clark holds degrees from SUNY Brockport, the University of Washington, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she earned her Ph.D. in Kinesiology.

Mrs. Dawn Collins

Program Analyst
Food and Drug Administration

Mrs. Dawn Collins, a passionate advocate for public health and combating hate-fueled violence, serves as a Program Analyst for the Food and Drug Administration. Previously, she worked as a USDA and NYC Board of Education inspector. Since the tragic murder of her son, Lt. Richard W. Collins III, in 2017, Collins has emerged as a leader against hate crimes in Maryland. Partnering with institutions of higher learning and civil rights organizations, she works to raise awareness about hate groups targeting majority-white colleges and universities. In September 2023, President Joe Biden honored her as a National Uniter against hate, recognizing her impactful efforts in combating hate-fueled violence. Collins holds a B.S. in Environmental Health from East Carolina University and a Master’s of Public Administration from Troy University.

Dr. Alice Horowitz, PhD '92

Research Professor Emerita
Department of Behavioral and Community Health
UMD School of Public Health

Dr. Alice Horowitz is a Research Professor Emerita in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health at UMD. Formerly a senior scientist at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Health in the National Institutes of Health, her research focus has been on dental caries (tooth decay) prevention and early detection and prevention of oral cancers. Horowitz was instrumental in initiating the need to address health literacy in dentistry. She has received several awards and has published numerous research findings. Horowitz received her M.A. in education from the University of Iowa and a Ph.D. ‘92 in health education from UMD.

Dr. Robin Mockenhaupt, PhD '99

Managing Member
Robin Mockenhaupt Consulting, LLC

Dr. Robin Mockenhaupt has made significant contributions to the field of public health throughout her career. Today, she is a part-time consultant in philanthropy and nonprofit management. This follows a remarkable career that included over two decades at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in roles involving organizational management, policy, strategic relationships, and program management. Upon her retirement, RWJF honored her with a generous grant to UMD SPH, supporting innovative efforts in the Office of Public Health Practice and Community Engagement. Prior to RWJF, Mockenhaupt worked at AARP in Washington, D.C., specializing in health and aging. Mockenhaupt holds both a Ph.D. in health education and a graduate certificate in gerontology from the University of Maryland, a Master’s in Public Health from Columbia University, and an MBA and B.S. in Biology from Pennsylvania State University

Dr. Olivia Carter-Pokras

Research Professor Emerita
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
UMD School of Public Health

A health disparities researcher for four decades, Olivia Carter-Pokras has dedicated her career to improving racial and ethnic data, developing health policy and improving health care quality for Latinos.

At the School of Public Health, Olivia served as Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion for 3 years, and laid the groundwork for what is now the SPH Happiness and Wellness Initiative. She taught chronic disease and infectious disease epidemiology to public health students and led a short-term study abroad course on global health lessons in the Bolivian Amazon.

Outside the classroom, Olivia’s research and passion for epidemiology led to multiple accomplishments, including 77 peer-reviewed journal articles, NIH-funded research to develop cultural competency and health literacy curricula and a European Commission-funded project to develop cultural diversity training for health professional educators. She is also an elected fellow and former board member for the American College of Epidemiology, a former board member for the American Public Health Association, a member of the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care and Education and part of the population research workgroup for the NIH National Pain Strategy - a comprehensive, population health-level strategy for pain prevention, treatment, management, education, reimbursement and research. 

In recent years, Olivia has supported a website detailing the environmental, social and health implications of planned mega-dams and other environmental threats in the Bolivian Amazon. She also serves as co-chair of the Latino Health Steering Committee of Montgomery County and board member for Care for Your Health.

Mr. Cory Easton '85

Co-Founder & Chief Sales Officer at Confidio, LLC

Cory Easton co-founded Confidio, one of the nation’s largest technology-enabled pharmacy benefits solutions companies, in March 2013. Under his direction, the company quickly became known for its ability to successfully guide self-funded health plan sponsors through pharmacy benefit challenges and optimize their clients’ pharmacy benefits, earning Confidio a place on the prestigious Inc. 1000 list for three consecutive years. 

In 2021, Confidio was acquired by RxBenefits, Inc - the first and largest Pharmacy Benefits Optimization (PBO) company in the United States. Today, the combined company serves the pharmacy benefit management needs of over three million Americans representing more than $3B in annual drug spend.

While Cory retired in 2022, he continues to share his expertise through a range of service and educational initiatives. He is a CEO Advisory Board Member for the Inc. CEO Project - a group for experienced CEOs and business leaders seeking challenge and collaboration from their peers. 

He is also a member of the School of Public Health Dean's Council, where he advises and advocates for the school.

Passionate about expanding the national understanding of today’s pharmacy benefit landscape, Cory recently created the Lisa M. & Cory E. Easton Pharmacy Benefit Management Certificate Program at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. The program, which is the first of its kind at the university level, will help close the educational gap in this critical area of health care while creating meaningful, collaborative opportunities for students and organizations working in this ever-evolving field. 

Gloria Spina Friedgen, M.A. '73

Former Coordinator of Alumni Affairs and Outreach
UMD School of Public Health

A native New Yorker, Gloria Spina Friedgen is an advocate for education, physical activity and public health. 

After earning her master’s degree from the University of Maryland, Gloria moved to South Carolina with her husband Ralph Friedgen, fellow Terp and then football coach for the Citadel. In South Carolina, she taught high school physical education and coached volleyball, basketball and track.

Over the years, the couple’s careers took them to Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia and California. Gloria, who also taught science classes, received multiple accolades for her leadership in the classroom and on the sports field, including being named “Partner of the Year” by the Science Alliance for promoting DNA Technology for teachers and students in San Diego.

In 2001, Gloria and Ralph returned to the University of Maryland: she as an adjunct professor in the College of Education and he as the university’s head football coach. Soon after, Professor Robert Gold (and founding dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Health) asked Gloria to join the Board of Visitors and help shape what is now the School of Public Health. 

Gloria continued her support of the school as its coordinator of alumni affairs and outreach. In this role, she oversaw several programs and activities designed to engage public health students and alumni, including the Jerry P. Wrenn Scholarship Golf Tournament, Breakfast with Mrs. Fridge and the Dean’s Scholars Dinner. 

The Friedgens are among the School of Public Health’s most loyal donors. The Friedgen Seminar Room is named in their honor.

Joseph L. Wright, M.D., MPH

Chief Health Equity Officer, UMD Medical System
Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics, UMD School of Medicine
Adjunct Professor of Health Policy and Management, UMD School of Public Health

For more than four decades, Joseph L. Wright has advanced public health for children and underserved communities across the nation.

Joseph began his career in emergency medicine, caring for pediatric patients in New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. His medical and leadership skills soon led to administrative roles, including senior vice president of community affairs and founder of the Child Health Advocacy Institute within the Children’s National Health System, vice chair of pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine, and chair of pediatrics at the Howard University College of Medicine.

In 2021, he became the inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer for the 12-campus University of Maryland Medical System.

Joseph has also contributed over 120 publications to the scientific literature, served more than 30 visiting professorships and was principal investigator of the NIH-funded DC-Baltimore Research Center on Child Health Disparities. He is also an elected member of the Alpha Omega Alpha (medicine) and Delta Omega (public health) honor societies.

A voluntary member of the University of Maryland School of Public Health faculty, he maintains appointments as adjunct professor in the Departments of Family Science and Health Policy and Management. He also serves on the School of Public Health’s Community Advisory Council.

Joseph received the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2022 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award, and he was recently appointed to the National Academy of Sciences’ study committee on Addressing the Long-Term Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Families. 

Dr. Alyssa T. Brooks, PhD ’15

Associate Director, Clinical Effectiveness and Decision Science
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) 

Alyssa Todaro Brooks is an administrator, scientist, educator, mentor, and advocate passionate about inspiring a legacy of forward-thinking individuals to answer the next generation’s most pressing public health questions.

For over a decade, she worked as an investigator at the NIH Clinical Center, studying health behavior in diverse and vulnerable populations, while teaching over 500 students as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. She later worked as a Scientific Review Officer at the NIH Center for Scientific Review, where she combines in-depth knowledge on the process of health behavior research with leadership and organizational skills to oversee the peer review of NIH grant applications. Two weeks ago, she accepted a new position as an Associate Director (Clinical Effectiveness and Decision Science) at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI; pronounced puh-CORE-ee).

Dr. Brooks has served as President of the School of Public Health Alumni Network since 2017, leading a 13-person board to engage the SPH alumni base of over 21,000 people, and has been recognized with two awards from the national University of Maryland Alumni Association. She also served on the University of Maryland Board of Governors and the Robert S. and Barbara A. Gold Public Health Innovation Award selection committee.

In her community, Dr. Brooks serves on a number of nonprofit and community-based executive boards, including the City of Gaithersburg Educational Enrichment Committee and the board of directors for the non-profit Chat Health, which was founded by a UMD student. She is grateful for opportunities to give back to the Maryland community, which prepared her for a lifetime of service as a public health professional, educator, and advocate.

Dr. Robert S. Gold

Founding Dean and Professor Emeritus
UMD School of Public Health

Bob Gold was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was the first in his family to graduate from grade school, high school, and college. He and Barbara have been married for 48 years and have two children. They currently spend most of their time traveling in their converted cargo van named Luna.

Bob retired in 2021 with 51 years of professional experience in public health having served in leadership positions including with Macro International, Inc., the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; Prince George’s County Hospital System, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Inc., and Institute for the Healthiest Maryland.

Bob founded the UMD SPH Public Health Informatics Research Laboratory. His research focused on health communications and numerous technology development projects in the areas of asthma, cancer prevention, diabetes, HIV prevention, injury and violence prevention.

He has helped oversee and conduct national research studies such as the National Children and Youth Fitness Studies I and II, the National School Health Education Evaluation Study, the School Health Programs and Policies Study, and the National Adolescent Student Health Survey. Most importantly, he is proudest of his experience advising over 40 doctoral students.

Mr. Diego Uriburu

Executive Director, Identity
 

Diego Uriburu co-founded Identity, Inc. in 1998 to help immigrant youth fleeing violence, natural disasters, and grinding poverty in Latin America. Today, in pursuit of a just, equitable and inclusive society, Identity creates opportunities for Latino and other historically underserved youth across Montgomery County to realize their highest potential and thrive.

Diego’s lifelong commitment to equity extends beyond his Executive Director duties. In 2019, under his leadership, Identity joined forces with the Montgomery County Chapter of the NAACP Parents’ Council to form the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence. He serves on the Boards of WorkSource Montgomery, the Montgomery County Positive Youth Development Initiative and the Meyer Foundation. Diego is a member of Montgomery Moving Forward and the Latino Health Steering Committee.

In 2014, the White House selected him as a César E. Chávez Champion of Change. He was honored recently with the Roscoe R. Nix Leadership Award for extraordinary contributions to Montgomery County. Diego was born and raised in Argentina and holds a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires.

Diego has forged a strong partnership with the University of Maryland School of Public Health (UMD SPH) through projects ranging from trauma-informed care trainings for Identity staff to testing immigrant-specific ACES classifications and updating Identity’s survey instruments. A UMD SPH team is evaluating Identity’s non-clinical community mental health program and the implementation of a Child Trends’ pregnancy prevention and goal setting curriculum, El Camino.

Mr. Edward Woods IV

CEO, TerpSys

Mr. Edward Woods IV has over twenty-five (25) years of hands-on experience building and managing IT companies, and supporting their customers. Ed founded TerpSys in August 2000 and grew the organization into a leader in the delivery of IT solutions; but equally as important, as a recognized leader in the areas of corporate culture, community service, and corporate responsibility.

Ed has been the hands-on architect of TerpSys’ strong corporate culture, providing a responsible balance between good business, good times, and good deeds.

During its 22 year history, TerpSys has been recognized as a fastest growing, best, great, and philanthropic company in the D.C. metro area; as well as Ed receiving many individual awards. TerpSys and its generous employees have raised and/or donated over $2.5 million dollars to charitable organizations.

In July 2009, TerpSys was named one of the “50 Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America” by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Great Place to Work Institute, Inc., placing #17 in the Small Business category.

Ed was a walk-on for the 1984 / 1985 Maryland men’s basketball team. He was recognized as Maryland Football’s Distinguished Contributor of the Decade – 2000 to 2010. Ed is a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.

Dr. Elaine A. Anderson

Professor Emerita of Family Science
UMD School of Public Health

Dr. Anderson is a Professor Emerita and former Chair of the Family Science Department, School of Public Health, University of Maryland.  She joined the department in 1981 and retired in 2020.  She is also the Director and Founder, Maryland Family Policy Impact Seminar, and was an ADVANCE Fellow.  

Dr. Anderson is a nationally recognized leader and scholar in the field of family and health policy, and is a Fellow in the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR).  She has authored more than 120 publications, received multiple grants, and presented her work over 200 times. Her current writing focuses on social justice in family and health policy reform.  

Dr. Anderson has served on multiple editorial boards, including the Journal of Family and Economic Issues and Family Relations.  She currently is the Editor of the Research and Policy Brief Series for the NCFR.  She was a Congressional Science Fellow and served as a National Head Start Fellowship Mentor.  

Dr. Anderson served on 200 thesis/dissertation committees and taught undergraduate and graduate students in the area of family and health policy.  The School of Public Health has honored her with outstanding Research, Teacher, and Mentoring Awards. Most recently she received the School of Public Health Spirit Award.

Samuel “Sam” Pizzigati 

Associate Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies

Sam Pizzigati’s professional life as a writer and editor has revolved around efforts to help rebuild the egalitarian momentum lost over America’s last half-century. Currently an associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C., Sam co-edits Inequality.org and has published articles and op-eds in global outlets ranging from the New York Times and the Guardian to Le Monde Diplomatique. He has also authored four books on income and wealth distribution and co-edited another.

Sam has spent most of his career in the labor movement, directing the publishing programs of two of the nation’s largest trade unions, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the National Education Association.

Sam enjoys cheering on student-athletes at the University of Maryland. But his chief UMD focus over the last five years has been supporting a joint School of Public Health-School of Public Policy effort named for his late wife, the Karabelle Pizzigati Initiative in Advocacy for Children, Youth and Families. This unique initiative is outfitting Maryland students with the skills and experiences they need to become effective advocates for kids and families in need. 

Ching-Tzone Tien, Ph.D.

Retired Deputy Program Manager
Maryland Department of the Environment Wastewater Permits Program
 

Prior to his retirement in January 2021 after 45 years of service to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), Dr. Tien was a Deputy Program Manager of the Wastewater Permits Program.  He was the principal author of the Maryland Sewerage Facilities Guidelines (1978) and helped to develop guidelines regarding groundwater discharge and water reuse in Maryland including the MDE Guidelines for Land Application/Reuse of Treated Municipal Wastewaters (2010) and MDE Guidelines for Use of Class IV Reclaimed Water: High Potential for Human Contact (2019). 

Dr. Tien was named the Young Engineer of the Year (1979) by the Maryland Society of Professional Engineers and is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Maryland. He has authored or co-authored 32 research papers, book chapters, conference proceedings and governmental publications. His specialties include, but are not limited to: (1) Water and wastewater treatment; (2) Water pollution control; (3) Waste management, and (4) Groundwater hydrology and water quality protection.  

Dr. Tien was an instructor at the University of Maryland, College Park for two graduate courses in environmental engineering from 2007 to 2014. He is a member of the University of Maryland School of Public Health Community Advisory Council and Chair of the CONSERVE Advisory Committee.

Dr. Veda E. Ward, Ph.D. ‘84 

Professor of Recreation and Tourism Management
California State University, Northridge

As a faculty member at California State University, Northridge, since 1990, Dr. Veda Ward has taught extensively, authored and revised curricula, incorporated community-service learning into courses, and served in a variety of administrative roles including department chair.  She has published a book and numerous articles, and made many juried presentations including internationally.  Dr. Ward completed her doctoral studies while serving as a full-time lecturer for UMD’s Recreation Department, and became associate chair.

Dr. Ward worked for the City of Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks, and served as a member of the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission Recreation Advisory Board and the Los Angeles Commission for Women.  A past trustee of the National Recreation and Park Association, she is passionate about expanding knowledge of the parks, tourism, and hospitality industry to ensure equitable access.

In addition to teaching others, Dr. Ward is a self-described life-long learner always looking to expand her knowledge, from learning how to keep her students engaged in a virtual classroom to tackling ever evolving health disparities and social injustice.  She is a member of several professional organizations such as American Association of University Women, is involved with many philanthropic and civic organizations including California Park Foundation, and has traveled extensively to Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East.

Dr. Bonnie Braun 

Professor Emerita of Family Science
UMD School of Public Health
 

As the Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy’s first endowed chair and director, Dr. Braun played an essential role in establishing the Center’s first strategic plan and pioneered the school’s first health literacy course. She also created the statewide coalition, Health Literacy Maryland, to help community leaders promote health literacy. Now retired, she serves on the center’s Health Literacy Advisory Board. 

Dr. Braun continues to make exceptional contributions to health literacy in her retirement. Her analysis of the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) on families has proven the need for health insurance literacy. Through a partnership with Consumers Union, the American Institutes of Research, and the University of Maryland, Dr. Braun has helped establish a definition of health insurance literacy and created the Smart Choice Health Insurance© consumer education program.

The Smart Choice Health Insurance© program, run by University of Maryland Extension, has received numerous accolades including the Family Economics and Resource Management Community Education Award from the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, the Jeannie M. Preister Outstanding Health Program Award from the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Outstanding Education Program Award from the Association of Financial Counseling and Planning Education. 

Dr. Pamela Clark

Professor Emerita
Department of Behavioral and Community Health
UMD School of Public Health

For several decades, Dr. Clark has researched a range of tobacco control topics, including youth access and adoption, community interventions, smoke chemistry, point-of-purchase advertising and product characteristics. She was one of the first researchers to study e-cigarettes and hookah pipes and has contributed to policy discussions around unregulated alternative smoking products. In 2013, she received national attention when her lab received a $19 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration’s Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science to test new smokeless tobacco products.  

In addition to her research excellence, Dr. Clark is a brilliant mentor, offering guidance to pre-docs, post-docs and junior faculty members. 

Beyond her professional contributions, Dr. Clark is a strong supporter of student engagement in global public health. In 2019, she established the Pamela I. Clark Global Health Student Experience Endowment and Current Use Fund with a $1.15 million gift and has continued to support the students of Public Health Without Borders, the UMD Student Crisis Fund, the Campus Pantry and the School of Public Health Student Emergency Scholarship Fund. 

Dr. Deborah Gebhardt, Ph.D. ’79

Principal Scientist
HummRRO
 

When she started Human Performance Systems, in 1988, Dr. Gebhardt pioneered a new field of study and profession—physical assessment developmental programs for individuals in the workforce who are highly dependent on their physical capacity. At Human Performance Systems, Dr. Gebhardt developed physical performance standards and medical guidelines for jobs ranging from police, firefighters and homeland security/military staffers and her business grew substantially after the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In 2015, she sold Human Performance Systems to the nonprofit Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) but continues to work for the group as a principal scientist.

Dr. Gebhardt has received accolades for her work in the field from organizations such as the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Research consortium. She has testified as an expert witness in a class action (Title VII) and ADA litigation, along with arbitrations regarding the physical performance tests, ADA issues, and medical guidelines used for selection and retention for public and private sector personnel. 

Additionally, Dr. Gebhardt is a powerful role model and supporter for students, particularly for young women majoring in kinesiology. Along with Dr. Sally Phillips, a former faculty member who served in many roles in the Department of Kinesiology, Dr. Gebhardt has established the Gephardt-Phillips graduate student award. This fellowship provides resources for student researchers in the school’s masters and doctoral programs and is helping to cultivate the next generation of Terp researchers in kinesiology and public health. 

CAPT Paul “PJ” Jung ’91

Past Dean’s Council Chairperson 

Previously, CAPT Jung has held assignments at the Indian Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General, Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration. He served as an investigative staffer for the House Energy and Commerce Committee and as the associate director for health for the Peace Corps, There, he implemented the Healthy Volunteer project, an evidence-based series of objectives to maintain and improve the health of Peace Corps Volunteers around the globe. 

With writing featured in publications such as the Baltimore Sun, Health Matrix, the New Physician, Medical Economics, Health Affairs and numerous peer-reviewed journals, CAPT Jung is the most widely published author on Peace Corps volunteer health. In 2008, he co-authored a study on Peace Corp volunteer fatalities in the Journal of Travel Medicine and received the Best Original Article Award from the International Society for Travel Medicine. 

In addition to his professional accomplishments, CAPT Jung has taught health policy at the undergraduate and graduate levels since 2002 and developed educational initiatives to train health policy organizers. He supports School of Public Health students as an adjunct professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management and through his philanthropic gifts to the Jeffrey & Michelle Rivest-Dean’s Council Maryland Promise Scholarship.

Dr. Barbara Alving

Research Professor, UMD School of Public Health
Professor of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda

Dr. Barbara Alving, M.D., is a research professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland at College Park and professor of medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda. Her professional career has included working on active military duty as a research hematologist and clinician at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Research Institute, retiring at the rank of Colonel, and at the National Institutes of Health in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, where she directed the extramural hematology division and then served as Acting Director of the Institute. While at NIH, she directed the development of a large program known as clinical and translational science awards to more than 60 academic health centers.  The awards were designed to speed discoveries in the laboratory into further development and then into clinical use.  From 2012 until 2016, Dr. Alving worked at the School of Public Health, serving as the director of a newly formed undergraduate program in Public Health Science on the College Park campus.  She is currently the Chair of the Board of the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences, which provides courses and workshops for NIH fellows and post-doctoral students, as well as members of the public. Dr. Alving also teaches medical students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She is a recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Terrapin Award from the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

Dr. Richard Eberst, PhD ’77

“Rick was, and still is a phenomenal mentor, not only to students, but to colleagues and health education leaders, as well as hundreds of members of community coalitions,” said Dr. Gold, who also recalled early career collaborations with Dr. Eberst in which Dr. Gold developed courses in microcomputer applications in health by “experimenting” with Dr. Eberst’s students.

Among his accomplishments, Dr. Eberst developed the “Eberst Health Cube Model,” a multidimensional model of health that was named one of the five most important contributions to the field by the International Association of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Dr. Eberst’s generous support to the University of Maryland is reflected in his membership in the UMD Founders Legacy Circle and in being a lifetime member of the UMD Alumni Association.

Mr. Jeff Rivest ’75

Immediate Past President University of Maryland Alumni Association

Jeff Rivest ’75 received his B.S. in biological sciences from UMD and a master’s degree in hospital administration from George Washington University. His 40-year career in hospital administration included senior roles at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Georgetown University Medical Center and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; he retired in 2016 after 11 years as president and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center. Rivest has also served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, including on the University of Maryland, College Park Foundation Board of Trustees for six years and as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Governors for six years.

Col. Jimmie L. Slade

Executive Director
Community Ministry of Prince George's County

A retired Army Colonel, Mr. Slade has led the Community Ministry—a faith-based, non-profit organization that provides supportive services to local underserved communities—for nearly 40 years.

Mr. Slade has contributed greatly to cancer research initiatives of Dr. Knott’s CHAMP Health project, which engages African American faith-based communities in education and prevention activities.

“Mr. Slade has an exceptional record of involving School of Public Health students in community service, particularly undergraduate students,” said Dr. Cheryl Knott, professor and director of the Community Health Awareness, Messages, and Prevention Lab. “School of Public Health students have completed internships under his tutelage and have gained valuable experience serving our local community.”

Mr. Slade is also a founding member of the Maryland Community Research Advisory Board of the Maryland Center for Health Equity and chairs the Johns Hopkins Center to Reduce Cancer Disparities-sponsored Prince George’s County Community Advisory Group (Health & Cancer Reduction).