Alumni Award for Excellence in Contributions to Access and Collective Engagement in Research or Practice

Lídia Gual-Gonzalez is an assistant professor of One Health at Clemson University and a 2023 graduate of the Arnold School's Ph.D. in Epidemiology program. During her time as a graduate research assistant and postdoctoral research fellow with the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics' infectious disease-focused Nolan Lab, she contributed to numerous studies aimed at understanding and eliminating health care disparities throughout the Americas. She is also committed to ongoing efforts in the areas of community engagement, advocacy, and non-research-based practice towards advancing human access and collective engagement. Gual-Gonzalez passes on the importance of access and collective engagement to her students both in the classroom and the lab. 

Faculty Award for Excellence in Contributions to Access and Collective Engagement in Research or Practice

Angela Liese is a professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, where she has made her academic home for more than 25 years. Liese has been a pioneer in
research related to food security, especially among people with youth-onset diabetes, through projects such as the SEARCH Food Security Cohort Study. She was also the primary leader of the NIH FIRST grant, known as FIIRRE (Faculty Initiative for Improved Recruitment, Retention, and Experience) at USC, which initially received $13 million to help recruit early-stage faculty from various backgrounds who are committed to inclusive excellence and whose work focuses on health disparities. 

Staff Award for Excellence in Contributions to Access and Collective Engagement

Brooks Yelton is a research associate in the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior. She has worked on several projects during her eight years at the Arnold School, including Scholars in Health and Alzheimer's Research for Equity and Enhancing Quality of Care Through Improved Health Literacy and Social Determinants of Health. She is known as a collaborator whose commitment to and passion for inclusive excellence and social justice is embedded in every aspect of her work - community-engaged research, research-based learning, student mentorship/education, applied practice, and partner engagement. Beyond USC, Yelton has led and implemented numerous community-driven education programs with vulnerable and historically underserved populations.

Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Contributions to Access and Collective Engagement in Research or Practice

Will Owings is a public health alumnus ('23) and a May 2025 graduate of the Master of Health Administration program. He is enrolling in the Doctor of Health Care Administration program at Oklahoma State University in June. During his graduate assistantships with Prisma Health and Lexington Medical Center, Owings actively supported the expansion of telehealth services into underserved communities and led initiatives that emphasize equitable access and operational excellence. He has also been awarded an Administrative Fellow in Physician Network Support Services at Lexington Medical Center, positioning him to further advance access, efficiency, and quality of health care services.

Undergraduate Student Award for Excellence in Contributions to Access and Collective Engagement in Research or Practice

Dayana Sandoval is a May 2025 graduate of the B.S. in Public Health program. The first-generation college student and daughter of Mexican and Bolivian immigrants is a member of the TRIO program, where she serves as a mentor and tutor. She is also a University 101 Peer Leader and a Student Fellow for the Arnold School’s Office of Access and Collective Engagement. In 2024, she launched a student chapter (the second in the nation) of the Latino Caucus for Public Health, which is a part of the American Public Health Association. She is planning a career as a policy maker/influencer to reduce health disparities among Latino/Hispanic immigrant and mixed-status families.