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Sam Fahmy
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School of Public Health
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ATLANTA—The Georgia State University School of Public Health recently honored the academic accomplishments of its students and the role that donors and community partners play in transforming their lives at its fourth annual Celebrating Student Excellence Ceremony.
“Public health is a profession, and it’s also a calling,” said Dean Rodney Lyn. “Our students could have chosen to pursue degrees in any number of programs, but they chose to invest their time and talents on degrees that empower them to make a difference in the health of communities.
As we celebrate our students and their individual accomplishments, we also recognize the vital role that our faculty, staff, donors and community partners play in helping them achieve their full potential.”
The 2026 Student Excellence Award winners are listed below:
Undergraduate Public Health Achievement Award: Tamilore “Tami” Adeniji
Adeniji serves as the Treasurer of the Undergraduate Public Health Club and has been an active member of the MeTa Series committee for several years. What truly distinguishes Adeniji is her character. She leads with integrity, kindness, respect and encourages those around her.
Master of Public Health Achievement Award: Camelia Gonzales Barbot
Barbot serves as a Project Coordinator in the Department of Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences for Professor Claire Spear’s Culturally Adaptive iQuit Mindfully Smoking Cessation Study. Her work focuses on amplifying the voices of vulnerable and often underrepresented communities, helping ensure their experiences inform meaningful public health research. Through her research and community-engaged work, Barbot has demonstrated strong analytical skills, cultural competency and a deep commitment to improving health for all.
PhD in Public Health Achievement Award: Kaustubh Wagh
Wagh has distinguished himself throughout his doctoral training through academic excellence, scholarly productivity and a strong commitment to improving population health. He entered the Ph.D. program with an interdisciplinary background as a physician, complemented by an MBA in Health Management and an MPH in Epidemiology. His dissertation is the first comprehensive analysis of diabetes burden along the U.S.–Mexico border, using multiple methods to identify health disparities and guide policy and interventions.
Beyond his dissertation, Wagh has published peer-reviewed research, presented at major conferences and applied his expertise internationally through work with a non-governmental organization supporting infectious disease control in West Africa.
Doctor of Public Health Achievement Award: Tebitha Mawokomatanda
Mawokomatanda has demonstrated exceptional dedication to both her academic studies and her professional work in public health. She has successfully completed her doctoral coursework and comprehensive exams and is currently working on her dissertation.
Alongside her doctoral studies, Mawokomatanda serves as a Health Scientist and Data Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, within the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Diane Caves Memorial Award: Tristin Chipman
Chipman is dedicated to expanding her impact on the health and well-being of transgender and gender-expansive communities, building on her work as a licensed clinical social worker. She is part of the NIH-funded A-PREVENT T32 fellowship and the NIH R25 Deep South Academic Scholars in Health.
Her research contributions include multiple first-author manuscripts, national and international presentations and innovative studies addressing barriers to sexual and gender minority student participation in campus mindfulness programs.
The 2026 scholarship recipients are listed below:
Rhodes Haverty Scholarship: Ayan Farah
Judith Ottoson Scholarship: Emike Asekomhe, Jessica Gayle-White
Kreuter Katz Family Scholarship: Ameera Stafford, Rejji Kolade
School of Public Health DePasquale Scholarship: Brandy Arriola Robinson, Amari Fraser
School of Public Health Endowed Scholarship: Julianna Capobianco, Shaman Mark
SPH Board of Advisors Endowed Scholarship: Mekayla Watson
SPH Future Leaders Endowed Scholarship Fund: Catalina Gomez, Alexus Parker
Weed Family School of Public Health Scholarship: Auri Jenkins
Women’s Philanthropy Network Scholarship in Public Health in Honor of President Becker: Milan Lawrence, Kaila Simmons
Scott to State Scholarship: Mariama Konneh
The 2026 Applied Practice Award winners are listed below:
Applied Practice Experience Preceptor of the Year Award: Nicole Mullican
Applied Practice Experience Site of the Year Award: Scrub Life Cares
For more information about the award recipients, visit https://publichealth.gsu.edu/student-awards-scholarships/