Kansas City, Missouri
NEHA/AAS Scholarships NEHA and AAS recognize the importance of formal education in preparing environ- mental health professionals for successful careers and continued professional growth. Supporting students pursuing undergrad- uate and graduate education is an invest- ment in the future of the environmental health workforce. Thanks to the generous contributions of our members, we awarded $14,000 in scholarships in 2026. The fol- lowing scholarships were presented to support students as they continue their education and prepare to make a difference in the environmental health profession: Dr. Sheila Davidson Pressley Undergrad- uate Environmental Health Scholarship Waynijah Kuykendall University of Georgia, Athens Dr. Carolyn Hester Harvey Undergradu- ate Environmental Health Scholarship Emerie McCann University of Texas, Austin Environmental Health Graduate Scholarship Jennifer Dobson Indiana University, Indianapolis NEPHIP and CEP AEC Travel Awards The National Environmental Public Health Internship Program (NEPHIP) and Career Exploration Program (CEP) provided travel awards for 20 former interns to attend the 2026 AEC. Macdonald Aloh Yasmin Chouaf Amoya Dixon
mental health jurisdictions for excellence and innovation in food protection. Meck- lenburg County Environmental Health received this year’s award for its commit- ment to improving food safety through data-driven practices, workforce train- ing, and effective regulatory programs. Notable achievements include advanc- ing compliance with FDA Retail Program Standards, using data to identify food safety risks and guide interventions, and developing an innovative dashboard to track staff training and improve inspec- tion consistency. The department was also recognized for its leadership in envi- ronmental health training and for devel- oping practices that other jurisdictions can adopt to strengthen their food pro- tection programs. The Crumbine Award is supported by the Conference for Food Protection, in cooperation with the American Academy of Sanitarians, American Public Health Association, Association of Food and Drug Officials, Food Marketing Institute, Food - service Packaging Institute, International Association for Food Protection, National Association of County and City Health Officials, National Environmental Health Association, National Restaurant Associa- tion, NSF, and UL. Student Research Competition The Student Research Competition is a chance for undergraduate and gradu- ate students from an accredited environ- mental health program to showcase their research projects. Winners are given the opportunity to present their research at a dedicated AEC session, as well as display a poster in our Poster Session. Representatives from Mecklenburg County Environmental Health were honored with the Crumbine Award by representatives of last year’s winners from Pima County Health Department.
Undergraduate: 1st Place Winner Amelia Ennis and Abbie Gorsage Illinois State University Project: Bloomington–Normal Community Air Research and Education Project Graduate: 1st Place Winner Jimmy Jackson Dimpor University of Utah Project: Municipal Wastewater Effluent Drives PFAS Mixture Composition and Downstream Contamination in Hydrologi- cally Connected Surface Waters Uniformed Services Awards The Environmental Health Officer Profes - sional Advisory Committee awards recog- nize U.S. Public Health Service officers for exceptional accomplishments in environ- mental health practice, leadership, men- torship, response, and service. John G. Todd Award CAPT Bryan Christensen Edward (Ted) Moran Award LCDR Sarah Hughes Thomas E. Crow Mentor Award CDR Candis M. Hunter Kelly M. Taylor Environmental Health Jimmy Jackson Dimpor (left), Amelia Ennis (middle), and Abbie Gorsage (right) were recognized at the Student Excellence Reception as the winners of this year’s Student Research Competition.
Charlie McFee Olivia Nelson Elizabeth Newman Kiana Porter Rosemary Sampson Arlyn Santiago Adama Sanyang Maahi Soni Lisa Stutzman Cassandra Tihpen
Samiah Elgazzar Christina Flores Meghan Gray-White Emory Hoelscher-Hull Alexandra Holmes Jack Larsen Sherone Lloyd
Champion Award CDR Molly Madson John C. Eason Award LT Emma Rary Responder of the Year Award LCDR Justin Bunn Volunteer of the Year Award LCDR Christina Waters
Samuel J. Crumbine Consumer Protection Award Mecklenburg County Environmental Health, North Carolina The Samuel J. Crumbine Consumer Pro- tection Award recognizes local environ-
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November 2026 • Journal of Environmental Health
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