The following public health students are highlighted for outstanding achievement. They were nominated by their professors.
Jenna Smith—MPH Student of the Year
Emphasis: MPH
Jenna Smith is heavily involved in the MPH program and served on the MPH curriculum committee. Smith also helped several global non-profits with research over the past four years. Additionally, she earned a certificate in global health, received CHES and CPH certifications and was the BYU College of Life Sciences’ featured graduate student for the 2020-2021 school year. As Dr. Ali Crandall put it, Smith “does it all.” Smith is now working for the Grameen Foundation.
Gwen Kleinhenz—Outstanding MPH Student Service Achievement
Emphasis: MPH
As a recipient of this award, Gwen Kleinhenz has developed lifelong relationships with her professors and members of her cohort. She cares deeply about public health and brings energy and enthusiasm to her classes. Kleinhenz worked as a research assistant and helped lead the diversity and inclusion committee alongside Dr. Jeff Glenn.
Rebekah Stewart—Outstanding MPH Student Service Achievement
Emphasis: MPH
Rebekah Stewart shows her dedication to public health in and outside of the classroom. She serves on the MPH curriculum committee and is involved in multiple community projects. As a recipient of this award, Stewart finds ways to serve within the MPH program and in her local community.
Ashley Johnson—Teaching Assistant of the Year
Emphasis: Health Science
Not only did Ashley Johnson fulfill the needs of students and professors, she anticipated them. She could be trusted with any task and went above and beyond when assisting students. Dr. Ali Crandall says that despite having many great teacher assistants in the past, Johnson has been the best. Her fierce dependability and ability to exceed expectations set her apart from the rest.
Tien Duong Vo—Research Assistant of the Year
Emphasis: Health Science
Tien Duong Vo came up with her own research idea for a project that she has worked on for the past two years. She has presented at a national conference and will have four publications at the end of her project. Duong Vo was a teacher assistant for CHEM 106, MMBIO 121 and HLTH 314. Professors describe her as “bright, creative, driven, consistent and engaged.” She worked as Dr. Lori Spruance’s research assistant for two years and–according to Spruance–Duong Vo “outperformed any RA [she’s] worked with.” Duong Vo will start medical school in the fall with hopes of continuing her involvement in research and public health.
Jessica Blotter—Outstanding Community Service Achievement
Emphasis: Health Science
Jessica Blotter enriches the lives of community members through the service she offers at BYU and elsewhere. She was the service coordinator for the BYU Public Health Association (BPHA) and volunteers for Days for Girls. With her service at Days for Girls, Jessica hopes to help mitigate period poverty in Utah. As a recent graduate, Jessica is currently interning in Ghana and plans to go to PA school.
Maggie Scribner—Outstanding University Service Achievement
Emphasis: Health Science
Maggie Scribner enriches the lives of students and faculty by getting to know them on a personal level. As BPHA president, she leads other students and plans great events for them. Scribner is consistent in her service and her passion for public health fuels her learning. This year, Scribner hopes to complete an honors thesis on the barriers faced by minority populations in healthcare. After graduating, Scribner plans on becoming a PA.
Scott Herrod—Health Science Student of the Year
Emphasis: Health Science
Scott Herrod is published as first author in two academic medical journals and has presented at international conferences. Herrod was also awarded the student research award from the Society for Pediatric Research and received a CURA research grant. Additionally, he received an undergraduate research award in the chemistry/biochemistry department on two occasions.
Lucas Pettit—EOH Student of the Year
Emphasis: Environment/Occupational Health
Lucas Pettit’s high GPA not only shows his academic success, but also his desire to learn. Pettit’s professors say that his innate curiosity to understand the world drives his learning. As a dedicated research assistant, Pettit has worked on multiple projects that require complex epidemiological and statistical methods. He is currently interning with Intermountain WorkMed and was recently accepted into the University of Utah’s occupational health master’s program, which he will begin in the Fall of 2023.
Amanda Pugh—Health Promotion Student of the Year
Emphasis: Health Promotion
As a HLTH 314 teacher assistant of three years, Amanda Pugh has improved the students’ course experience. Pugh also completed two capstone projects--one for health promotion (“LGBTQ Vaping Rates in Utah County”) and one for global women's studies (“How Bias Affects the Embodied Understanding of Menopause”). This Spring and Summer, Pugh will participate in the BYU Washington Seminar. She will intern with a non-profit organization that provides free dental services for older and disabled adults on Medicare.
Seth Otto—Epidemiology Student of the Year
Emphasis: Epidemiology
This year, Seth Otto won the poster competition for both the Gerontology Conference and the Fulton Conference poster competition. He also helped publish a study called "Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening According to Health Professional Counseling and Age in the United States." Along with his many achievements, Otto devoted his time as a teacher assistant for HLTH 313. Otto will be pursuing a master’s degree in biostatistics at the University of Utah this fall.
Alyssa Dvorak—Intern of the Year
Emphasis: Health Promotion
For her senior capstone, Alyssa Dvorak partnered with the Utah County Department of Health. Additionally, Dvorak gained exposure to global health and international development as an Haiti Health Initiative intern. For example, she “wrote a scoping review manuscript on preeclampsia and eclampsia in Haitian women.” Dvorak’s supervisor said she demonstrated "great humility, communication skills and dependability.”
Inga Flint-Jones—Intern of the Year
Emphasis: Health Promotion
Inga Flint-Jones’ road to graduation was far from easy. She is a convert to the church and an immigrant from Russia who began her BYU degree as a widowed parent with three children. In total, Flint-Jones finished her degree in 15 years, and–along the way–married again and had two more children. The love and support of those around her helped Flint-Jones complete this accomplishment. This year, Flint-Jones interned at the Provo Municipal Airport. Her supervisor says, "her work on this internship will have a greater impact on more people than any other internship served by a BYU student this year!" Flint-Jones encourages “students of all backgrounds to never give up.”
Rachel Lafitaga—Intern of the Year
Emphasis: Health Science
Rachel Lafitaga applied lessons from the classroom to her internship as a contact tracer with the Utah State Department of Health. Being a public health student during the Covid-19 pandemic taught her valuable lessons. Lafitaga’s supervisor says Rachel “can be trusted with new projects and does everything well.”
