TODAY news for Thursday, July 20, 2006
School of Public Health news
School of Public Health awards students, faculty, and alumni
Public health students had more than one reason to celebrate during graduation weekend. In addition to approximately 100 students receiving either master’s or doctoral degrees from the School of Public Health, scores of students also received scholarships and awards during a formal banquet Saturday night, June 10.
The large banquet room at Wong Kerlee International Conference Center was filled with faculty, students, and their families celebrating their achievements.
“This event gives the faculty an opportunity to recognize our students who have worked diligently over the year to make a difference in peoples’ lives across the globe,” says Michael Conner, EdS, associate dean for student services in the School of Public Heath. “Hearing about their accomplishments is inspiring to both students and faculty.”
The School of Public Health gave awards to numerous students, both graduates and students still working toward their degrees. (See end of story for list of scholarships and awards.)
In addition to students, several faculty also received awards, and the School recognized its Alumni of the Year.
The School presented the Distinguished Service Award to Susanne Montgomery, PhD, MPH, associate dean for academic affairs, School of Public Health.
David Dyjack, DrPH, received the Faculty Research Award. He is the associate dean for public health practice in the School of Public Health.
Several School of Public Health Student Association Awards 
were also given. The P. William Dysinger Excellence in Teaching Award was presented to Larry Beeson, DrPH, associate professor, department of epidemiology and biostatistics, and to Lee Berk, DrPH, associate professor, department of health promotion and education. Dr. Beeson also received the Charlie Liu Award. The Ruth White Award was given to Fayomi Agboola, president of the School of Public Health student association.
The Alumni of the Year Award was given to Ella Haddad, DrPH.
Dr. Haddad is an associate professor in the School of Public Health’s department of nutrition, where she has served for 20 years.
In that time, she has demonstrated, according to her colleagues, the “highest qualities of service, achievement of ideals, and superior professional activities.” They explain, “In a society that applauds extremes and evaluates so-called experts by the narrowness of their specializations, Dr. Haddad presents a striking contrast. She is a well-rounded person in the tradition of a renaissance woman. Not only does she have a wide breadth of knowledge, she also embodies the virtues of a Christian professional.”
Upon arriving in the United States from her home country of Lebanon, Dr. Haddad worked at White Memorial Hospital as a therapeutic dietitian. In 1966, she returned to Beirut to teach at Middle East College. Until 1989 she worked between Loma Linda University, Middle East College, and the American University of Beirut. She graduated from Loma Linda University School of Public Health in 1978.
In 1989, Dr. Haddad made her permanent home in the United States to be a professional educator, researcher, and community volunteer at Loma Linda.
Dr. Haddad is in demand to speak at churches and community meetings. Furthermore, she has participated in nutrition counseling and education at the SAC–Norton clinic and has taught vegetarian cooking classes at various churches and community events. She is also very visible working alongside her students at community health fairs.
Currently, Dr. Haddad is leading the initiative to produce weekly half-hour health and nutrition television programming for LLBN to broadcast throughout much of the world. She participated in the design and release of the Vegetarian Food Guide Pyramid that was introduced at the Third International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition. And she was the primary architect for the community nutrition materials that are available through the nutrition department web pages.
To her family and friends, Dr. Haddad is famous for her gourmet kitchen. She also enjoys cycling, reading, listening to music, following the daily news, and traveling. Her favorite activity is tending her flower garden. Her travels have taken her as far north as the arctic circle in Alaska and as far south as the Republic of South Africa.
Renate Krause, PhD, contributed extensively to this report.
Wil Alexander Whole Person Care Award
Michael Mashni
Ann Stromberg
Becky Bushman Memorial School of Public Health Scholarship
Michael Mashni
Melissa Sykes
Chancellor’s Award
Daniel Handysides
Robert and Zaida Cordero-MacIntyre School of Public Health Scholarship
Alberto Rojas
Hulda Crooks School of Public Health Scholarship
Melissa Adamson
Maxine Newell
Julie Schaepper
Dean’s Award
Michael Mashni
Micheline Vargas
Willard and Irene Humpal Award
Wendi Kannenberg
Delta Omega Honor Society
Melissa Adamson
Alexis Deavenport
Christian Erickson
Dominique Fradin-Read
Jevon McFadden
Beena Nair
James Neergaard
Keiji Oda
Anne Peterson
Talitha Sanvik
Bob and Ruth Hervig School of Public Health Scholarship
Jared Vogt
Selma Andrews Award
Godwin Aja
Jennifer Batoon
Jacquelyn Harper
Angelica Herrera
Minzah Malik
Natalie Martinez
Linda Nguyen
Catherine Oliveros
Anamika Pandya
Youngeun Park
Aileen Tareg
Christine Tedjasukmana
Kara Zografos
Traineeship Award
Beth Asano
Sarah Bang
Jennifer Batoon
Johan Byssainthe
Maria Castillo
Corinne Curl-Melendez
Stewart Curtis
John Cuyugan
Amber Foisy
Jonathan Francisco
Sarah Hess
Esther Iverson
Amandeep Kalsi
Rosalee Kamper
Pearly Karunakaran
Shaun Larsen
Gina Lupo
Erin Maynard
Jerry Neria
Ani Oganesyan
Talitha Sanvik
Anna Belle Supit
Christine Tedjasukmana
Mihaela Velicescu
Gissela Villarruel
Karen Wright
Department awards
Department of global health
Excellence in Global Health Scholarship
Patrice Esser
Department of environmental and occupational health
Environmental and Occupational Health Department Scholarship
Stewart Curtis
Excellence in Geoinformatic Studies
Mohamed Ismail
Ralph Peterson
Department of epidemiology and biostatistics
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department Scholarship
James Adams
Daniel Cho
Keiji Oda
Department of health administration
Lynna S. Belin Health Administration Scholarship
Edward Martin
Phil S. Carney Jr. Health Administration Scholarship
Erik Rodriguez
Jere and Marian Chrispens Health Administration Scholarship
Adam Moore
C. Joan Coggin Health Administration Scholarship
Johann Ramirez
Wilton L. Halverson Health Administration Scholarship
Beena Nair
Gladys Hewes Health Administration Scholarship
Dora Barilla
Alexander and Maria Kirk Health Administration Scholarship
Michael Mashni
Ann C. Lee Health Administration Scholarship
Michael Mashni
Ron and Madge Oh Health Administration Scholarship
Melissa Sykes
Sylvia Ram Memorial Scholarship
Essence Carmichael
Teri S. Tamayose Health Administration Scholarship
Gerhard (Tim) Wolff
Department of health promotion and education
Glen Blix Award for Excellence in Preventive Care
Judi Nightingale
DrPH Health Education Scholarship
Maxine Newell
Devan Romero
Gerken-Neish Scholarship
Maxine Newell
Master of Public Health Scholarship
Sanam Kazemi
Wiesseman Scholarship
Yen Ang
By Heather Reifsnyder
Ella Haddad, DrPH, receives her Alumni of the Year Award and a large bouquet of flowers from James Kyle II, MD, MDiv, dean of the School of Public Health, during the banquet June 10. Dr. Haddad was also honored during commencement the next day.
The large banquet room at Wong Kerlee International Conference Center was filled with faculty, students, and their families celebrating their achievements.
“This event gives the faculty an opportunity to recognize our students who have worked diligently over the year to make a difference in peoples’ lives across the globe,” says Michael Conner, EdS, associate dean for student services in the School of Public Heath. “Hearing about their accomplishments is inspiring to both students and faculty.”
The School of Public Health gave awards to numerous students, both graduates and students still working toward their degrees. (See end of story for list of scholarships and awards.)
In addition to students, several faculty also received awards, and the School recognized its Alumni of the Year.
The School presented the Distinguished Service Award to Susanne Montgomery, PhD, MPH, associate dean for academic affairs, School of Public Health.
David Dyjack, DrPH, received the Faculty Research Award. He is the associate dean for public health practice in the School of Public Health.
Several School of Public Health Student Association Awards
Yen Ang was accompanied to the banquet by her husband, See-Wei Toh, and their daughter. Ms. Ang received the Wiesseman Scholarship from the department of health promotion and education.
The Alumni of the Year Award was given to Ella Haddad, DrPH.
Dr. Haddad is an associate professor in the School of Public Health’s department of nutrition, where she has served for 20 years.
In that time, she has demonstrated, according to her colleagues, the “highest qualities of service, achievement of ideals, and superior professional activities.” They explain, “In a society that applauds extremes and evaluates so-called experts by the narrowness of their specializations, Dr. Haddad presents a striking contrast. She is a well-rounded person in the tradition of a renaissance woman. Not only does she have a wide breadth of knowledge, she also embodies the virtues of a Christian professional.”
Upon arriving in the United States from her home country of Lebanon, Dr. Haddad worked at White Memorial Hospital as a therapeutic dietitian. In 1966, she returned to Beirut to teach at Middle East College. Until 1989 she worked between Loma Linda University, Middle East College, and the American University of Beirut. She graduated from Loma Linda University School of Public Health in 1978.
In 1989, Dr. Haddad made her permanent home in the United States to be a professional educator, researcher, and community volunteer at Loma Linda.
Dr. Haddad is in demand to speak at churches and community meetings. Furthermore, she has participated in nutrition counseling and education at the SAC–Norton clinic and has taught vegetarian cooking classes at various churches and community events. She is also very visible working alongside her students at community health fairs.
Currently, Dr. Haddad is leading the initiative to produce weekly half-hour health and nutrition television programming for LLBN to broadcast throughout much of the world. She participated in the design and release of the Vegetarian Food Guide Pyramid that was introduced at the Third International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition. And she was the primary architect for the community nutrition materials that are available through the nutrition department web pages.
To her family and friends, Dr. Haddad is famous for her gourmet kitchen. She also enjoys cycling, reading, listening to music, following the daily news, and traveling. Her favorite activity is tending her flower garden. Her travels have taken her as far north as the arctic circle in Alaska and as far south as the Republic of South Africa.
Renate Krause, PhD, contributed extensively to this report.
Award winners
School-wide awards
School-wide awards
Wil Alexander Whole Person Care Award
Michael Mashni
Ann Stromberg
Becky Bushman Memorial School of Public Health Scholarship
Michael Mashni
Melissa Sykes
Chancellor’s Award
Daniel Handysides
Robert and Zaida Cordero-MacIntyre School of Public Health Scholarship
Alberto Rojas
Hulda Crooks School of Public Health Scholarship
Melissa Adamson
Maxine Newell
Julie Schaepper
Dean’s Award
Michael Mashni
Micheline Vargas
Willard and Irene Humpal Award
Wendi Kannenberg
Delta Omega Honor Society
Melissa Adamson
Alexis Deavenport
Christian Erickson
Dominique Fradin-Read
Jevon McFadden
Beena Nair
James Neergaard
Keiji Oda
Anne Peterson
Talitha Sanvik
Bob and Ruth Hervig School of Public Health Scholarship
Jared Vogt
Selma Andrews Award
Godwin Aja
Jennifer Batoon
Jacquelyn Harper
Angelica Herrera
Minzah Malik
Natalie Martinez
Linda Nguyen
Catherine Oliveros
Anamika Pandya
Youngeun Park
Aileen Tareg
Christine Tedjasukmana
Kara Zografos
Traineeship Award
Beth Asano
Sarah Bang
Jennifer Batoon
Johan Byssainthe
Maria Castillo
Corinne Curl-Melendez
Stewart Curtis
John Cuyugan
Amber Foisy
Jonathan Francisco
Sarah Hess
Esther Iverson
Amandeep Kalsi
Rosalee Kamper
Pearly Karunakaran
Shaun Larsen
Gina Lupo
Erin Maynard
Jerry Neria
Ani Oganesyan
Talitha Sanvik
Anna Belle Supit
Christine Tedjasukmana
Mihaela Velicescu
Gissela Villarruel
Karen Wright
Department awards
Department of global health
Excellence in Global Health Scholarship
Patrice Esser
Department of environmental and occupational health
Environmental and Occupational Health Department Scholarship
Stewart Curtis
Excellence in Geoinformatic Studies
Mohamed Ismail
Ralph Peterson
Department of epidemiology and biostatistics
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department Scholarship
James Adams
Daniel Cho
Keiji Oda
Department of health administration
Lynna S. Belin Health Administration Scholarship
Edward Martin
Phil S. Carney Jr. Health Administration Scholarship
Erik Rodriguez
Jere and Marian Chrispens Health Administration Scholarship
Adam Moore
C. Joan Coggin Health Administration Scholarship
Johann Ramirez
Wilton L. Halverson Health Administration Scholarship
Beena Nair
Gladys Hewes Health Administration Scholarship
Dora Barilla
Alexander and Maria Kirk Health Administration Scholarship
Michael Mashni
Ann C. Lee Health Administration Scholarship
Michael Mashni
Ron and Madge Oh Health Administration Scholarship
Melissa Sykes
Sylvia Ram Memorial Scholarship
Essence Carmichael
Teri S. Tamayose Health Administration Scholarship
Gerhard (Tim) Wolff
Department of health promotion and education
Glen Blix Award for Excellence in Preventive Care
Judi Nightingale
DrPH Health Education Scholarship
Maxine Newell
Devan Romero
Gerken-Neish Scholarship
Maxine Newell
Master of Public Health Scholarship
Sanam Kazemi
Wiesseman Scholarship
Yen Ang
By Heather Reifsnyder
TODAY news for Thursday, July 20, 2006