Faculty to be Honored at APHA’s Annual Meeting

Two faculty members from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health are being recognized for their achievments at the upcoming meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Andrea Gielen, ScD ‘89, ScM ‘79, professor of in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Behavior and Society and director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy in the Department of Health, Policy and Management, will receive APHA’s Award for Excellence. The Award for Excellence is given each year to a living individual in recognition of his or her exceptionally meritorious contribution to the improvement of health of the people. It honors creative work of particular effectiveness in applying scientific knowledge or innovative organizational work to the betterment of community health.  Individuals nominated for the award have made significant and well-recognized contributions to the improvement of public health.

Gielen's research interests are in the development and evaluation of community- and clinic-based programs that address health behavior problems affecting women and children, primarily among low-income families in urban areas. The application of behavioral sciences to childhood injury control and domestic violence prevention programs, and the relationship between violence and HIV risk are areas of special focus.

Jon Vernick, JD, MPH ‘94, associate professor and associate chair in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, will be honored by APHA's Injury Control and Emergency Health Services Section (ICEHS) with their 2013 Individual Public Service Award. The ICEHS of the APHA works to advance the field of injury control, violence prevention, emergency health services and emergency preparedness. 

Vernick's work has concentrated on ways in which the law and legal interventions can improve the public's health.  He is particularly interested in epidemiology, policy, legal, and ethical issues associated with firearm and motor vehicle injuries.  He has also examined aspects of numerous other public health issues including tobacco control, preparedness, and health advocacy. He is committed to graduate education, serving as an associate chair of the Bloomberg School's MPH Program.

Both awards will be presented at APHA's annual meeting to be held in Boston, Mass., November 2 through 6.

Department of Health Policy and Management contact: Susan Murrow at 410-955-7624 or smurrow@jhsph.edu.

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health media contact: Tim Parsons at 410-955-7619 or tmparson@jhsph.edu.