RCHI inducts faculty, students, alumni into Delta Omega Honorary Society

(COLLEGE STATION, TX) The Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health inducted one honorary member, two faculty, eight students and seven alumni into the local Alpha Tau chapter of the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health on May 16 at a reception. The ceremony took place at the HSC-SRPH Administration Building, located at the intersection of University Drive and Adriance Road.

The Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health was founded in 1924 at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health as the honorary society for graduate studies in public health. Honorary members are those possessing exceptional qualifications and having attained meritorious national or international distinction in the field of public health. Faculty members are nominated for outstanding performance in teaching and research, while students are chosen for scholarly performance. Alumni are nominated for actively engaging in public health work.

“While scholarly performance is a key ingredient of the formula for selection for induction into the honor society, it’s really the faculty member’s or student’s contribution to the practice of public health that leads them to be singled out for recognition,” said Craig Blakely, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate dean for academic affairs at HSC-SRPH and Alpha Tao chapter chair. “These are all colleagues who have already made visible contributions to our field. We are both proud of those contributions and excited about the career paths they are likely to follow.”

Vincent Fonseca, M.D., M.P.H., state epidemiologist at the Texas Department of State Health Services, was inducted as an honorary member. Catherine Hawes, Ph.D., and Marcia Ory, Ph.D., M.P.H., Regents Professors at the HSC-SRPH, were inducted as faculty members. Student members are Mu-chieh Chen, M.P.H.; Yin Wa Lau, M.P.H.; Jennifer Lyons, M.H.A.; Christy Ramirez, M.P.H.; Sandhya Sanghi, M.P.H.; Stacey Taylor, M.H.A.; Anh-Dao Tran, M.P.H.; and Jeannie Yoon, M.P.H. Alumni inductees are Barbara Adams, M.P.H.; Crystal Crowell, M.P.H.; Martha Felini, M.P.H.; Warren Robicheaux, M.H.A.; Denise Blevins Scott, M.P.H.; Elizabeth Tagle, M.P.H.; and Joseph Tiago, M.P.H.

The Texas A&M Health Science Center provides the state with health education, outreach and research. Its seven colleges located in communities throughout Texas are Baylor College of Dentistry, the College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Institute of Biosciences and Technology, the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy and the School of Rural Public Health.