Department of Anthropology's 2022 Awards in Sociomedical Sciences
Congratulations to the Award Recipients!
Jillian DeMaria was given the Rose-Marie Chierici Award in Sociomedical Sciences.
Former Chair of the Department of Anthropology at SUNY Geneseo, in 1996 Dr. Rose-Marie Chierici created project H.O.P.E. in Borgne, Haiti, a development project that supports “Haitian Solutions for Haitian Problems”. This organization is an exemplary model for a community-focused and sustainable development program. Their work building hospitals and mobile clinics has been recognized by organizations such as Doctor’s Without Borders. The Rose-Marie Chierici award in Sociomedical Sciences goes to a student with a demonstrated commitment to taking their skills and knowledge into the world to enact positive change. Jillian demonstrated, from their very first year at Geneseo, a desire to pursue learning opportunities outside of the classroom, including a two-year summer internship at the Wyoming County Health Department. Jillian will spend a year working in an underserved community with the City Year Program before pursuing graduate school in public health.
Emily Lumbis was given the Nancy Krieger Award in Sociomedical Sciences and Public Health.
Nancy Krieger is an epidemiologist whose groundbreaking research focuses on the relationship between racism, social class, and health in the United States. The Nancy Krieger Award in Sociomedical Sciences and Public Health is given to a student who demonstrates a commitment to public health and health equity. Emily has studied the ways in which doctor-patient interactions impact patients' healthcare experiences and they will be beginning Columbia University's Master of Public Health program in the Fall.
Maya Nunez was given the Leith Mullings Award in Sociomedical Sciences and Social Justice.
Leith Mullings was a Jamaican-born anthropologist involved in organizing for progressive social justice, racial equality and economic justice. Her research and writing focused on structures of inequality and resistance to those structures in New York City. The Leith Mullings Award in Sociomedical Sciences and Social Justice is given to a graduating senior in sociomedical sciences who demonstrates a strong commitment to social justice. Maya's capstone research project "How Socioeconomic and Racial Tensions as a Result of Gentrification Impact Minority Health and Well-Being in New York City" examines several of the same issues that Mullings herself studied, and they will be beginning a Master's program in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University this Fall.
Allison Panaro was given the Paul Farmer Award in Sociomedical Sciences.
Paul Farmer was an American medical anthropologist and physician whose commitment to the fields of both anthropology and medicine led him to pioneer novel community-based treatment strategies in resource-poor settings in the U.S. and globally, demonstrating that access to high quality healthcare, rather than culture, contributes to health inequality. The Paul Farmer Award in Sociomedical Sciences is given to a student who demonstrates a strong commitment to both the allied health fields and to the field of anthropology. Allie was also awarded the Women's and Gender Studies Christine de Pizan Award for their capstone paper "The Influence of Patient-Provider Experiences on College Women’s Health Outcomes in New York State" and she is currently applying for a New York State Public Health Corps Fellowship.
Abigail Cuyler was given the Outstanding Research in Sociomedical Sciences award.
The Outstanding Research in Sociomedical Sciences Award is awarded to a student who demonstrates a strong commitment to research and scholarship. This year's recipient completed a capstone research project titled "Contraception Use, Access, and Education Among College Students in Western New York" for which they adeptly employed mixed qualitative and quantitative methods and wrote an excellent paper highlighting barriers to contraceptive knowledge and access among college students. After graduation Abby will be starting a position as a school-based case manager at a therapeutic day school in Cincinnati, Ohio.