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2011 SOPHE Award WinnersJoin us in congratulating these outstanding individuals and programs throughout the conferenceand during SOPHE’s Gala Awards Celebration on Saturday evening, October 29.DISTINGUISHED FELLOW AWARDThis award is the highest recognition given by the Societyand honors members who have made significant and lastingcontributions to SOPHE and the health education field.2011 Distinguished FellowLeonard Jack, Jr., PhD, MSc, CHESDr. Leonard Jack, Jr., serves as Director, Centerfor Minority Health, Health Disparities, Researchand Education; Endowed Chair of MinorityHealth Disparities; Professor in the Division ofClinical and Administrative Services, College of Pharmacy;and Chair and Professor of Public Health Sciences at XavierUniversity of Louisiana. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Jackheld the Jim Finks Endowed Chair of Health Promotion andwas Professor of Behavioral and Community Health Sciencesat the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center’sSchool of Public Health. Dr. Jack also served as AssociateDean (the Dean) of the School of Health Sciences andInterim Chair, Department of Behavioral and EnvironmentalSciences at Jackson State University. He worked for 14 yearsat the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wherehe served as Team Leader of Applied Behavioral Research,Epidemiology, and Evaluation; and Chief of CommunityIntervention in the Division of Diabetes Translation. His areasof research and public health practice include: psychosocialaspects of disease management, health disparities,men’s health, family, and community-based research.Dr. Jack has several years of teaching experience and has heldnumerous research/professional positions. He has deliveredover 95 professional presentations and published over 80peer-reviewed publications and or book chapters. He serveson several editorial boards of peer-reviewed journals andis Editor-in-Chief of the Health Promotion Practice Journal.Dr. Jack is Editor and contributing author of his recentlypublished book, “Diabetes in Black America: Public Healthand Clinical Solutions to a National Crisis”. He also servedas Editor of the National Commission for Health EducationCredentialing study guide, The Health Education Specialists:A Companion Guide for Professional Excellence, 6th Edition.HONORARY FELLOW AWARDThe SOPHE Honorary Fellow Award is SOPHE’s highestrecognition to a non-member who has made significant andlasting contributions to health education and public health.2011 HONORARY FELLOWsFirst Lady Michelle ObamaSince 2010, Mrs. Obama has led the national “Let’sMove” campaign to improve the health and fitnessof America’s children. The campaign has galvanizedhealth, human service, transportation, civic,business, media and other sectors both within and outside ofgovernment to tackle the problem of childhood obesity throughimproved nutrition and physical activity opportunities. TheFirst Lady’s leadership highlights the critical social, educational,environmental and other determinants that affect the healthof our nation’s youngest citizens and future workforce.James O. Prochaska, PhDDr. James Prochaska, Director of the Universityof Rhode Island Cancer Research Center, isrecognized as SOPHE’s 2011 Honorary Fellow forhis lifetime of achievements in improving thetheoretical base of the health education field. Dr. Prochaskapioneered the Transtheoretical Model, which outlines stagesof readiness for health behavior change. Now more thanthree decades old, the model is arguably one of the mostwidely applied in health education research and practice.HEALTH EDUCATION MENTOR AWARDThe award recognizes an individual in an academic or practicesetting that has made a significant contribution to thepreparation and/or performance of health educators and hassuccessfully forged the link between research and practice.Collins O. Airhihenbuwa, PhD, MPHDr. Airhihenbuwa, Professor at the PennsylvaniaState University, Department of BiobehavioralHealth, is a well-respected professional whohas solidified his reputation, nationally andinternationally, as a top scholar in his field for more than 25years. Often going above and beyond to exceed expectations,he has made his mark in some of the most pressing andcomplex areas of public health concern facing today’s societies.Few have the unique combination of skills and experience orare as adept at building the networks necessary to do globalhealth work. As an international leader, Dr. Airhihenbuwahas focused his work on HIV/AIDS in Africa through research,teaching, capacity building, and direct service. His work withthe World Health Organization, U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment, and other international bodies has beenhighly recognized for its innovativeness and has helpedlead ongoing support to reduce HIV/AIDS on the continent.Dr. Airhihenbuwa’s commitment to excellence makes himsomeone others would like to follow. His students characterizehim as a knowledgeable, supportive, and challenging rolemodel. Students and professionals speak of his ability to bereachable, attentive, current, optimistic, patient, encouraging,competent, fair and sensitive. To date, he has served as chairof ten masters theses and fifteen doctoral dissertations.Dr. Airhihenbuwa has received numerous, well-deservedhonors and awards throughout his career, including 1998Scholar of the American Association of Health Education,the 2001 Symbol of HOPE Award of the American Journal ofHealth Promotion, the 2006 W. LaMarr Kopp InternationalAchievement Award from Penn State, the 2006 David SatcherAward for Leadership in Reducing Health Disparities andImproving Health Promotion and Education Programsand the 2007 SOPHE Distinguished Fellow Award. Onenominator writes of Dr. Airhihenbuwa, “Professionally he isvery strong, and as a human-being he has helped to shapemany at the institutional, community, and individual level.”SOPHE 62nd Annual Meeting3