That spirit was reflected at the 2025 Alumni Reception, where the Department of Public Health Sciences celebrated graduates and partners advancing population health through research, education, and innovation. The evening highlighted how leadership across academia, philanthropy, and practice translates ideas into measurable impact.

Honoring a Distinguished Alumnus

During the ceremony, Kathryn E. McCollister, Ph.D., interim chair of the Department, presented the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award to Alberto Caban-Martinez, Ph.D., D.O., M.P.H., professor of public health sciences, vice chair for research, deputy director of the Sylvester Firefighter Cancer Initiative, and associate vice provost for research integrity, regulatory affairs, and assessment at the Miller School of Medicine.

In her remarks, Dr. McCollister described the award as the Department’s highest honor, recognizing alumni who advance science, lead institutions, mentor emerging professionals, and improve community health.

A graduate of the Ph.D. program in Epidemiology, Dr. Caban-Martinez founded the Public Health Student Association and established the University’s Delta Omega Honor Society chapter, both of which continue to foster scholarship and service within the Department. He also helped form the Public Health Alumni Association in 2011, which strengthens engagement among graduates, students, and faculty.

Dr. McCollister commended his leadership in occupational and environmental health research and his ability to unite teams across disciplines to address workplace exposures, cancer prevention, and health equity. “Alberto has led with vision and purpose, demonstrating how collaboration and mentorship can transform public health practice,” she said.

Reflections on Mentorship and Community

In accepting the award, Dr. Caban-Martinez expressed gratitude to the mentors and colleagues who shaped his career and the Department’s collaborative culture. He recalled his early years at the Miller School, when he worked with faculty such as Dr. McCollister and Dr. John Beier to amplify student voices and expand professional development opportunities.

He spoke about the importance of action and involvement. “Take a challenge. Get up. Don’t be shy. Don’t be afraid to feel,” he told students and alumni. “We’re always here to support you.”

Dr. Caban-Martinez also recognized the essential role of staff in supporting faculty and student success, emphasizing that progress in public health depends on teamwork at every level.

Advancing Equity Through Partnership

The keynote address was delivered by Loreen Chant, president and CEO of the Health Foundation of South Florida, who discussed the foundation’s mission to reduce health disparities and improve well-being through strategic, community-based investment.

Chant outlined how the foundation, one of the region’s largest organizations dedicated solely to health, focuses on addressing social determinants such as access to care, food and housing security, and economic opportunity. She emphasized that building equitable health systems requires sustained collaboration between philanthropy, academia, health systems, and community organizations.

Through local partnerships, the foundation has supported initiatives connecting hospitals with community health workers, improving maternal health outcomes, and strengthening the capacity of neighborhood organizations to respond to social needs. Early data show encouraging progress in reducing disparities in maternal outcomes and chronic-disease management.

Chant also described efforts to expand workforce and business opportunities in underinvested communities. The Health Foundation Equity Alliance, for example, unites more than 20 major institutions, including universities, health systems, and public agencies, to build sustainable pathways for small business growth and job creation in South Florida.

She emphasized the value of data-driven decision-making and the importance of academic partnerships. “Our collaboration with the University of Miami helps us evaluate what works and scale the programs that make the greatest impact,” she said.

From Students to Colleagues: A Continuing Impact

Several alumni in attendance reflected on how their experiences at the Department continue to shape their careers and commitment to public health.

For Tyler Bartholomew, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Health Services Research and Policy, returning as faculty offered a new appreciation for the Departmen's’s mission. “Being a faculty member in the same Department that I trained in has been a really special experience,” he said. “When I was a student, I remember being inspired by how passionate the faculty were about real-world impact. Now, being on the other side, I realize how much thought and care go into mentoring and supporting students.”

Dr. Bartholomew noted the Department’s evolution toward implementation science and systems change. “There’s a stronger focus on connecting research to what’s happening in communities to ensure our work has real-world impact,” he said. “Seeing students work on projects that make a difference reminds me of how far the Department has come in preparing leaders who don’t just study problems, they solve them.”

That same sense of continuity resonated with Alyssa Lozano, Ph.D., M.S., research assistant professor in the School of Nursing and Health Studies and alumna. “My journey in public health began at the University of Miami’s Department of Public Health Sciences, where I first enrolled in the Master of Science in Prevention Science and Community Health,” she said. “From the outset, I was fortunate to be mentored by Guillermo ‘Willy’ Prado, Ph.D., vice provost for faculty affairs, dean of the Graduate School – and himself an alumnus – whose support, along with that of Drs. Perrino, Brown, St. George, and Kanamori deeply shaped my development as a prevention scientist.”

She credited the Department’s interdisciplinary training and collaborative environment with helping her find her professional ‘home’ in prevention science. “That foundation has guided my trajectory through the doctoral program and into my current role as research faculty at the University,” she said. “Today, I remain grounded in the same values I developed through my training: prevention research that centers on Hispanic youth and families.”

Dr. Lozano shared that Chant’s remarks on health equity and collaboration echoed her own work. “Community partnerships are core to my research with the YES Institute, a Miami-based organization dedicated to preventing suicide and supporting youth development,” she said. “This collaboration reflects exactly what I learned at the University, that scientific rigor and community relevance go hand in hand.”

Dr. Lozano recently received a National Institutes of Health K01 Career Development Award, mentored by Dr. Audrey Harkness, to advance equitable implementation of family-based interventions for Hispanic adolescents. She also serves as Chair-Elect of the Early Career Preventionist Network (ECPN) of the Society for Prevention Research. “Each of these milestones is grounded in the training, support, and values I cultivated at the Department,” she said.

The alumni reception ultimately served as both a celebration of individual accomplishment and a reflection of the department’s broader mission to prepare leaders who use science, collaboration, and innovation to protect and improve community health. “Our strength lies in our collective expertise and our shared purpose,” said Dr. McCollister. “Together, our faculty, students, alumni, and partners are shaping the future of public health in South Florida and beyond.”

Written by Deycha Torres Hernández, published on October 16, 2025.