Rolle, who recently earned her Ph.D. in Prevention Science and Community Health from the Department of Public Health Sciences, received the Graduate Student Exemplar Award in recognition of her academic achievement, leadership and perseverance throughout her time at the University of Miami.

For Dr. Rolle, the recognition carries both personal and professional meaning.

“Receiving this award means that I have been able to turn one of the hardest seasons of my life into something that can inspire others,” she said. “My hope is that someone who sees this recognition, whether a fellow student, a patient or a survivor, walks away believing that their own challenges do not have to define the ceiling of what they can accomplish.”

During her doctoral training, Dr. Rolle balanced the demands of graduate school while undergoing surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation as a cancer patient and clinical trial participant. She completed the program in four years while continuing her research, mentorship and academic work.

“I am most proud of making it to graduation day and finishing the program in four years,” she said. “Crossing the finish line is not just a personal milestone. It is proof of what is possible when a community refuses to let you fall.”

Dr. Rolle explained that her experiences as both a researcher and cancer survivor transformed the way she approaches cancer prevention and behavioral oncology research.

“As a current cancer clinical trial participant, I will design studies with the participant at the center,” she noted. “I think carefully about the burden on patients and their families and caregivers, because I know firsthand how much weight they are already carrying.”

She credits the Prevention Science and Community Health program with helping shape her identity as a scientist and leader.

“Choosing the University of Miami and the Ph.D. in Prevention Science and Community Health program was one of the best decisions of my life,” emphasized Dr. Rolle. “The program gave me the methodological foundation, the mentorship and the space to grow into that identity.”

Dr. Rolle also reflected on the support she received from faculty mentors, peers, family and friends throughout her time in the department.

“I will remember how supportive and tight-knit everyone is,” she shared. “The department is not just where I trained. It is a community I will carry with me.”

Following graduation, Dr. Rolle will begin an NIH- and NCI-funded T32 Cancer Prevention and Control training program at the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she plans to expand her research in behavioral sleep medicine, psycho-oncology and neurocognitive impairment.

“What excites me most is the opportunity to expand my research portfolio under the guidance of world-renowned experts in these areas,” Dr. Rolle said. “These are dimensions of the cancer survivorship experience that often go under addressed, and they are deeply connected to quality of life.”

Written by Deycha Torres Hernández, published May 16, 2026.