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The Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University celebrated its annual Research Day this past Wednesday, April 16, 2025 spotlighting innovative and impactful student and faculty scholarship. Among the event’s many highlights was the presentation of the Equity Prize, awarded to nine distinguished scholars whose research is advancing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic equity, both in the U.S. and globally.
Sponsored by the Institute for Racial, Ethnic and Socioeconomic Equity (Equity Institute), the Equity Prize recognizes presentations that not only deepen understanding of structural inequities, but also propose meaningful, actionable solutions.
Congratulations to the 2025 Equity Prize award recipients:
| Name | Department | Abstract Title | Poster # |
| Undergraduate Research | |||
| Sharif Rahimi | Public Health | Measuring Health Equity Knowledge Among MD Students in a Clinical Public Health Track | 118 |
| Grace Murphy | Public Health | Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in Cancer Clinical Trials: Barriers, Necessity, and Strategies | 75 |
| Master’s Research | |||
| Olivia Finizio, Leah Hoey | Exercise and Nutrition Sciences | Rooting for Equity in Washington, D.C. | 107 |
| Manuela Iglesias | Public Health | Exploring the Relationship between Child Opportunity Index and Bayley-III Scores in Young Children | 33 |
| Doctoral Research | |||
| Fairuz Mohommed | Doctor of Public Health | A Preliminary Analysis of Injury Prevalence Among Children in Foster Care | 28 |
| Morgan Speer | Prevention and Community Health | Cannabis Social Equity Initiatives Across Five US States: Case Studies of Colorado, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Missouri | 97 |
| Staff, Alumni and Postdoctoral Research | |||
| Annie Roberts | Environmental and Occupational Health | The Impact of Breastfeeding on the Development of the Infant Gut and Nasal Microbiomes | 164 |
| Julia Mattingly | Health Policy and Management | Assessing the Impact of Affirmative Action and Anti-DEI Policies on Diversity in Health Professions Education | 150 |
These students, alumni, postdoctoral fellows and research staff were recognized for their commitment to creating lasting change in both local and global contexts. Their work underscores the principle that public health outcomes should not be predetermined by race, income, or zip code, but shape by our collective commitment to health and well-being.
The Equity Prize was one of several honors awarded during the afternoon Speaker Presentation & Awards Ceremony, which capped off a day filled with poster presentations, networking, and research showcases. More than 250 participants, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, alumni, and faculty, gathered at the GWSPH Convening Center to share and celebrate their work.
Prize recipients were selected across four categories: undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and research staff/postdoctoral/alumni, with top awards of $300 and runner-up prizes of $200 in the Equity Prize division. Winning presentations were noted not only for scholarly rigor but for their potential to educate, inspire, and empower community change-makers.
The efforts of the Equity Prize award recipients represent the very best of what GW Research Day stands for: innovative scholarship and the potential for positive community impact. The Equity Institute thanks these scholars for contributing to this important work-- your work fuels the future of public health.
For the full list of 2025 GWSPH Research Day Winners, click here.