W ith the cost of education increasing, the Hudson College of Public Health realizes the importance of financially assisting the newest generation of schol- ars as they work to achieve their goals. In 2003, the College awarded three scholarships totaling $3,000. In 2018, the Col- lege is proud to have awarded 29 named scholarships totaling more than $75,000. The Claudia Griffith Scholarship is the newest of these. This year’s recipients include scholars interested in a variety of pub- lic health issues from hospital-acquired infection to occupational exposures potentially impacting health, from health inequities to disease prevention efforts, and more. OU Public Health | Fall 2018 17 2018-2019 Scholarship Recipients Azimi Family Scholarship Kathleen “Kae” Aithinne Kae Aithinne, a Hudson FellowinPublicHealth,isa second-year Occupational and Environmental Health doctoral student with a passion for prevention of hospital-acquired diseases. Aithinne’s research aims to utilize the translational model to sub- stantially reduce cases of hospital-acquired infection resulting from environmental sur- face contamination. She will be sitting for the general exam this fall and starting her research in spring 2019. “I am grateful to receive the Azimi Family Scholarship and want to thank Dr. Azimi for hisinvolvementintheOccupationalandEnvi- ronmental Health community and for his pas- sion for environmental health,” Aithinne said. Edward N. Brandt, Jr. Scholarships Patricia Pius Patricia Pius is in her second year of medical school at the OU College of Medicine. She com- pleted her undergradu- ate education in radia- tion therapy at McMaster University, Canada. After graduating, she moved to Oklahoma and worked as a radiation therapist at St. An- thony Hospital. During her time in radia- tion therapy, she observed the healthcare disparities that exist in Oklahoma. Howev- er, Pius also saw hope in the positive impact physicians can have upon their patients and families. That motivated her to want to be- come a doctor too, with a specific interest in the care and treatment of patients fight- ing cancer. She hopes to be able to use her medical education to serve those in need of healthcare in Oklahoma. “I want to make healthcare more accessible for all,” Pius said. Miranda Smith Miranda Smith is a sec- ond-year medical stu- dent at the OU College of Medicine as well as a Master of Public Health student in the Depart- ment of Health Promo- tion Sciences at the OU Hudson College of Public Health. Through her work at free clinics in Oklahoma City as well as through her study abroad program in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Smith witnessed the many barriers that exist for individuals pursuing health care. She plans to pursue a career in primary care medicine while build- ing sustainable health programs that work to Honoring Public Health