APHL Celebrates 2022 Annual Award Winners

For Immediate Release

Silver Spring, MD, May 19, 2022 – The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) is pleased to announce the winners of its annual awards for outstanding achievements in laboratory science, creative approaches to solving today’s public health challenges and exemplary support of laboratories serving the public’s health. Awardees were honored on May 19, 2022 during the APHL Annual Conference in Cleveland, OH. Congratulations to all award winners!

The following awards were presented:

Lifetime Achievement Award – This award recognizes individuals who have established a history of distinguished service to APHL, made significant contributions to the advancement of public health laboratory science or practice, exhibited leadership in the field of public health and/or positively influenced public health policy on a national or global level. This is not a retirement award, but a true Lifetime Achievement Award.

Richard Steece, former director, Division of Laboratory Services, Tennessee Department of Health

Gold Standard Award – The award is given to an APHL member who makes or has made significant contributions to the technical advancement of public health laboratory science and/or practice.

Henry Leibovitz, chief registered environmental laboratory scientist, Rhode Island State Health Laboratories

Silver Award – This award honors a laboratorian with 10 to 15 years of service in a Governmental public health laboratory (either Public Health or Environmental/Agricultural laboratory). The honoree will be recognized as a leader both within their home laboratory as well as external to their laboratory.

Degina Booker, administrative services director, Mississippi Public Health Laboratory

On the Front Line Award – This award honors an individual or laboratory outside of the APHL membership who makes significant contributions to the advancement of public health laboratory science and/or practice.

Donald Burr, health scientist, Office of Regulatory Science, US Food and Drug Administration

Emerging Leader Award – This award honors a laboratorian whose leadership has been instrumental in one or more advances in laboratory science, practice, management, policy or education within five to 10 years of working at a publicly funded laboratory that conducts testing of public health significance.

Lauren Turner, lead scientist, foodborne and advanced pathogen characterization, Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services

Leadership in Biosafety and Biosecurity Award – This award honors a laboratorian with over 10 years of related service in the field of biosafety and biosecurity in a state and/or local public health laboratory. The honoree will be recognized as a leader both within their home laboratory as well as external to their laboratory (for example, by serving in a leadership role in committees/taskforces at the national level).

Jill Power, deputy director and biosafety officer/quality coordinator, New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories
Carrie Anglewicz, biosafety officer and state training coordinator, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Laboratories

The LEAD Award, established in 2021, recognizes the legacy of Eva J. Perlman, APHL’s first chief learning officer, who over three decades helped shape the public health laboratory workforce and represented the attributes of ‘serving those who have served.’ This award honors an individual who exhibits the attributes of a leader, encourager, advocate and developer, and who has 10 or more years of service in a state, local or territorial public health laboratory, or other public health laboratory partner.

Renée Ned-Sykes, team lead, Training and Workforce Development Branch, Division of Laboratory Systems, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Champion of the Public Health Laboratory Award – This award recognizes federal, state and local elected officials or executive branch employees who have recognized the importance of state and local governmental laboratories that perform testing of public health significance either through support of legislation or federal agency decisions.

Reynolds Salerno, director, Division of Laboratory Systems, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Presidential Award – The APHL Presidential Award was selected by Dr. Denise Toney during her Presidential year (2021-2022) for the significant contributions that were made to the association’s work to promote policies that strengthen public health laboratories.

Brandi Limbago, associate director for laboratory science, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Timothy Stenzel, director, Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health, US Food and Drug Administration

Healthiest Laboratory Award – This award is given to an APHL member laboratory that is committed to safety, environmental process, environmental policy and employee health and wellness.

State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa

Thomas E. Maxson Education, Training and Workforce Development Award – This award was established in August of 1998 in memory of Dr. Maxson, and honors an APHL member who is a public health or clinical laboratory practitioner, trainer or educator who has made significant contributions to public health laboratory practice by creating, delivering or developing continuing education opportunities, programs, policies or practices for the laboratory community.