Harriet Hylton Barr Distinguished Alumni Award
Established in 1975, the Harriet Hylton Barr Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes the achievements of alumni and their contributions to public health. Each year, it honors a deserving graduate of the School working full-time in public health or in a related field.
The selection criteria include demonstrated:
- Commitment and service to public health through achievements in leadership, innovation, experimentation and collaboration within the profession.
- Impact within the nominee’s practice arena.
- Outstanding service beyond the requirements of the nominee’s employment.
The award carries the name of its 1980 recipient, the late Harriet Hylton Barr, to honor her contributions to public health. Barr, who earned her MPH from UNC in 1948, dedicated 28 years of service to the School. She was a clinical associate professor in the Department of Health Behavior and she was the School’s first director of alumni affairs. More information about Harriett Hylton Barr is available online.
Application Process
Nominations for the 2024 Barr Alumni Award have closed. Check back here for announcements on the 2025 nominations dates.
*Note: eligible Barr Alumni award nominations made in 2024 will stay active for three years
Recipients of the Barr Award
2024 – Traci L. Baird (Health Behavior & Education)
2023 – Leah McCall Devlin, DDS, MPH (Health Policy and Management)
2022 – Dilshad Jaff, MD, MPH (Maternal and Child Health)
2021 – Leandris Liburd, PhD, MPH (Health Behavior)
2020 – Edith Parker, DrPH (Health Behavior)
2019 – John Wiesman, DrPH (Public Health Executive Leadership)
2018 – Carmen Samuel Hodge, RD, PhD (Nutrition)
2017 – Sara (Sally) Pritchard Herndon (Health Behavior)
2016 – Pam C. Silberman (Health Policy and Management)
2015 – Janice V. Bowie (Health Behavior)
2014 – C. Marjorie Aelion (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
2013 – Wilbur Milhous (Parasitology and Laboratory Practice)
2012 – William A. Rutala (Parasitology and Laboratory Practice)
2011 – Peter J. Kolsky (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
2010 – Richard Brostrom (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
2009 – Rebecca S. King (Health Policy and Administration)
2008 – Charles W. McGrew (Health Policy and Administration)
2007 – Aaron E. Blair (Epidemiology)
2006 – Allen J. Wilcox (Maternal and Child Health, Epidemiology)
2005 – Jonathan Metsch (Health Policy and Administration)
2004 – Margaret E. Molloy (Nutrition & Health Policy and Administration)
2003 – Margaret E. Layne (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
2002 – Gary J. White (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
2001 – Clarence Pearson (Health Behavior)
2000 – Stephen A. Morse (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
1999 – C. Earl Fox (Maternal and Child Health)
1998 – R. Gary Rozier (Health Policy and Administration)
1997 – Craig Turnbull (Biostatistics)
1996 – Donald Francisco (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
1995 – Sarah Brown (Health Policy and Administration)
1994 – Raymond Greenberg (Epidemiology)
1993 – Priscilla Guild (Biostatistics)
1992 – Linda Little (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
1991 – Howard Fitts (Health Behavior)
1990 – Betty Jane Phillips (Parasitology and Laboratory Practice)
1989 – Dan Blazer (Epidemiology)
1988 – Geswaldo Verrone (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
1987 – George Dudney (Health Policy and Administration)
1986 – Sarah Morrow (Maternal and Child Health)
1985 – Verna Barefoot (Maternal and Child Health)
1984 – Elmer Spurrier (Parasitology and Laboratory Practice)
1983 – Mary Suther (Public Health Nursing)
1982 – Ronald Levine (Health Policy and Administration)
1981 – Thomas Brooks (Parasitology and Laboratory Practice)
1980 – Harriet H. Barr (Health Behavior)
1979 – John G. Todd (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
1978 – George Ponghis (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
1977 – William Darity (Health Behavior)
1976 – Elizabeth McMahan (Health Behavior)
1975 – Mabel Johansson (Public Health Nursing)