MCH Department Awards 

The Department of Maternal and Child Health is pleased that so many of our students receive competitive awards through the Graduate School, the University and other sources. Our Department also provides limited support through two Maternal and Child Health Bureau Training Grants – Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Health (SPH/MCH) and Doctoral Training in MCH and Epidemiology.

In addition, we have several scholarships that are competitively awarded each year through our MCH Awards Committee. These awards have been made possible through the commitment and generosity of private MCH donors with the goal of promoting and celebrating excellence in maternal and child health.

The John and Sallie Shuping-Russell Scholarship in Global Health
This award was established in 2002 to support an endowed scholarship in global health, with a special emphasis on infectious disease and children’s health. Masters and doctoral students committed to global health may apply. The scholarship may fund an international field placement.John Russell and Sallie Shuping Russell are UNC alumni. This scholarship reflects their belief in the importance of public health in improving and advancing the health of communities and families throughout the world.

The Katherine Ann Wildman Memorial Scholarship
This award was established in 2003 to support a scholarship in maternal and child health, in honor and memory of Dr. Katherine Ann Wildman. Outstanding masters and doctoral students with a demonstrated commitment to the study of MCH may apply.

Katherine Ann Wildman received both her MPH and PhD degrees in MCH from UNC focusing, as a student and as a promising young investigator, in the area of perinatal health and epidemiology. Dr. Wildman’s research explored health systems factors associated with maternal morbidity and mortality during pregnancy and understanding how to provide health care that responds to the needs and desires of pregnant women. From her BA in International Relations to her dissertation about Tanzania and her work in Europe, Katherine Wildman showed an interest in travel, other cultures, and a strong commitment to being truly global.

The Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute Scholarship 
This award was established in 2006 and provides a scholarship for a student with special interest in the impact of breastfeeding interventions on the health and well-being of the mother/child dyad. CGBI is dedicated to the understanding and improving intervention approaches and to improved documentation of how such interventions affect the health and survival of both the mother and the child.  The central interest is research, evidence-based advocacy, and evaluation of interventions in support of knowledge, attitudes and the practice of breastfeeding, and may include related issues such as birth intervals, family planning methods and maternal nutrition, etc. Master’s and doctoral students with a demonstrated commitment to the study of these issues domestically or internationally may apply.

The Edem Effiong Memorial Scholarship for Student Travel
This award is being established in 2007 in honor and memory of Edem Effiong, a dedicated community advocate who embraced public health as the means to promote social justice for women, children, and adolescents in Nigeria and around the world. Edem was respected for her intellectual engagement, giving voice to those on the margins. Just days before Edem passed away from leukemia, she received her MPH degree in MCH, demonstrating once again what one individual can achieve through perseverance and spirit.

The genesis of this student travel award was gifts from MCH donors and alumni, matched dollar-for-dollar by Professor Gary Koch, in recognition of the important role of field travel in enriching the graduate studies experience. Outstanding master’s and doctoral students with a demonstrated commitment to leadership and advocacy in MCH may apply. The award must be used toward domestic or international trave

The Earl and Gladys Siegel Student Support Fund
This award was established by Professor Earl and Mrs. Siegel to support students. In recent years the focus has been to provide financial support, especially travel, for student field placements.

The Cynthia H. Cassell Doctoral Dissertation Award
This award was established in 2007 by Dr. Gail Cassell and Mr. Ralph Cassell, in honor of their daughter, an MCH graduate, to support dissertation expenses in the field of reproductive health, broadly defined.

The Jimmie Lee Rhyne Scholarship Fund
This award was established in 2009 by friends and family to honor the memory of Jimmie Lee Rhyne, pediatrician and 1959 graduate of our Department. The scholarship may fund any MCH student in a domestic child or adolescent health placement. Dr. Rhyne, a recipient of the MCH Sidney S. Chipman award, was legendary for his support of school health and public health nurses, his advocacy on behalf of all children of North Carolina, and his love of teaching.

The Sarah Taylor Morrow Scholarship Fund
This award was established in 2013 by the children of Sarah Taylor Morrow to honor her accomplishments as a devoted mother, grandmother, physician and public health leader. She is a 1960 alumna of the MCH department.While this award is available to any student pursuing a practicum in domestic public health practice, preference will be given to a student from North Carolina. Dr. Morrow has been a pioneer in the field of public health throughout her long, distinguished career and, in retirement, she continues to serve as a tireless public health advocate.

Maternal and Child Health Travel Stipend – Supporting Work in NC Public Health Service Sites
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Alumni Committee is pleased to announce student travel stipends for the current academic school year and summer based on availability of funds. The maximum award amount is $250.00 per request. The applicant must currently be enrolled as a student in the Department of Maternal and Child Health. Funds are for travel-related expenses incurred while either traveling to a practicum at a NC public health service delivery site, conducting research/programs at a North Carolina public health-related site or presenting follow-up information/evaluation/data findings regarding a NC service agency practicum to a NC-based audience. Applicants must justify the requested amount. The MCH Alumni Committee reserves the right to provide stipends that are less than the requested amount.

Leila Dal Santo, MCH recipient of the 2014 Earl and Gladys Siegel Student Support Fund Award talks with donor, Gladys Siegel, during MCH Family Reunion.

Leila Dal Santo, the recipient of the 2014 Earl and Gladys Siegel Student Support Fund Award, talks with donor, Gladys Siegel, during MCH Family Reunion.

Graduate Traineeships/GRA Positions

When funding becomes available, the Maternal and Child Health Department makes awards to students based on need and work/funding status. Make sure to share employment forms and offer letters with our Academic Program Support Coordinator Sierra Cator.The Department also has limited Graduate Traineeships. They are awarded based on merit and need and are typically awarded prior to matriculation in the first year.For GRA positions, students may talk with professors in MCH and other departments to see what is available.

Financial Assistance

For information regarding student loans, please visit the UNC Office of Scholarships & Student Aid.

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