HPEB Outstanding Master’s Student Award: Ashley Thurber

After graduating with a BS in public health from University of South Carolina, Ashley Thurber decided to stay to pursue her MPH and continue her research working under Dr. Leila Larson. In her work with the NELI Lab, she studied adolescent pregnancy and parenting, pica, and early childhood development globally and domestically. Her master's thesis investigates the role of stressors and social supports in the transition from pregnancy to parenthood among young and adolescent mothers in SC. Her applied practice experience evaluated the impact of, existing needs, and points for quality improvement in the Fresh Food Box program at FoodShare SC. Active in community service both inside and outside the department, Ashley is a member of the Community Service Workgroup of the Student Engagement Committee and a Spanish translator at Power in Changing Diaper Bank's Lexington hub. Ashley is passionate about reducing disparities in maternal health outcomes and plans to pursue a career in research to address this critical need. In the fall, Ashley will begin her PhD in Nutritional Sciences at Penn State.

Christopher Peter Aluah Outstanding Doctoral Student Award: Deeksha Gupta

Deeksha Gupta, PhD, MS, MA, is a health economics researcher whose work focuses on integrating health-related social needs in clinical care and evaluating how it affects health outcomes and healthcare use. She completed her PhD in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior at USC in December 2024. During her doctoral training, she worked with Dr. Caroline Rudisill on multiple collaborative projects with Prisma Health, examining how clinical-based social risk screening and community resource navigation program affects health outcomes, healthcare use, and quality of life in patients with chronic diseases. Prior to joining USC, she received her educational training in economics from Virginia Tech and Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, India. She is also interested in research exploring social and behavioral strategies to promote preventive health behaviors. She is currently receiving her postdoctoral training with Dr. Courtney Monroe on her R01 study testing a digital intervention that leverages existing social ties to promote physical activity in insufficiently active adults.

HPEB Outstanding Undergraduate Student Research Award: Mallory Gedeon

Throughout her undergraduate years, Mallory Gedeon discovered a deep interest in the intersection of science, health equity, and research-driven solutions. She is majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with minors in Spanish and Business Administration, and in Fall 2023, she joined the BRIE Lab to explore public health research further. Mallory has contributed to the NEW Soul study-a plant-based nutrition intervention designed to promote accessible, culturally tailored approaches to improving health-and her Honors thesis examines its impact on menstrual symptom severity among African American women. She has presented preliminary findings at several local conferences and looks forward to continuing her research during her final semester at USC. After graduation, Mallory will attend the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville as part of the Class of 2030 through a secured admission pathway with the Honors College.