Each year, the Larner College of Medicine Division of Public Health recognizes two students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in the study and practice of public health — students who not only excelled academically, but led with integrity and showed a deep commitment to the field. This year, the Division of Public Health is proud to honor:

Rebecca Hill-Larsen Receives 2026 Achievement in Public Health Award

Rebecca Hill-Larsen is this year's recipient of the Achievement in Public Health Award, a student-nominated honor recognizing exceptional commitment to public health practice and outstanding teamwork.

Hill-Larsen brings a distinctive path to public health. She earned her BS in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University before pursuing her Master of Public Health at UVM, and her early work supporting food-insecure community members laid the foundation for the career that followed. She currently serves at the North Country Maternity Network, where she focuses on improving perinatal health outcomes.

Her decision to turn public health into a degree grew organically from her own health journey and her frontline professional experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. For her capstone project, she led a research team examining the link between food insecurity and asthma attacks — work that was presented at UVM Research Day and has been nominated for the Delta Omega Outstanding Poster Award at the American Public Health Association's annual meeting.

Looking ahead, Hill-Larsen hopes to shape innovative policies for rural maternal health, expand support for doulas and families, and broaden her focus into environmental public health — exploring the intersections of climate change, vector-borne disease, and pollution through a maternal health lens.

2026 Public Health Academic Excellence Award: Stephen Halsey

Stephen Halsey is the recipient of the 2026 Public Health Academic Excellence Award, presented annually to a student who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and a deep commitment to the field of public health.

Stephen is a triple Catamount — earning a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2011, a master's degree in medical science in 2019, and now a master's degree in public health. Balancing a demanding career, graduate studies, and parenthood, Stephen brings remarkable dedication to everything he takes on.

As a Psychiatric Case Manager with UVM Counseling and Psychiatry Services, Stephen approaches his academic work as a direct extension of his professional life, drawing real-time connections between coursework and the challenges he encounters every day. Deeply attuned to the mental health crisis affecting Vermonters — and the toll it takes on patients, families, and healthcare systems — he hopes to leverage his new skills to drive meaningful policy change at a systemic level.

For his capstone project, Stephen served as project manager for a research group examining the limitations faced by patients with long COVID, specifically exploring how different types of physical activity affect their ability to perform everyday tasks.