Hall of Fame 2025

First established in 2005, the University of Kentucky College of Public Health’s Hall of Fame continues its tradition of honoring alumni and leaders whose innovation, dedication, and service have elevated health outcomes across the Commonwealth. The 2025 Hall of Fame induction ceremony, held Oct. 17 at The Carrick House in Lexington, was emceed by Dr. Keely Rees, Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Advancement, and drew more than 220 faculty, students, alumni, and community partners to honor five outstanding inductees.

The College of Public Health Hall of Fame honors alumni and leaders in three categories:

Promising Leader: A graduate within the last five years showing early-career impact,

Distinguished Leader: A graduate of more than five years demonstrating sustained excellence, and

The Hume Medallion: The college’s highest honor, granted to an outstanding practitioner or organization for exceptional service to the university, Kentucky, or the nation.

Award criteria focus on contributions to public health, hospital or health system leadership, health outcomes, and population health.

The 2025 Public Health Hall of Fame inductees are:

Promising Leader Award: Gunnar Kennedy, MPH, has already laid the foundation for an impactful career with his work with the Kentucky Department for Public Health enhancing the Respiratory Disease Dashboard and leading wastewater surveillance.

“Both personally and professionally, it is hard to put into words what an honor it is to be recognized by my alma mater,” Kennedy said. “The professors here have continued to serve as selfless experts I look to while in my career.”

Distinguished Leader Award: Dr. Robin Vanderpool, a Kentucky native and UK alumna, has spent 25 years driving cancer prevention and health communication at UK’s Markey Cancer Center and currently as chief of the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch in the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the National Cancer Institute.

“It’s special to now look up and reflect that perhaps I’ve had a bigger influence and impact than I fully recognized,” Vanderpool said. 

The Hume Medallion: The college’s highest honor for exceptional service to Kentucky and beyond was presented to the trio behind Kentucky HANDS, Health Access Nurturing Development Services. Medical Director of Lexington-Fayette County Health Department Dr. Steve Davis, former Kentucky Health Commissioner Dr. William Hacker, and UK Senior Vice President for Health and Public Policy Mark Birdwhistell built a statewide maternal and child health network that delivers home visiting and systems-level support to families across the Commonwealth.  

On being awarded the Hume Medallion, Dr. Davis said, “If you keep the family as your focus then great things will come together.”

Dr. Hacker added that being selected “came as a total surprise. It is a true honor, especially considering prior recipients.”

Birdwhistell described receiving the award as “both humbling and affirming, because it reflects our collective, lifelong commitment to public health policy and improving the lives of Kentuckians.”

The Public Health Hall of Fame has become the college’s premier annual event, celebrating a 20-year legacy of leadership and service. Beyond recognizing individual achievements, the ceremony fosters connections among alumni, faculty, students and community partners and encourages support for emerging initiatives in public health education, research and practice.

This year’s inductees join an alumni and practitioner network committed to advancing the UK land-grant mission through interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, and measurable impact. 

The UK College of Public Health looks forward to next year’s cohort and continuing the Hall of Fame tradition of recognizing those who champion health, inspire future leaders, and strengthen Kentucky’s communities.