Awards & Recognition

Adaobi Ikpeze & Sydney Russell Leed Recognized For Health Justice Work

The Center for Civic Engagement recognized Adaobi Ikpeze and Sydney Russell Leed for spearheading the efforts for the 2019 Health Justice at Upstate conference that was held Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on the Upstate Medical University campus. This is the second year of the student-initiated conference. Ikpeze and Russell Leed acknowledged the help of many other Upstate students in making the conference a success. The conference attracted over 250 registrants from all parts of NY state and beyond. With plenary and breakout sessions, participants could choose a variety of topics that were of interest to them. The students collected donations and were able to award several scholarships at the conclusion of the conference.

Sydney Russell Leed Awarded Prestigious US Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Award

MD/MPH student Sydney Russell Leed received a 2019 U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Excellence in Public Health Award in recognition of her commitment and work to advance public health in communities, and because she exemplifies the Public Health Service’s mission to protect, promote and advance the health and safety of our nation. USPHS Rear Admiral Michael Toedt, MD, chief medical officer of the Indian Health Service, presented the award to Russell Leed in a ceremony at the Health Sciences Library on the Upstate campus on March 11, 2019.

Sydney has been active on and off campus in a variety of health justice and civic engagement efforts. She was one of the founders of the Health Justice at Upstate conference and one of the leaders of a team of 15 students who organized the first and second annual conferences. She also helped developed and maintain a community garden at the Rescue Mission Homeless shelter. Sydney also was instrumental in promoting voter education and registration in the local community, in partnership with the local chapter of the NAACP and the League of Women Voters, and brought training on campus that enables students to volunteer for a mental health hotline. She is an advocate for a single-payer health system and founded Upstate’s chapter of Students for a National Health Program in 2016, and now serves on the board of the national organization, representing more than 70 chapters.

Safety Net Research Project

At Student Research Day 2016, Simone Arvisais-Anhalt and her team received the inaugural President’s Award for her research project, a cross-sectional study of patients visiting free clinics in Syracuse. The President’s Award, in honor of Upstate president Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD, is given to a student in the poster presentation category whose research reflects civic engagement, interprofessional education, inclusiveness, innovation and fairness.

Recognition

• A strong bond forged in Upstate’s ‘Reading Buddies’ program
• High School Students Learn from ‘Best Of The Best’ at Upstate
• Medical students put on ‘Health Justice at Upstate’ program
• Dialysis Companionship Program Benefits Patients, Students
• Students’ Goal is to ‘Reach One, Teach One’ at Syracuse YWCA
• Student Involvement at Rescue Mission Goes Beyond One Day
• Shoe Drive Nets Plenty of Footwear for Rescue Mission Residents
• High School Students Graduate from Upstate MEDS Program
• Upstate Medical Students Worked and Learned in Nicaragua
• Somali Upstate folk Art Partnership: There Are Benefits For All
• Upstate Students Formula: Show Up and Volunteer
• Peds Pals Mentor Young Patients at Upstate Cancer Center
• Nicaragua Trip Was A Good Medical Experience for Everyone
• Upstate Students Share Their Research At Refugee Conference
• Helping Hands for Forgotten Feet Up and Running at Upstate