Celebrating the 2026 DLSPH Staff Awards
February 20/2026
DLSPH staff and senior leaders gathered at the 2026 DLSPH Staff Awards to recognize and celebrate our hardworking staff who contribute to our School’s success.
By Ishani Nath
On Monday, February 2, the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) hosted the 2026 DLSPH Staff Awards, which recognized outstanding employees across the School for their essential role in DLSPH’s community, research and success.
The 2026 DLSPH Staff Awards were held at the University of Toronto’s Hart House and staff were invited to connect with colleagues over coffee, tea and brunch. “Hosting our staff awards gives our community a chance to come together and give some well-deserved recognition to our hardworking colleagues,” said DLSPH Acting Dean Audrey Laporte.
Staff at DLSPH work across the School, within the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME), the Public Health Sciences (PHS), and at DLSPH’s centres and institutes.
The 2026 DLSPH Staff Awards specifically recognized appointed administrative staff and research staff.
The School’s administrative staff work in a variety of roles and provide research, technical, and financial support to DLSPH faculty and programs. Administrative staff also support student enrollment, manage events and manage DLSPH communications, equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The 2026 DLSPH Staff Awards also awarded research staff working in IHPME, PHS, and DLSPH’s centres and institutes. DLSPH’s centres and institutes cover topics including health policy, climate health, health emergencies and pandemics, bioethics, global health, vaccine-preventable diseases, Indigenous health, management and evaluation, occupational disease prevention, and critical qualitative health research.
“Our staff power everything we do – supporting students, advancing research, and holding complex operations together – often behind the scenes. This award program was created to make that invisible work visible, and to build a lasting tradition of appreciation across our community,” said DLSPH Chief Administrative Officer, Priyanka Debnath.
Multiple awards celebrated research staff, both full and part-time, who contribute to research projects that help push public health forward. “These team members support our faculty members to design and implement studies, manage confidential data, engage in analyses and interpretation, liaise with research teams, community partners and decisionmakers, prepare and present knowledge products and mentor junior staff and students,” said DLSPH Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Jeremy Scott, who also presented an award.
Eligible employees were nominated for the 2026 DLSPH Staff Awards by DLSPH faculty, staff, and students across six awards categories. Winners were selected by an internal awards committee and announced at the ceremony.
The awards presentation was filled with warmth and gratitude for all the staff at DLSPH.
“The awards honour staff whose professionalism, teamwork, resourcefulness and dedication have helped to make the Dalla Lana School of Public Health a leader in public health,” said Laporte.
Thank you to our dedicated DLSPH staff and congratulations to the recipients of the 2026 DLSPH Staff Awards.
2026 DLSPH Staff Award Recipients
School-Wide Appointed Administrative Offices Staff Award
Recipient: Christine Lowe
Centres and Institutes Staff Award — Excellence in Research Contribution Award
Recipient: John Wabegijik
IHPME Staff Award — Excellence in Administrative Service Award
Recipient: Zoe Downie-Ross
IHPME Staff Award — Excellence in Research Contribution Award
Recipient: Monika Roerig
PHS Staff Award — Excellence in Administrative Service Award
Recipient: Sarah Ko
PHS Staff Award — Excellence in Research Contribution Award
Recipient: Lori Diemert