The University of Washington School of Public Health announces the recipients of the 2026 Excellence Awards, which recognize members of the SPH community for their dedication, service, and many contributions to public health. Congratulations to all awardees!
Outstanding Undergraduate Students
Layla Abdirahman (HIHIM)
Layla Abdirahman is currently studying Health Informatics and Health Information Management. With a passion for improving healthcare through data-driven insights, she worked as a medical coder for a couple of years before deciding to return to school to further her education, finding the HIHIM program the best fit. After graduation, she plans to pursue an RHIA certification and continue her education in healthcare data and informatics.
Outstanding Master’s Students
Laura Alford (MHA)
Laurana (“Laura”) Alford is an emerging healthcare leader and Master of Healthcare Administration student committed to improving access, efficiency, and patient-centered care through collaborative leadership and dedication to public health. Laura works as an EMT at the King County Diversion Center, supporting vulnerable patients in high-risk environments, and as a contracts specialist at Proliance Surgeons. Laura demonstrates leadership by serving as president of the MHA Student Association, participating in multiple competitive case teams working on innovative, patient-focused recommendations for health systems nationwide, and serving as a mentor to students within and outside of the MHA program.
Jane Zhao (COPHP MPH)
Jane Zhao (she/hers) will graduate from the Master of Public Health in Community-Oriented Public Health Practice program and the School of Social Work. Passionate about community-driven visions for the future, Jane is guided by years of direct service, outreach, and program management experience in harm reduction, houseless services, sexual assault response, and crisis care. She brings her deep love for weaving together people, places, and issues to her current interdisciplinary work in environmental justice, trans healthcare, and the ethics of generative AI. With her MPH/MSW, Jane will continue this ongoing journey of dreaming, planning, and actualizing the world that communities envision for themselves.
Jason Rubin (Executive MHA)
Jason Rubin is an exemplary Executive Master of Health Administration student and behavioral health professional whose work bridges academic excellence and real-world impact. He consistently elevates learning through thoughtful analysis, applied insight, and collaborative engagement, grounded in experience with behavioral health systems and access challenges. As a clinical outreach specialist in Western Washington, Jason guides families and providers to critical services, advancing equity and person-centered care. His compassionate leadership and empathetic patient care advocacy ensure that patients and clinicians are aware of integrative, evidence-based treatment options.
Outstanding Doctoral Student
Zoe Pleasure (Health Services PhD)
Zoe Pleasure (she/her) is a reproductive health services researcher employing mixed-methods approaches who will graduate with her PhD in Health Services this spring. Her research interests focus on understanding how people make contraception and abortion decisions when faced with practical, logistical, and policy barriers, and how to better support them in making choices that reflect their own needs and preferences. She has a particular interest in research that centers people with chronic health conditions, who often face additional challenges in accessing equitable reproductive healthcare. Her NIH-supported dissertation explores how to improve contraceptive care for veterans with autoimmune conditions.