LEXINGTON, Ky. (February 23, 2021) — The University of Kentucky Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Sciences (UK-CARES), in partnership with the Center of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH), recently announced their Call for Nominations for the 2021 Community Engagement Award in Environmental Health Sciences. Nominations are due Friday, March 19, 2021. Finalists will be notified by Thursday, April 8, and the winner will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, at the UK Virtual John P. Wyatt Symposium.
Craig Wilmhoff and biology students at Perry County Central High School won the award in 2020. The decision was unanimous among the reviewers. Wilmhoff’s fellow 2020 nominees included Dylan Baker (Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Perry County), Madison Baker (Appal-TREE: Knott County Field Director), Brittany Combs (City of Jackson, Parks & Recreation), Nina McCoy (Martin County Concerned Citizens), Sherrie Stidham (Kentucky River District Health Department) and Carley Watts (InVision Hazard).
“The UK-CARES/UKCERH Community Engagement Award means a great deal to me,” said Wilmhoff. “The students have done such an amazing job on projects in air quality and on in-home radon testing.”
The award recognizes individuals or community-academic teams who demonstrate effective research or project evaluation to improve environmental health in Appalachia. The nominees need to meet at least one of the following guidelines:
- Community-engaged environmental health scientist
- Community member engaged in issues to keep the air or water healthy
- Involved in community-academic partnerships
- Demonstrate outstanding community-engaged science.
Click here to nominate yourself or someone you know for the 2021 Community Engagement Award.