ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is proud to announce that Angela Carman will be awarded the Karen Denard Goldman Health Education Mentor Award during the 2026 SOPHE Annual Conference in Portland, April 22-24.
“I would like to thank SOPHE for the recognition of the Karen Denard Goldman Mentor award,” said Carman who is an associate professor at the University of Kentucky, College of Public Health and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky’s endowed chair in Health Policy. “To be recognized for something that has already enriched my life is truly amazing!”
This award recognizes a National SOPHE member in an academic or practice setting who has made significant contributions to the preparation and/or performance of health educators and who has successfully forged the link between research and practice. The Karen Denard Goldman Health Education Mentor Award recognizes SOPHE members who have distinguished themselves as outstanding mentors.
“One of the best parts of being in the academic setting is the opportunity to mentor students,” Carman said. “It is such fun to spend time with them, to learn where they hope to see their careers go, and to find ways to expand their learning through experiences in communities that ready them to excel in the world of public health practice.”
Carman is also the faculty lead for Team Up: A Public Health Academic Practice Collaborative working with student fellows, community practice partners and other faculty to provide policy & planning decision support, collaborative community organizing and applied scholarship. She also serves as a public health management consultant to local health departments and hospitals, and has provided guidance with activities such as community health assessments, community health improvement planning, quality improvement training and strategic planning in over 40 counties in Kentucky. A native Kentuckian, Dr. Carman received her DrPH from the University of Kentucky, MBA from Eastern Kentucky University and BS in Business Administration from Berea College. Her research interests focus on the practice of public health and include community engagement, public health accreditation readiness, quality improvement and evidence-based practice implementation.
SOPHE will present all awards and scholarships to public health professionals, health education researchers, faculty, programs, and practitioners at the 2026 SOPHE Annual Conference in April in Portland. These awards and scholarships recognize significant advancements in the profession of health education and health promotion and outstanding contributions of well-established and rising stars to improving the public’s health.
# # #
About SOPHE
The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is a nonprofit association that supports leaders in public health, health education and promotion to advance healthy and equitable communities across the globe. SOPHE members work in health care settings, communities, organizations, schools, universities, worksites, and in local, state and federal government agencies. For more information visit www.sophe.org.
