ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is proud to announce that Brian C. Castrucci will be awarded the Honorary Fellow Award during the 2026 SOPHE Annual Conference in Portland, April 22-24.
“SOPHE holds a special place in my career,” said Castrucci, who is the President and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation. “One of my earliest scientific presentations was at a SOPHE conference, where I presented research on the association between participation in organized sports and adolescent tobacco use. At the time, I was just beginning my journey in public health and trying to find my footing.”
This award is SOPHE’s highest recognition for a non-SOPHE member. It recognizes a person who has made exemplary and lasting contributions to the field of health education and public health.
“Receiving this recognition from the same community many years later feels like a full-circle moment,” said Castrucci, who is an epidemiologist, public health practitioner, and fierce advocate for the public’s health. “It reminds me how important those early professional spaces are. A conference presentation, a conversation in a hallway, or encouragement from a mentor can shape an entire career in ways we don’t always realize at the time.”
Castrucci is a seasoned public health researcher with expertise in public health systems and services, tobacco control and drug use, maternal and child health, health promotion, and chronic disease prevention. His recent research has concentrated on urban public health needs, data system improvements, and public health infrastructure advancements. He has authored more than 100 scientific articles, which have been cited over 5,000 times, and has co-edited eight books.
Presently, Castrucci is President and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, where, in partnership with a forward-thinking Board of Directors, he has helped guide the organization’s evolution into a catalyst for systems change. Prior to joining de Beaumont in 2012, Castrucci spent a decade as an applied epidemiologist and held leadership positions at the Georgia Department of Health, Texas Department of State Health Services, and Philadelphia Department of Health. During his time in government services, he led programs including the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant, Title X Family Planning program, and Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
“I’ve been fortunate to learn from remarkable mentors and colleagues throughout my career who shaped how I think about leadership, public health, and service,” said Castrucci, who holds a doctorate from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, a master’s from Columbia University, and bachelor’s from North Carolina State University. “Their guidance—and the commitment of the people I work with every day—are the real reasons any success I’ve had has been possible. If anything, this award motivates me to keep doing the work and to continue supporting the people and partnerships that make progress in public health possible.”
Castrucci is a pillar of public health and has made tremendous contributions to the field.
“I want to acknowledge that this is a difficult moment for public health and for health education,” he said. “Many practitioners are facing resistance, fatigue and uncertainty. But what gives me confidence is that, across our field, we share a commitment to protecting the health and safety of our communities and the workforce that serves them; the courage to stand alongside communities burdened by injustice; the resolve to confront those who would undermine the public’s health; the strength to persist through resistance, reduction, disinformation, and fatigue; and the wisdom to lead with clarity, humility and purpose. If we hold fast to those values and continue supporting the next generation of leaders, we will persist through our current challenges and ensure that the future of public health will remain strong.”
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.
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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.
