ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is proud to announce that Dr. Amy Thompson will be awarded the Distinguished Fellow Award during the 2026 Annual Conference in Portland, April 22-24.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to receive the SOPHE Distinguished Fellow Award,” said Thompson, who is the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Oakland University. “I was very surprised and it means so much that my colleagues would take the time to nominate me.”
This award recognizes a National SOPHE member who has made significant and lasting contributions to SOPHE and the profession of health education or public health demonstrated through exemplary scholarship and community service.
“I am sure there were many qualified and deserving candidates who were nominated,” she said. “What I can say is that SOPHE is my professional home and has provided so much for me in my development. I have served as the national president and in other key areas. I have tried hard to provide leadership, be a good colleague and be an active scholar. I am very grateful for this prestigious award.”
In her current role, Thompson oversees initiatives and programs in student success, community engagement, accreditation, research, and more. She is a nationally recognized leader in public health and higher education, has more than 20 years of academic experience, a decade of senior administrative leadership, has published over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, secured over $1.7 million in grant funding, and presented her scholarship nationally and internationally. She holds a bachelor’s in Public Health from Central Michigan University, and a master’s in Public Health and doctorate in Health Education from the University of Toledo.
“I am so grateful to have so many wonderful mentors and colleagues,” she said. “I am glad that I am a public health educator and part of the SOPHE community. I hope I can help the next generation of professionals and help them find passion and purpose in our evolving field. Public health needs us.”
SOPHE will present all awards and scholarships to public health professionals, health education researchers, faculty, programs, and practitioners at its 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.
