WASHINGTON, D. C., – The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is proud to announce that Hannah Branch, Taylor Levy, and Akanksha Mehra will be awarded the Vivian Drenckhahn Student Scholarships during the 2025 SOPHE Annual Conference in Long Beach, April 16-18.
“I’m incredibly honored to receive SOPHE’s Vivian Drenckhahn Student Scholarship, and I greatly appreciate the support from SOPHE!” said Taylor Levy, MS, RDN, CHES, who is pursuing a PhD in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at UTHealth School of Public Health. “This award means so much to me—it’s a reminder that the work I’m passionate about is making an impact and motivates me to keep pushing forward. Public health and health education are about creating real change, and this recognition reinforces my commitment to this field. What makes this award even more special is its connection to Vivian Drenckhahn’s legacy. Her dedication to mentorship and health education is inspiring, and it’s an honor to be part of something that carries on her mission.”
The scholarships provide support to full-time undergraduate and graduate students in their pursuit of educational and professional development in health education.
“Receiving SOPHE’s Vivian Drenckhahn Student Scholarship is more than just an honor—it’s a deeply personal validation of everything I have worked for and believe in,” said Akanksha Mehra, an international student from India with a bachelor’s in medicine and surgery and over three years of experience as a medical doctor.
Hannah Branch, a Health Science student at Truman State University and an active member of a county-wide substance use prevention coalition, expressed her gratitude for receiving this scholarship. Branch leads after-school prevention programs and family-strengthening events in her community and has been engaged in local and state advocacy for alcohol and other drug prevention for the past three years. She is passionate about empowering communities through prevention initiatives and promoting healthier choices for youth and families.
Hannah Branch, Taylor Levy, and Akanksha Mehra exemplify the values of the Vivian Drenckhahn Student Scholarship, demonstrating unwavering dedication to improving public health by promoting equity, advancing research, and empowering communities.
Levy holds an MS in Public Health Education and Promotion and a BS in Family Consumer Science, both from Texas State University. With extensive experience in public health and nutrition, she has served as a Graduate Research Assistant, Nutrition Services Manager, and Registered Dietitian. Her research focuses on food insecurity, dietary behaviors, and health disparities, and she has presented and published widely on these topics. Levy is committed to advancing health equity and promoting wellness through her research and practice, with a strong focus on addressing disparities in underserved communities.
Mehra’s journey into public health began at the bedside, working in emergency departments and as a frontline worker in COVID ICUs during the pandemic, where she witnessed critical gaps in healthcare systems. These experiences fueled her passion for research and community impact, prompting her transition from clinical practice to public health. She is now in the final semester of her master’s in public health with a certification in epidemiology at the University of New Haven.
“As a physician, my journey started at the patient’s bedside, where I saw firsthand the gaps in healthcare—not just in access and treatment, but in the way we teach and prepare future healthcare professionals,” Mehra reflected. “This award reminds me that education is the most powerful tool we possess to change lives. It fuels my commitment to a future where healthcare professionals aren’t just trained to cure, but to question, innovate, and advocate.”
Mehra currently works as a Graduate Research Assistant under Dr. Karl Minges on an NIH-funded study investigating factors driving hospital readmissions in skilled nursing facilities. She has presented her work at the APHA and CPHA conferences and interned at Yale School of Public Health, where she explored metabolomics in colorectal cancer liver metastases. “What stands out most about this award is its legacy,” she added. “It’s not just about celebrating achievement but about honoring those who have dared to push boundaries in health education. I hope to use this recognition to continue pushing for reforms in health education so that future healthcare professionals are empowered to think beyond textbooks and truly connect with the communities they serve.”
“This award doesn’t just belong to me,” Mehra continued. “It belongs to every patient who has shared their story with me, every mentor who has guided me, and every aspiring healthcare professional who believes in a better way forward. I am incredibly grateful to SOPHE for this recognition, and I see it as a call to action. There is still so much work to be done to make health education more inclusive, research more impactful, and healthcare more human. This is just the beginning, and I am eager to keep fighting for a future where every healthcare worker is empowered to heal—not just through medicine, but through knowledge, advocacy, and change.”
SOPHE will present all awards and scholarships to public health professionals, health education researchers, faculty, programs, and practitioners at the 2025 SOPHE Annual Conference. These awards and scholarships recognize significant advancements in the profession of health education and health promotion and outstanding contributions of veterans 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.