By Erin Jester
The University of Florida chapter of the Public Health Student Association took home multiple awards at the 2026 Florida Public Health Association Annual Conference in July, including the FPHA Public Health Student Association Award, recognizing meaningful contributions to the field of public health.
The conference connects students, public health professionals, community partners and industry leaders from across Florida.
Six Master of Public Health students represented the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions at the 2026 conference, along with M.P.H. program directors and advisers and Dean Beth Virnig.
M.P.H. students Ryan Kalina and Mercedes Staples were awarded the Florida Public Health Student Scholarship, and M.P.H. student Caelan Hook won Best All-Around Poster for their research on PrEP knowledge among Latino men who have sex with men. Kalina and M.P.H. student Carissa Liu participated in a keynote panel highlighting the voices of public health students.
“The conference was a meaningful experience for all of us,” said Kalina, who is the vice president of PHSA. “It gave our team the chance to learn from others, share our work and further strengthen PHSA’s presence within Florida’s public health community.”
PHSA members are involved in public health research across UF’s campus, including the COLECTIVO Lab, led by José Colón Burgos, Dr.P.H., an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Global Heath; UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute and the UF College of Dentistry, said Master of Public Health student and PHSA president Coleen Peggs.
The group also organizes service events in the Gainesville area to educate the community about public health issues and local resources. This spring, PHSA collaborated with FPHA on the 2026 Climate & Heat Training program, a daylong event focused on climate‑health communication, heat‑related illness prevention and community resilience.