Perry Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health, recently received the J. Michael McGinnis Leadership Excellence Award from the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science.
The accolade honors a leader whose outstanding accomplishments, commitment, values and contributions advance population health through science, translational activities and academic service.
Halkitis is an infectious disease epidemiologist, applied statistician and public health psychologist. He conducts this work through his research, teaching and activism, addressing health inequities among sexual, gender and racial-ethnic minority populations, which spans the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, including HIV, as well as mental health and substance use disorders.
Halkitis was humbled by the honor, saying others deserved credit, too.
“Over the past 30 years, the work I have undertaken with my colleagues has been driven by a steadfast commitment to advancing the health and well-being of people and communities,” he said. “I accept this award with humility and pride, on behalf of the Rutgers School of Public Health and all those who have joined me in this mission.”
Since 2017, Halkitis has helped position the Rutgers School of Public Health as a leader in interdisciplinary research, inclusive education and community engagement. He has led institutional efforts to expand access to public health training, diversify the field’s academic pipeline and align the school’s strategic priorities with a broader vision of equity and social justice.
This includes founding and directing the school’s Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies, a nationally recognized center for the study of the well-being of all people, including sexual, racial, ethnic and cultural minorities and other marginalized populations.
In addition to his leadership at Rutgers, Halkitis is widely recognized for his contributions to population health, including mentoring early-career scholars and shaping public health discourse at the intersection of research, policy and advocacy.
