March 11, 2022 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
The Office of the Vice President for Research has selected project coordinator and two-time Arnold School alumnus Sam Noblet as one of the inaugural recipients of the Exceptional Research Service Awards. Designed to recognize top-notch support throughout the research process, these awards include three categories: College/Department Research Administration Support Staff Award, Central Service Unit Research Administration Support Staff Award, and Technical Support Staff Award.
The work we do does not have just an impact on academia but really does impact community members, which helps keep me engaged knowing there are others who can benefit from our work.
-Sam Noblet, project coordinator for the SC-CPCRN and Health Literacy Initiative
Noblet won the Technical Support Staff Award for providing exceptional support to the hands-on work of faculty researchers at the Arnold School. These researchers include those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (SC-CPCRN) and The Duke Endowment-funded Health Literacy Initiative, where Noblet serves as project coordinator.
“While Sam has excellent technical skills in grant management and budget development and financial management, he also has tremendous research knowledge and skills,” says Daniela Friedman, chair for the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior and principal investigator of the projects Noblet coordinates. “As an indication of his research expertise and the respect he has won among faculty, trainees and professional staff, Sam is now leading several statewide and national research initiatives. He sees the big picture when it comes to public health research, and he values and fosters team science and collaboration.”
After completing high school in nearby Irmo, Noblet enrolled as an undergraduate at UofSC. He joined the Arnold School to earn a B.S. in Exercise Science with a minor in health promotion, education, and behavior.
“I loved going to class and really enjoyed every part of learning, including how my professors pushed me to want to know more about how to impact behavior on a larger scale,” Noblet says. “This love of public health and higher learning led me to apply to the Master of Public Health in Physical Activity and Public Health program – a unique program in which students are able to gain a more in-depth knowledge in exercise science while learning more about how to translate this knowledge to communities.”
He sees the big picture when it comes to public health research, and he values and fosters team science and collaboration.
-Daniela Friedman, prinicpal investigator and HPEB chair
After graduating in 2018, Noblet applied for a position with Friedman, who had just taught one of his favorite graduate classes on program evaluation. In his role, Noblet coordinates many of the joint projects across the CPCRN, supports the Community Health Intervention Program’s mini-grants initiative and co-directs the Network’s Scholars Program. In 2020, he took on additional responsibilities with the Health Literacy Initiative – a collaboration with community and clinical partners in South Carolina to improve health literacy, patient-provider communication and health outcomes.
“I know that faculty are very busy and for our work to have a great impact it is important for me to keep things organized and on track so we can move forward each day,” says Noblet, who suspects he may have been nominated/selected for this award because others can see how much he cares about these efforts. “The work we do does not have just an impact on academia but really does impact community members, which helps keep me engaged knowing there are others who can benefit from our work.”
Recipients of the Exceptional Research Service Awards will receive a $500 honorarium and recognition at a special awards ceremony during the 2022 Office of Research Awards Dinner in April.