December 4, 2025 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
Ph.D. in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior (HPEB) candidate Freda Allyson (“Ally”) Hucek is the 2025 recipient of the Steven P. Wallace Emerging Advocate Award, which is bestowed each year by the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) Aging and Public Health Section. Recognized for the strength of her advocacy work for aging populations., Hucek was honored at the APHA annual meeting in Washington D.C.
Growing up outside of Columbus, Ohio, Hucek’s passion for working with older adults began when she spent part of the summer with her grandparents, who worked in assisted living facilities. She enjoyed visiting with the residents and has always loved the wisdom and warmth she has received from all of the older adults in her life.
As she wrapped up her undergraduate (public health) and master’s (health behavior) degrees at the University of Kentucky, she remembers attending a virtual open house with the Arnold School when she was looking at doctoral programs. The Ph.D. in HPEB program had already caught her eye due to the Arnold School’s nationwide reputation as an exceptional school of public health, but it really stood out to her when she learned more about the department’s culture.
“Daniela Friedman, who is now my mentor, was chair at the time, and I remember her talking about how they celebrate all the wins – no matter how small,” Hucek says. “That really stood out to me and has stuck with me throughout the program. Now that I have been here for a few years and experienced the department's culture, that statement could not be more accurate. It is something special about the Arnold School and HPEB, and it is ultimately why I chose this program.”
Hucek also valued the opportunity to pursue a Graduate Certificate in Aging so she could focus on her interest in supporting mental health within this population. The school’s expertise in preventive cancer screenings – another major area of interest for her due to her family’s history with the BRCA2 gene mutation – was another major draw.
Over the past four years, Hucek has built her research and advocacy knowledge and skills in both areas, gaining experience in the Arnold School’s Office of Research, Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network, and the Office for the Study of Aging. She has also been selected as a Norman J. Arnold Doctoral Fellow and a Graduate Student Scholar in Aging.
Throughout this time, Hucek has immersed herself in service at the community, university, state, regional, and national levels. She has mentored undergraduate and master’s students as a Ph.D. Pal, while also leading the Office of Research’s Student Poster of the Month Competition and helping organize the South Carolina Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Research Symposium. Off campus, she serves as co-convener for South Carolina’s Operation to Confront Social Isolation and Loneliness, contributes as a Student Liaison for the Aging and Public Health Section of the American Public Health Association, and volunteers with The FriendShip, a local nonprofit helping older adults age in place.
“I enjoy my various leadership roles and find them fulfilling and rewarding,” Hucek says. “They fill my cup and remind me why I love public health. I try to find places, whether big or small, where I can make a difference.”
