Outstanding Biostatistics Doctoral Student: Shujie Chen 

With a longtime interest in mathematics, Shujie Chen focused on biostatistics as a student at Nanjing Medical University. She came to the Arnold School to complete a Master of Science in Public Health in Biostatistics (receiving the Outstanding Student Award for her program) and continued into the doctoral program. With an interest in improving the understanding the complex real world data, the Norman J. Arnold Fellow developed new survival models to predict population-level cancer survival. She will continue this work as a postdoctoral fellow working with biostatistics professor Jiajia Zhang to improve HIV treatment using a big data approach.

Outstanding Biostatistics Master’s Student: Reid DeMass 

Initially on a path to become a clinical counselor, Reid DeMass decided to shift to a research-oriented career path. He found that in the Arnold School's Master of Science in Biostatistics program, where he could develop research expertise. The emphasis on public health allowed DeMass to help people, which is what had drawn him to counseling in the first place. During his program, he gained research experience related to COVID-19 self-testing, assessing social determinants of health within health care systems, topographical data analysis and other areas. After graduation, the Health GIS Scholar will pursue a research position within an academic health care setting. 

Outstanding Epidemiology Doctoral Student: Longgang Zhao

Growing up in a family with a strong history of Chinese medicine, Longgang Zhao understood the vital role of health from an early age. After discovering an aptitude for biology and mathematics during high school, Zhao decided to follow in his family’s footsteps. At Qingdao University, the preventive medicine student received three years of medical and two years of public health training before earning a master's degree in epidemiology and biostatistics at Fudan University. At the Arnold School, Zhao developed research interests in liver disease and the role of nutrition, lifestyles, metabolic factors and genetics. He will continue this work as a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School.

Outstanding Epidemiology Master's Student: Emily Farrell 

Originally from New Jersey, Emily Farrell began her health sciences career just 90 minutes southwest at the University of Delaware. There, she studied health behavior science, gained research experience in behavioral health and nutrition, and served as a pre-graduate fellow for Healthy Communities Delaware upon graduation. While a student in the Master of Public Health in Epidemiology program, Farrell researched dietary inflammation, sleep and energy balance as well as maternal and child health, completing a certificate of graduate study in the topic. After graduation, she will work as an ORISE fellow in the Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems’ Data and Evaluation Team at the federal Health Resources and Service Administration.