Sarah Luna, PhD, EIS '16 Memorial Fund
Sarah Luna, PhD (EIS ’16) died in a plane crash May 20, 2019 traveling to a rural health clinic in Alaska as part of her duties as a senior epidemiologist with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, a position she took after finishing a CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) fellowship in the summer of 2018. Sarah served as an EISO in the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, where she worked on outbreaks of foodborne illness in places as varied as a small town on the Utah-Arizona border and a Marine Corps Recruit Depot in California.
During the inaugural TED-style session at the 2018 EIS conference, Sarah delivered an insightful and inspirational talk titled, Food Behind Bars: When Food Safety Isn’t Enough, unveiling the broad consequences of our failure to provide adequate nutrition to incarcerated individuals in the United States. At the 2023 EIS Conference, to honor Sarah’s indomitable spirit and unwavering commitment to public health and the underserved, the EIS program held a dedication ceremony where they named all future TED-style sessions at the annual EIS conference the Sarah Luna Memorial TED-style Sessions.
Sarah meant many things to many people. She was a daughter, sister, best friend, dance partner, nutritionist, epidemiologist, EIS classmate-turned-family-member, coworker, SAS tutor, roommate, Lieutenant, and so much more. She was funny, brilliant, tenacious, optimistic, and thoughtful. She cared more about her family and friends than we can ever know. She was the glue of an EIS class. She spent her life in service to others and died in her commitment to that service.
Your gift to the CDC Foundation will honor Sarah’s legacy by helping fund a scholarship in her name that will create opportunities for young people and early career scientists to advance public health for years to come. Learn more about the CDC Science Ambassador Fellowship and the First-ever Sarah Luna Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Alaskan Educator, Cheryl Williams.
Sarah Luna Memorial Scholarship Recipients:
2022 Recipient: Cheryl Williams
"I applied to attend the Science Ambassadors Workshop at the CDC in Atlanta in 2019 and was selected in 2020. Unfortunately, the onset of COVID delayed my participation until the summer of 2022. The workshop was an enriching experience, fostering a symbiotic relationship between educators and public health professionals. Among the highlights was a tour of the CDC campus, during which I found myself inquiring about the storage locations of pathogens like Ebola and smallpox, repeatedly asking, "Is it in there?"
In exchange for invaluable professional development, we engaged in the collaborative task of designing lesson plans on various critical public health topics. I was working with a group of educators designing lessons geared towards high school students. The lessons addressing subjects such as suicide prevention and the importance of sleep.
Inspired by my experience at the workshop, I made the decision to incorporate the entire NERD curriculum (recently released by the CDC) into my biology classes the next school year. Instead of sporadic lessons, we covered all the modules, culminating in a comprehensive case study-based assessment at the conclusion of the unit. While public health isn't typically part of the ninth-grade biology curriculum, I decided it was important and relevant.
The workshop offered me a profound insight into the vast and diverse realm of public health. One of my goals was to expose my students to potential career paths in public health. Public health holds particular importance in Alaska. I'm grateful to the CDC workshop for broadening my awareness of the public health field. Additionally, I extend my appreciation for the financial support that eased the logistical challenges of travel, a common barrier for Alaskan educators seeking professional development opportunities."
Cheryl Williams
Science Teacher
Palmer High, Palmer, Alaska
2023 Recipient: Steven Bezdecny
Steven Bezdecny taught high school chemistry and biology for 14 years. Since 2015, he has been teaching 9-12th grade science in Alaska, and he became the chair of his school’s science department in 2023. In addition to his teaching experience, Bezdecny earned a PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology-Environmental Toxicology and held an NSF Research Fellowship in 2022 and 2023.
2024 Recipient: Melinda Ragsdale
Melinda Ragsdale is a science educator in Wasilla, Alaska located 45 miles outside of Anchorage. With over 15 years at both the secondary and collegiate levels, she has taught Chemistry and Biology in both AP and IB programs as well as various other subjects such as Genetics, Forensics and Ecology. Since moving to Alaska 8 years ago, she has seen how important public health education is, especially in a rural setting.
- Multiple individuals and organizations
- CDC's Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services
- United States of America
