This year marks the 10-year anniversary of The Path Awards Luncheon. Individuals and organizations in public health, social work, and dietetics and nutrition will be recognized for their contributions and commitment to promoting and protecting the public health and social wellbeing of South Florida. In addition to recognizing our community’s public health, nutrition and social work heroes, net proceeds from the luncheon provide critical support for student scholarships at FIU Stempel College.

From its inception, the Path Awards Luncheon has honored 62 individuals and five organizations for exceptional work and contributions to public health and social wellbeing.

Soaring healthcare costs have forced legislation to shift the focus from “curative” medicine to “preventive” medicine.  The need for well-informed, highly prepared social workers, public health professionals, dietitians, nutritionists and civic leaders continues to increase. Bringing together the five major public health disciplines (biostatistics, environmental and occupational health, epidemiology, healthy policy and management, and health promotion and disease prevention) with nutrition, dietetics and social work, FIU Stempel College affords our faculty and students unique opportunities to research, understand and influence the complex social, biological, environmental and cultural determinants of health and wellbeing.

With a growing reputation of achievement in research, the progressive work of students and faculty has earned the College a rank among the top accredited schools of public health, nutrition and social work. In addition to formal classroom training, our students gain practical training at more than 100 community organizations in South Florida. Our training partners include county agencies, construction companies, hospitals, law firms, pharmaceutical companies, community-based organizations, restaurants and cruise lines.