University of Minnesota School of Public Health Morse-Alumni Distinguished University Teaching Professor Ruby Nguyen has received a Community-Engaged Scholar Award for 2024.

The award recognizes UMN faculty members with a robust record of exemplary, publicly-engaged scholarship, including evidence of a distinguished academic career that embodies the University’s definition of public engagement.

“The Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, the School of Public Health, and the University of Minnesota are greatly enriched by Professor Nguyen’s community-engaged teaching and scholarship, which are influenced by her world-class public health research training and her experiences growing up in Minnesota’s Asian refugee/immigrant community,” said Lisa Harnack, SPH professor and interim division head. “We prioritize diversity at SPH in part due to our belief that excellence in scholarship can result from unique human experiences. Nguyen brings this unique perspective to her work, our school, and our collective University community.”

Nguyen specializes in women’s and children’s health, with an emphasis on the well-being of Asian families in Minnesota. She is currently engaged in a seven-year, $13.6 million grant that is part of the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. As part of the study, Nguyen is leading a research team with two key goals: enrolling an Asian pregnancy cohort with the aim of enhancing the number and diversity of Asian Americans currently enrolled in the ECHO program and investigating the role of certain environmental toxins (including phthalates) on the health of Asian Americans.