Health Impact Awards Honor Community Impact at the Oakland Rotunda Building

On April 2, a few hundred members of the Samuel Merritt University (SMU) community gathered in the 114-year-old historic landmark Oakland Rotunda building to celebrate recipients of the 2026 Health Impact Awards. 

With local KTVU meteorologist Roberta Gonzales as the evening’s master of ceremonies, featured speakers included Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife, SMU President Dr. Ching Hua-Wang, and the University Vice President of Advancement Lindsey McClenahan. 

Surrounded by family, friends, and colleagues, ten awardees were presented with Heath Impact Awards that honored achievements in their professional, personal, and service-oriented lives. As the evening unfolded, their stories revealed that care is personal, and that leadership in health care is often rooted in family, community, and lived experience. 

Recognized as a Distinguished Friend of the University, Marshawn Lynch was awarded for his work with the Fam 1st Family Foundation, an organization built on the belief that Oakland youth deserve investment, visibility, and mentorship, and care. Delisa Lynch, Marshawn’s mother, accepted the award and shared comments on their deep commitment to Oakland, a city that shaped them both.

Also honored as a Distinguished Friend of the University, Julia Liou was awarded for her work as CEO of Asian Health Services. In her remarks, Julia shared how her grandfather, an immigrant from Hong Kong, found care at organizations like Asian Health Services, where he was able to receive treatment in his own language and was treated with dignity. “That experience has stayed with me, and that has shaped what I do and how I see this work,” Liou said.

Numerous leaders in the SMU community were celebrated for the generations of patients, students, and communities they have guided through healthcare education, service, and a lifelong commitment to mentorship. 

Dr. Mia Kelly received her Distinguished Alumni Award from Jenny Richardson, a friend and colleague of more than 40 years, who described how Kelly’s time as a nursing educator and mentor at Merritt Peralta Junior College shaped hundreds of nurses, many of whom credit their confidence, clinical readiness, and professional success to her guidance. 

Presented with the Outstanding Service Award by Ava Roberts-Stewart, one of her nursing students and a 2025 Health Impact Award winner, Dr. Paulina Van was honored for her work developing a theory on coping with pregnancy loss. She was also recognized for her work as the principal investigator for two Human Resources Services Administration (HRSA) Nursing Workforce Diversity grants, which garnered 4 million dollars in federal funding, allowing the SMU to sustain and expand its infrastructure for educational equity.

Former SMU Regent Dr. Alvin McLean accepted an award for Innovative Leadership from fellow Regent Dennis O’Connell, who recognized Alvin’s unwavering belief in SMU’s mission and the pivotal role he played in guiding the university through the planning, financing, and completion of SMU’s new Oakland campus, one of the most significant milestones in the University’s history.

Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Dr. Jeffrey DeSantis was honored by SMU faculty member Dr. Tom Chang for his teaching in podiatric surgical residency programs and his service to the profession through policy advocacy, practitioner support on the business side of medicine, and providing scholarships for podiatry students.

Newer legacies of community impact were also recognized at the event, with awards going to recent graduates and current students who are, as one recipient described, building the full picture of who they are becoming – one semester at a time.

Presented with the Recent Graduate Award by Dr. Sam Alavi-Irvine, director of the SMU Center for Community Engagement, Pete Haynes was honored as a dynamic and engaging nursing educator, and role model for his commitment to leading countless community engagement events, teaching underrepresented youth about healthcare careers, and advocating for patients with diabetes.

SMU Regent Caroline Cabias presented three Spirit of SMU Award to individuals who have paved the way for new student initiatives at the University.

Corina Aguilar, a graduate of the ELMSN - Case Management program, was recognized for the strength of character, kindness, and trust-building that she demonstrated as the University’s Inaugural Care Ambassador to Jelani House, a transitional housing center for the Homeless Prenatal Program of San Francisco.

A student in the Master of Occupational Therapy Program, Julia Golub was honored for her work to expand awareness of occupational therapy, explore healthcare education, and help people live more independent, meaningful lives through community engagement. 

Madeleine Nagle, podiatry student and founder of the Medical Languages Club at SMU, received the award for providing students with resources on medical language, translation devices, and interpreter regulations, empowering them to approach patients with respect, compassion, and cultural humility.

As the evening came to a close, the conversations, smiles, and photos of the community reflected that although health care is often referred to as a system—the individuals honored at the 2026 Health Impact Awards are a powerful reminder that it is, at its core, human.