2024 John Last Award winners announced

Congratulations to two of our exceptional students, Jared Lollar and Yvonne Kerr, who were presented with the 2024 John Last Award at graduation. This prestigious award celebrates their outstanding contributions to public health, recognising both their academic excellence and unwavering dedication to the field.

Transforming challenges into impactful research

Jared’s exceptional dissertation was recognised as a standout achievement, completed under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. While working to provide aid in conflict zones, Jared consistently demonstrated resilience and dedication, even as his offices were bombed. Despite these hardships, Jared repeatedly rebuilt clinics and worked tirelessly to assist some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Choosing a research topic that was both challenging and clinically significant, Jared undertook his study, “The Determinants of Outpatient Therapeutic Feeding Program Outcomes for Severe Acute Malnutrition in Children Under 5 in Northern Ethiopia, 2021-2022”, over two years in an active warzone in Ethiopia. His determination, passion for his work and positive attitude earned admiration from peers and faculty alike.

Community and wellbeing champion

Yvonne was honoured for her exceptional support and leadership within the Master of Public Health cohort, both informally and formally as the Year 3 student representative. Throughout her time in the programme, Yvonne has been a constant source of guidance for her peers, offering advice and support through channels like the cohort’s WhatsApp group. Her ability to voice students' concerns and advocate on their behalf has been praised as exemplary.

In addition to her peer support, Yvonne’s academic contributions stand out. Her Student-Led Individually Created Course (SLICC) project, which focused on children and young people's placemaking in Craigmillar, underscores her commitment to the wellbeing and welfare of others.

About the John Last Award

The John Last Award is an annual prize given to students on the online Master of Public Health programme at the Usher Institute. It is given to the student(s) considered to have made an excellent contribution to the public health and/or academic community.

The funds for the prize have been donated by the late eminent epidemiologist and public health advocate, Dr John Last - who died in 2019. 

Further information

Read John Last's obituary from the Royal College of Physicians of Canada

Read more about the Master of Public Health online programme

Read Yvonne’s blog Place-making and health: what does 'good' look like?