Sandra Magyar, right, accepts her award from Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the College of Public Health.

Tampa, FL (April 2, 2009) — Sandra Magyar, executive director of the Florida Public Health Association (FPHA), has been named the Florida Outstanding Woman in Public Health for 2009 by the University of South Florida College of Public Health.

The College bestows the award each year to a woman whose career accomplishments and leadership have contributed significantly to the field of public health in Florida. Magyar was honored at an awards ceremony April 1 at the USF College of Public Health Auditorium in Tampa.

Under Magyar’s leadership, the FPHA has nearly doubled its membership to one of the largest of any state American Public Health Association (APHA) affiliate. Many other organizations in Florida and nationwide have sought to use the model Magyar developed for the FPHA in advancing public health advocacy, education and networking.

Magyar started her career as a health educator at the Duval County Public Health Unit in 1973, rising to the position of Operations and Management Consultant Manager. She became executive director of FPHA in 2002, after serving in a variety of volunteer positions for the organization including annual education conference chair, executive board member, and president. She was instrumental in creating the Florida Public Health Foundation, which was subsequently funded by the Florida Legislature to serve the state’s public health interests.

Magyar has been executive director of the American Association of Public Health Physicians and of the Florida Association of County Health Officers, the state group of county health department executives. She currently chairs the Board of Directors for the State Employees Credit Union. She helped forge a connection between the USF College of Public Health’s Public Health Leadership Institute and FPHA, raising awareness among members interested in career development or pursuing graduate studies in public health.

Magyar has been recognized for her work and scope of leadership with prestigious awards from the FPHA, the Southern Public Health Association and the APHA. She holds a master’s of education degree in health education with an emphasis in administration from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

The Florida Outstanding Woman in Public Health Award was initiated by USF in 1988, and nominations are solicited from public health practitioners across the state.

– USF Health –

USF Health is dedicated to creating a model of health care based on understanding the full spectrum of health. It includes the University of South Florida’s colleges of medicine, nursing, and public health; the schools of biomedical sciences as well as physical therapy & rehabilitation sciences; and the USF Physicians Group. With more than $360 million in research grants and contracts last year, USF is one of the nation’s top 63 public research universities and one of 39 community-engaged, four-year public universities designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

– Photo by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications