Student Award Honors Professor Robert Fullilove
Columbia Mailman School professor Robert Fullilove, affectionately known as “Dr. Bob” to generations of students, is being honored with a new student award in his name.
The Dr. Robert Fullilove Community Impact Award will recognize a graduating Sociomedical Sciences student who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in community public health work, mirroring Fullilove’s legacy of service and advocacy. Nominations for the award are now open.
For over 35 years, Fullilove, who serves as Associate Dean for Community and Minority Affairs, has been a bridge-builder between the School and surrounding communities. His efforts have fostered countless collaborations among faculty, students, and community members that have made a positive impact on the health of people in Washington Heights, Harlem, and beyond.
“The recipient of this honor will reflect Dr. Fullilove’s unwavering passion for fostering meaningful change, bridging gaps in health disparities, and empowering communities through education, advocacy, and engagement,” said Kathleen Sikkema, chair of Sociomedical Sciences. “This award celebrates a student whose work inspires others to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Fullilove’s transformative legacy.”
The announcement was made ahead of a guest lecture by Cornell historian Julilly Kohler-Hausman, whose talk focused on voting rights following the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The topic resonated with Fullilove, who participated in the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer voter drives. A photo of a young Fullilove, captured as he prepared to board a bus to Mississippi, is now part of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
A cornerstone of the Columbia Mailman community, Fullilove addresses incoming students at the start of Orientation, introducing them to the principles of community health, and again by delivering the invocation at Class Day during Commencement Week. Since 2010, he has taught public health courses both at Columbia and through Bard College’s Prison Initiative (BPI) in six New York State prisons, serving as senior advisor to BPI’s public health program. His work with BPI is featured in the PBS documentary College Behind Bars, and several of his mentees have gone on to earn graduate degrees at Columbia Mailman. Fullilove has also been honored with the Columbia Mailman Distinguished Teaching Award three times.
Throughout his career, Fullilove has made significant contributions to public health policy and research. He served on the Institute of Medicine’s Board of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention from 1995 to 2001 and contributed to committees addressing substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and indoor air quality. Recognized as a National Associate of the National Academies of Science in 2003, he co-chaired the CDC’s Advisory Committee on HIV and STD Prevention from 2000 to 2004 and was a member of the NIH’s National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine from 2004 to 2007.
“I am deeply humbled and honored by this award, which celebrates the power of community-driven public health work,” said Fullilove. “For me, this has always been about building bridges—between the School and the community, between knowledge and action, and between generations of students who carry forward the fight for health equity. To see a student recognized for their impact in this way is a testament to the collective effort we all share in creating a healthier, more just world. This award isn’t just about me; it’s about the enduring spirit of collaboration and the belief that every voice matters in the pursuit of change.”