Simran Bhatia, senior organizational health education specialist for student well-being, received the American College Health Association’s (ACHA) Affiliate New Professionals Award for 2024 on Wednesday, May 29, in Atlanta. The award recognizes ACHA members who have provided service to the field of college health for five years or less and have made significant contributions to the field, their institutions and affiliates.

Additionally, Bhatia co-presented a session titled “Student Advisory Board: A Panel Discussion with Five Diverse University Programs.” This session was held Friday, May 31, and was presented alongside the following:

• Dr. Mary Schmidt-Owens, director of health care compliance and operations at the University of Central Florida.
• Jamie Shutter, executive director of student health and well-being at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
• Mari Kay Avant, assistant director of public relations and appointment scheduling for university health services at Florida State University.
• Chelsea Nipper and Rebecca Roldan from Pepperdine University, California.

Bhatia also showcased a poster co-created with Annie Birt, an academic advisor for the S&T Advising Center, on the topic “Social Connectedness and Sense of Belonging as Measures of Success and Retention on a College Campus.” This poster highlighted the critical role of social connectivity and belonging in student success and retention. Looking ahead, Bhatia will serve as the program planner for mental health for the American College Health Association’s annual conference in 2025, which will be held in New Orleans.