LUNA President Marina Hadjioannou Waters recently earned two distinguished awards as the 2021 Alumni of the Year from both the University of Arizona Alumni Association as well as from the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. 

The Alumni of the Year award is given to the Zuckerman College of Public Health graduate who has bestowed honor on the college through significant contributions and accomplishments that embody the mission of the college—promoting the health and wellness of individuals and communities in the southwest and globally with an emphasis on achieving health equity through excellence in education, research, and service.

“Her leadership to fight for health equity with an emphasis in language rights has made a difference for thousands of people,” the Zuckerman College of Public Health announced. 

Waters was the first student at the University of Arizona to help create a joint Master of Public Health (MPH) and Juris Doctor (JD) or law degree, now the most popular joint degree program at the University. The awards recognized Waters for her outstanding dedication to improving health inequities in marginalized communities. With her educational background and as president of LUNA Language Services, Waters has dedicated her career to advocating for the civil, political, and cultural rights of communities facing discrimination. 

“Receiving this honor allowed me to reflect on the mentors I had early on in my career at the University of Arizona and how much their leadership and community focus contributes on a daily basis to my values at LUNA and as a community leader,” said Waters.

Marina was able to attend the awards ceremonies in Tucson, Arizona accompanied by her mother, Linda Haskell, and her daughter, Luna Waters.

Marina was also in good company accepting her award alongside other notable achievers from the University of Arizona, including former U. S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona and Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. Romero is the first-ever female and first-ever Latina mayor of Tucson.

(Main blog image courtesy of the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health)