Megan Bias ’19 is working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today, but her passions in infectious diseases and serving her community can be traced back to her time at the University of Dayton.

Before graduating from UD with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Bias worked in the UD Anaerobic Microbiology Lab researching listeria bacteria and volunteered more than 1,500 hours through UD Emergency Medical Services as an emergency medical technician and crew chief.

She also found purpose in volunteering with Shoes 4 the Shoeless, an organization delivering shoes and socks to children in Dayton, Ohio. Bias founded a chapter at UD that is still active today.

These experiences clarified her career interest in infectious disease control and prevention, which led her to Emory University, where she earned a master’s degree in global health and infectious disease.

Bias applied the skills she gained in health crises and her education as an intern with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Department of Public Health as a COVID-19 Outbreak Coordinator. After completing her master’s, she stayed with the CDC for a fellowship and now is a full-time epidemiologist and data scientist with the CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System.

In her role, Bias has co-authored several articles, and her team recently received the CDC Director’s Award for Public Health Impact for their work to improve accessibility to and understanding of wastewater data and using it to detect infectious diseases.

Driven by a passion for making a tangible impact on public health, Bias is committed to advancing the field of infectious disease control. She remains actively involved with the University, regularly participating in alumni events and mentoring students interested in public health careers.

Joe Belle Memorial Young Alumni Award
For volunteer service to students and early career achievement

Joe Belle made significant contributions to the University of Dayton's Catholic and Marianist character through his exceptional caring about people.

The Joe Belle Memorial Young Alumni Award is designed to recognize young alumni who carry that same spirit and have shown great promise and accomplishment in their chosen profession, service to their community or service to the University of Dayton and its mission. To be eligible, candidates must have graduated from the University of Dayton within the past 10 years.

Past Recipients

Clementine Bihiga ’09
Mandy Brogdon ’04
Maura Carew ’04
Jon Dekar ’11
Thomas J. Dharte ’05
Justin Forzano ’08
John Gravier ’08
Laura Schmitz Keefe ’05
Michael L. Lofton ’05
Matt Maroon ’06
Molly MacCready ’08
Adam G. Molina ’00
James "Scott" Murphy ’01
Nicole Miller Olszewski ’08
Daniel Rajaiah ’13
Jeffrey P. Rombach ’02
Chris Schmidt ’99
Michael Arafol Sia ’20, ’23
Michael Vehar ’05, ’09
Rashad M. Young ’98
Sean Young ’12