Rollins Awards

Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Awards

A group photo of the winners of the 2026 MLK Jr. Community Service Awards

Our Community Serves with Heart

These annual awards honor individuals from Emory and across Atlanta who lead with love and peace while advocating for justice, embodying the vision of Martin Luther King Jr.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Awards started in 1996 under the leadership of Raymond Greenberg, the founding dean of the Rollins School of Public Health, and faculty member Joyce Essien, MD. The program continued for years after through the guidance of James Curran, MD, and leaders from Goizueta Business School, Emory School of Medicine, and Nell Hodgson School of Nursing. 

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. Randi Smith speaks at the 2026 MLK Jr. Service Awards
Randi N. Smith, MD

2026 Ceremony Speaker

Randi N. Smith, MD, is a trauma and critical care surgeon at Emory University and Grady Memorial Hospital. She completed her medical training at the University of California San Francisco, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the University of Pennsylvania, and joined the Emory faculty in 2017. Smith has published more than 120 research articles focused on injury prevention, trauma care, and improving outcomes for patients and families affected by violence. She has received multiple teaching and service awards at Emory and Grady, including an Emory Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award in 2023.

Smith is deeply committed to her community. She leads programs that help young people break cycles of violence and serves as medical director of the Interrupting Violence in Youth and Young Adults program at Grady. A devoted mother and mentor, she is passionate about compassionate, trauma-informed care and building healthier, safer communities.

2026 Honorees

Trinity Community Ministries operates a 36‑bed transitional housing program in downtown Atlanta for men experiencing homelessness and recovering from substance abuse. The organization provides comprehensive services including stable housing, job readiness training, employment assistance, financial literacy, therapy, and recovery support, helping participants achieve independence and break cycles of homelessness and addiction.

The Clarkston Imaging Leadership Team—comprised of Emory radiology residents Joshua Jones, Patrick Arraj, and Josh Volin; medical student Wilson Battle; and Emory Healthcare sonographer Annie Goodwin—leads the Clarkston Imaging Clinic, a nonprofit founded in 2019 to provide medical imaging services to uninsured patients, many of whom are refugees resettled in metro Atlanta. The team coordinates faculty, residents, medical students, and sonographers to deliver free and low‑cost ultrasound studies for a range of medical conditions.

International Education Peace Volunteers (IEPV), also known as Peace Volunteers, is an intercultural organization founded in Atlanta that fosters cross‑cultural dialogue, learning, and community building. Through partnerships with Emory programs, including Rollins, IEPV trains students as Peace Volunteers who lead weekly conversation groups, youth mentoring, and community events. These gatherings bring together immigrants, refugees, international students, and local families for free language learning, cultural exchange, and mutual support.

Anjli Hinman has dedicated more than two decades to advancing maternal health and equitable care in Atlanta. A Woodruff Fellow and summa cum laude graduate of Emory’s Master of Nursing program, she has provided safe, evidence‑based, and respectful pregnancy care to thousands of families across Georgia. Hinman led a multi‑year volunteer effort to establish Atlanta Birth Center, which opened in 2016 as the city’s only freestanding birth center.

Josiah “Jazz” Watts is a community leader and advocate for racial, social, and environmental justice in Coastal Georgia. He works with the Healthy Coastal Neighborhoods coalition in Glynn County, conducting public health research and community engagement to address the legacy of toxic contamination.

Past MLK Award Winners