Two Rollins Professors Receive University-Level Teaching Awards
By Shelby Crosier
Excellence and innovation in education are at the core of Rollins School of Public Health’s mission. Every spring, several faculty members are recognized for their exemplary teaching and mentorship with school-wide and university-level awards.
This year, Emory University recognized two Rollins faculty members, both from the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, for their teaching excellence.
- Rameshbabu Manyam, PhD, research assistant professor of biostatistics and bioinformatics, won the 2025 Provost's Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education.
- Amita Manatunga, PhD, Donna J. Brogan Distinguished Professor in Biostatistics, won the university’s 2025 Exemplary Teacher of the Year Award.
Rameshbabu Manyam
The Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education Extended to a faculty member from each of the university’s seven graduate and professional schools who “excel as teachers within formal and informal educational settings.”
Manyam was selected as the winner from Rollins because of his dedication to fostering participation, inquiry, and creative expression in the classroom. He says that he loves teaching at Rollins, because “students and I work together to solve problems by analyzing complex public health datasets with state-of-the-art coding techniques.”
The university also recognized Manyam’s commitment to mentoring and advising students.
“I believe that students learn best when they feel comfortable both in and beyond the classroom,” says Manyam. “I try to build rapport with my students by demonstrating that I genuinely care for their learning and growth. Students at Rollins don’t only see a teacher in me. They also see a lifelong mentor who is sensitive to their shortcomings and successes, a researcher who is abreast of the current trends, and, most of all, a person who is simply caring and passionate about what we accomplish in public health settings.”
Amita Manatunga
The Exemplary Teacher of the Year Award recognizes one faculty member from Emory each year who demonstrates exceptional teaching, concern for students and colleagues, and contribution to scholarly life at the university. Manatunga is the third Rollins faculty member to win the award since its conception in 1981.
In her over three-decade career, Manatunga has dedicated herself to mentoring and training the next generation of public health researchers and practitioners. This award recognizes the remarkable contributions she has made to both Rollins and the Laney Graduate School, both through her pedagogy and her passion, during that time.
"Receiving this prestigious award from Emory University, which recognizes my contributions to educational programs in both formal and informal settings, is one of the proudest moments of my career," says Manatunga. "What I enjoy most about being part of this Emory community is the opportunity to engage closely with students in a collaborative, intellectually vibrant environment where learning is truly valued. I firmly believe that education has the power to transform lives, something I have experienced personally and witnessed in the lives of many others throughout my career."
She continued, "The supportive and collaborative environment at the Rollins School of Public Health, along with my inspiring colleagues and students, provides the ideal setting for me to pursue and enjoy the work I’m most passionate about."
