Delta Omega Induction Ceremony
By Office of the President | Jun 5, 2024
Congratulations to the newest SUNY Downstate students, faculty, and honorary inductees into the Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society. Membership in the Delta Omega public health honor society reflects the dedication of an individual to increasing the quality of the field, as well as to the protection and advancement of the health of all people. Induction is highly selective and affords its members leadership development, publication opportunities, and networking opportunities.
Kudos to our newest faculty inductees, Anika Daniels-Osaze, Ed.D., MPH, and Elizabeth Helzner, Ph.D., M.S., along with our student and honorary inductees for Delta Omega. The induction took
place during the 100-year celebration on May 13, 2024, following the Student Awards
ceremony. For a list of the 2024 student inductees, click the program link here.
Faculty Inductees
Anika Daniels-Osaze, Ed.D., MPH
Dr. Daniels-Osaze is the Associate Dean for Education and a Clinical Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University’s School of Public Health. She specializes in developing pipeline programs that diversify the health professions and aim to reduce health disparities in healthcare.
An alumna of SUNY Downstate’s MPH program and a recipient of the Lenard and Christine Szarek fellowship, Dr. Daniels-Osaze focuses on Health Policy and Management, particularly health equity, leadership, and the administration of public health systems. In her role as Associate Dean for Education, she oversees curriculum development and modifications, accreditation activities, program evaluation, and quality improvement.
Passionate about international education and healthcare, she serves as a Queen Mother (Nkatasiahene) of Moree in Ghana’s Cape Coast region. Dr. Daniels-Osaze is also a former president of the National Association of Medical Minority Educators.
Elizabeth Helzner, Ph.D., MS
Dr. Elizabeth Helzner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She earned her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed postdoctoral fellowships in Aging Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh and Neuroepidemiology at Columbia University’s Gertrude Sergievsky Center.
As a chronic disease epidemiologist, Dr. Helzner specializes in age-related conditions, with a primary research focus on age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). Her research has examined various contributors to hearing loss in older adults, including diabetes, bone density, vascular health, and demographic, genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. She has also studied the impact of presbycusis on cognition, cognitive decline, mortality, psychological health, and physical function.
Dr. Helzner has also conducted studies on Alzheimer’s disease, focusing on post-diagnosis survival and cognitive decline. Her collaborative work with SUNY Downstate’s departments of Neurology, Oncology, Geriatric Psychiatry, and Occupational Therapy has explored pre-hospital stroke diagnosis, multiple myeloma epidemiology, the mental health impact of hearing loss in older adults, and community-based programs for people with Parkinson’s Disease.
Dr. Helzner’s most recent work focuses on the link between dietary patterns and chronic disease, particularly the role of plant-based nutrition in preventing and treating common health conditions in the community.
Honorary Member
Betty Jung, RN, BSN, DQE, IDLA, has had a 43-year career as a Registered Professional Nurse. She earned her BSN in 1981 from SUNY Downstate College of Nursing and began working at SUNY University Hospital at Downstate in medical-surgical nursing. After more than eight years, she transitioned to a Patient and Community Health Educator role, where she has spent 34 years developing and implementing patient education and community health initiatives.
Betty engages with community members at health events in Brooklyn, providing health screenings, flu vaccinations, health education, and access to care. She collaborates with various local organizations and services at SUNY UHD. In 2014, she became the coordinator for the NYS Cancer Services Program, assisting uninsured and under-insured patients with cancer screenings.
Currently, she is an Independent Living Donor Advocate for the Transplant Service, coordinates the Brooklyn Kidney Club Education and Support Group, and collaborates with Memora Health on post-discharge follow-up calls. In May 2024, the School of Public Health inducted her into the Beta Iota Chapter of the Delta Omega Society for her contributions to health equity in Brooklyn.