Barnett Earns Horace T. Morse Award

Senior Lecturer and Student Based Faculty of Public Health Jessie Barnett has earned the Horace T. Morse award, the University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education. The award honors excellence in undergraduate education across the University of Minnesota.

“The nomination dossier showcases the incredible work and passion Jessie has for teaching and engaging students. Jessie’s dedication to collaboratively building the public health curriculum has made an indelible impact on UMR,” writes Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Innovation Jeffrey Ratliff-Crain. Dr. Barnett’s selection celebrates her “dedication to dynamic curriculum development, collaborative teaching and experiential learning.” 

Dr. Barnett’s background in LGBTQIA+ health research and disparities informs her student-centered course design, in which learners nurture an enduring personal connection with highly challenging concepts. As an Institute on the Environment Educator, she is committed to cultivating the next generation of public health leaders through student-driven learning and research, mentorship, advising and community engagement.

About Barnett

Barnett earned a PhD and MPH from the University of Georgia. Her expertise includes health promotion, program implementation and program evaluation with a health disparities focus. Barnett’s research background is in substance abuse treatment - particularly assessing factors contributing to patients’ access to care and counselor burnout. Barnett has developed a number of courses at UMR and was instrumental in designing the innovative academic curriculum for the NXT GEN MED pilot.

About The Morse Alumni Award

Each year since 1965, the Horace T. Morse-University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education (Morse-Alumni Award) has been given to a select group of teachers who reflect the University's emphasis on the importance of high quality undergraduate education. Learn more at scholarswalk.umn.edu. Other UMR Morse award winners include Jeffrey Ratliff-Crain and Robb Dunbar.