University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions MPH student Veronica Herlinda Lima Bornas was recognized at the UF International Center’s International Student Achievement Awards ceremony held November 19 at the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. Lima Bornas received a Certificate of Outstanding Merit.
The awards program recognizes students who have distinguished themselves in areas such as academic excellence; outstanding teaching and mentorship; community service and civic involvement; leadership and innovation; or developing creative solutions to global problems.
Lima Bornas, pictured on the far left, who has indigenous Quechua heritage, is a Master of Public Health student in the epidemiology concentration from Lima, Peru. She has conducted research under the supervision of epidemiology faculty members Natalie Chichetto, Ph.D., on how probiotics can positively alter the gut microbiome, particularly in people living with HIV and heavy drinkers, and with Catalina Lopez-Quintero, M.D., Ph.D., on the effects of yoga and meditation on anxiety. She currently serves on the M.P.H. Epidemiology Student Advisory Council, the International Student Council and as historian for the Public Health Student Association. In addition, she is a mentor for new M.P.H. students through the PHSA mentorship program.
“Each conversation, each research project and each mentoring relationship feels like a step toward a more inclusive, equitable world,” she said. “I know that my contributions will continue to reflect the values of inclusivity, health equity and global collaboration.”
