The American College Health Association has honored Jacob Baggott, MLS, 1SG (USAR Ret.), assistant vice president for Student Development, Health and Wellness, for his work at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Baggott was awarded the Edward Hitchcock Award for Outstanding Contributions in College Health by the ACHA, a national nonprofit association that represents the interests of college health professionals and the campus communities they serve. The award honors ACHA members who have made outstanding contributions to advancing the health of all college students. Baggott was nominated for this recognition by a number of his peers in college health and wellness; they described him as a professional, compassionate and accomplished colleague who also serves as a guiding mentor and impactful leader both on his campus and on a national level, according to the ACHA news release.
This award commemorates the work of Edward C. Hitchcock, Jr., M.D., who founded the first college health service at Amherst College in 1861, and was established in the 1961 Centennial Year of college health.
Baggott came to UAB in 2013 to serve as the founding executive director of Student Health and Wellness. In this role, he provided leadership to the campus initiative of establishing high-quality, comprehensive and integrated medical, psychological and health promotion services and programs to meet the needs of all undergraduate and graduate students on campus. In 2015, he transitioned to the role of assistant vice president for Student Development, Health and Wellness as part of the establishment of the new division of Student Affairs at the university. Baggott has also served in numerous positions on the ACHA Board of Directors, including the role of ACHA president during the 2015-2016 program year, and was named a Fellow of the association in 2012.