Siega-Riz Receives UNC-Chapel Hill Distinguished Alumni Award

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Dean Anna Maria Siega-Riz

Anna Maria Siega-Riz, dean of the UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences, was recognized with a Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during its University Day celebrations on October 12, 2026. She was one of five alumni recognized for their outstanding contributions to Carolina and society.

Siega-Riz is an internationally recognized reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist with expertise in maternal and child nutrition. Her leadership in advanced dietary assessment and groundbreaking research on diet quality have transformed the understanding of how nutrition affects a variety of health outcomes. Her research has received millions of dollars in funding, and Siega-Riz’s findings have been disseminated in numerous books and chapters and peer-reviewed articles in top journals. She’s served in and been recognized by multiple national organizations for her work. Most recently, the Massachusetts Health Council recognized her with a “Beacon for the Common Good” award.

Previously Siega-Riz was professor and associate dean for academic and student affairs at Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health.

The University’s Distinguished Alumna/Alumnus Award, established in 1971, recognizes alumni for outstanding contributions to humankind. Drawn from nominations from various entities across the campus, including the Carolina Alumni Board of Directors, recipients are recommended by the faculty’s Committee on Honorary Degrees and Special Awards and are approved by the Faculty Council and the Board of Trustees.

Read more about this year's recipients here.