On February 24, 2026, a team of four Master of Public Health students from the University of Illinois Springfield made a strong showing at the IEEE "Illinois Innovates 2026 - Central Illinois Student Project & Poster Competition," taking home both First Place and Best Project honors in the Graduate Track, along with a cash prize.

The team: Sneha Gupta, Raja Raghupathy Rao Cherukuri, Deepthi Virajitha Bere, and Nkechi Ogwuazor, worked under the supervision of Dr. Jessica Madrigal. Their submission focused on a community outreach initiative addressing radon exposure in Sangamon County, an EPA-designated high-risk zone with a documented shortage of county-level public health resources on the topic.

At the competition, the students set up an educational display featuring original radon awareness materials they had independently designed, EPA guidance on radon risk, and a live demonstration of short-term radon test kits. Their presentation made the case that environmental health research must translate into actionable, community-facing interventions, an argument the judging panel found particularly compelling. The Certificate of Excellence, jointly issued by UIS and IEEE, confirms the "First Place – Graduate Track" designation dated February 24, 2026.