The intersection of rigorous research and community service has been the foundation of Angelique B. Willis's professional and academic career. This year, the Office of University Outreach and Engagement at Michigan State University is shining a well-deserved spotlight on Willis by selecting her to receive the 2026 Graduate Student Award for Community Engagement Scholarship for Community-Engaged Service and Practice.
Willis, a doctoral dual major in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences and the Environmental Science and Policy Program, is strongly committed to leveraging her expertise in Health Geography, Public Health, Epidemiology, Environmental Health, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to enhance drinking water quality and safeguard human health. "My approach involves driving transformative changes through rigorous research and informed policy advocacy,” said Willis. “I’m excited to keep building a scholarship that stays grounded in people, place, and real community priorities.
Willis’s academic path is a testament to her interdisciplinary expertise. Before arriving at MSU as a prestigious Blake and Mary Krueger University Distinguished Fellow, the Atlanta native built a solid foundation at Georgia State University, where she earned a B.S. in Public Health, an M.P.H. in Environmental Health, and an M.S. in Geosciences.
Her early career was marked by a deep-seated passion for the environment and human well-being. As a Community-Soil-Air-Water (CSAW) fellow, she worked with scholars and community partners to address the multifaceted relationships between urban communities and their environment. Her master’s research specifically tackled the prevalence of well water contaminants in Georgia—work that not only earned her "Student of the Year" honors but also laid the groundwork for her advocacy for low-income communities and communities of color.
Now pursuing her dual major Ph.D. at MSU, Angelique focuses on the unique drinking water and public health challenges faced by urban populations in Detroit, utilizing GIS and spatial epidemiology to examine how chemical contaminants and infrastructure inequities shape urban neighborhood risk and health patterns in minoritized communities, and advocate for just policies.
Willis will receive the Community-Engaged Service and Practice award at the MSU Outreach and Engagement Awards Ceremony on March 12, 2026, from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in the Big Ten C Room. The Spartan community is invited to attend in person or via livestream to celebrate Angelique and her fellow honorees.
